I would like to make a tarped type of flatcar loads and wondering of what to use, perhaps grocery bag plastic or paper. I would like to get slightly billowey and torn type effect. For cables a metalized thread looks good toned down a bit, and thinly cut electrical tape looks good for banding of wood stacks. Would also like to hear your ideas for various type of loads. Thanks for your replys…John
Grocery bag plastic doesn’t take paint very well. I’ve seen folks use painted tissue paper with good results. It stiffens up pretty good after the paint dries.
I have experimented with attaching tissue, not the facial, the kind that is used for gift packing, to aluminum foil with Kilz2 acrylic primer.
Click images to enlarge
The aluminum foil adds body and the tissue addes texture and a paintable surface.
The door flap is the first use of aluminum foil/tissue. The window canvas was tissue sculpted, and a real pain. The foil/tissue has possibilities
Harold
I’ve used some black construction paper with some good results, and I also found some very thin and somewhat shiny black cloth that made some good tarps. Tried some saran wrap, and that window-cover shrink wrap, but it will not take paint.
I’ve always taken a small block of wood, cut it down to fit the flat car I intend to use, shape the wood to look like some kind of boxed machine or something, then covered it with Elmer’s white glue and copying paper pressing the paper into all of the little nooks and crannies, then spray paint it with either flat tan, flat olive drab green or what ever. You can also use black thread as tie downs or very fine chain that you can get at places like Hobby Lobby.
Tracklayer
I happen to be investigating the use of extremly thin paper such as the Gift tissue paper availible for Christmas presents.
Real life tarps are very tough I believe they were Canvas with a little Nylon or similar thrown in. The ones I had on my covered wagon were actually a type of water proof cloth. The regular flat bed tarp was really rubberized canvas that was strong.
Corners usually were sharp on a covered load and there was some bunching as excess tarping was rolled or folded under just like one would make a bed.
I made a tarp over an Athearn airplane flat car load using a napkin from Taco Bell. I soaked it with very diluted Elmers, same stuff I use for ballsting, then very carefully draped and folded it over the load until it looked right. The color looks right for dirty canvas, but it should take paint well once it dries if you want to change it.
The bag portion of a tea bag, gift wrap tissue paper and very thin material will all work for tarp material.