How to Make Grilles for Intakes? (PICS!)

ssorrell · Post by **ssorrell** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 3:08 pm

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has experience with making grilles for aircraft intakes? Specifically, I'm trying to emulate the grille inside the nose of the BSG Viper MKII on a model of a "MK I," and I'm trying to figure out a way to make a realistic honeycomb pattern. I've found a couple of links to manufacturers of 1/25 photoetched honeycomb sheets for model cars, and might go that route. Still, I'd like to hear other suggestions if anyone has any.

Thanks!

Scott

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:59 pm

What about twolle (sp?) fabric? There are different weaves of it. Assuming there is one in the size you need, I would think you could maybe spray it with a quick shot of Future to stiffen it up.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:39 am

K&S makes a wide variety of brass mesh and screen. Their website seems to be broken, but just google K&S brass and you'll come up with a ton of hobby shop links, like this one. Or check out your local hobby shop or model train shop, and ask them if they carry K&S tubing and sheet.

ssorrell · Post by **ssorrell** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:22 am

Thanks for the link, Mr. Badwrench, I'll check it out!

Lt. Z0mBe wrote:What about twolle (sp?) fabric? There are different weaves of it. Assuming there is one in the size you need, I would think you could maybe spray it with a quick shot of Future to stiffen it up.

Kenny, I was thinking along the same lines, but I was thinking of using screening material for windows and gluing it to a sheet of styrene to produce the texture. I was really wanting to get the transparency of a photoetched piece, though....

Thanks again!

Scott

redfinger · Post by **redfinger** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:34 am

I have an example of something I a working on wight now, when I get home from work I will post a pic for you..

Ashton

modelnutz · Post by **modelnutz** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:01 am

Here's a lead for ya'

Core material for composite construction is often a honeycomb design.
I have seen just what you're describing...it's only a question of sizes available.
I'll bet that a short while google'ing "honeycomb core" or "composite core materials" would provide a world of options.

Good luck to ya' sir !

macfrank · Post by **macfrank** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:41 am

ssorrell wrote: Kenny, I was thinking along the same lines, but I was thinking of using screening material for windows and gluing it to a sheet of styrene to produce the texture. I was really wanting to get the transparency of a photoetched piece, though....

Thanks again!

Scott

Tulle fabric can be painted, and the holes are not blocked by fabric. Other than the KS brass material, this stuff would be ideal (and much, much cheaper). Just about any fabric store will have a variety of the stuff, with varying hole sizes (sub millimeter to about a millimeter or two).

Frank

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:46 pm

It can be painted, but it also comes in several colors (mostly around here I find it in black, white, pink â€“ that's tutu material â€“ yellow, red, brown...)

And you can always stretch it over a frame to have it flat and transparent.

Post by **TER-OR** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:25 pm

Photoetched materials work very well. You can often find tank photoetch on sale at shows. I always dig through for nice mesh material.

ssorrell · Post by **ssorrell** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:10 am

Yeah, I've seen that a lot of photoetched parts are produced for tanks....

Thanks!

Scott

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 2:06 pm

I have to replace the engine intakes on my Howling Wolf Blackbird as they were cast bad(not an easy part to cast). I found a match in Plastruct Lattice/trellis material. You might check it out on their site.

ssorrell · Post by **ssorrell** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:41 am

USSARCADIA wrote:I have to replace the engine intakes on my Howling Wolf Blackbird as they were cast bad(not an easy part to cast). I found a match in Plastruct Lattice/trellis material. You might check it out on their site.

Hey, that may be it right there. Kinda looks like gutter covers, now that I see them. Of course, I'm sure gutter covers aren't scaled properly

Did you have any luck finding this stuff at stores, or did you have to order it?

Scott

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:28 pm

I special ordered what I thought was the stuff(LAT 50) but it's not quite it. I picked it up yesterday. Its not exact to the kit material, but might work. It certainly would work in your case where you don't have to have an exact match.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:38 pm

SmallParts has perfed steel in some awfully fine amounts. Might work.

ssorrell · Post by **ssorrell** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:31 pm

Hey, found some photoetched stuff at a local art supply store. Should work perfectly. Apparently a suggested use is to make beams and girders for architectural models. It's a K&S product. Got it for six bucks with my work ID (work at the nearby university.)

So now I have no more excuses! Well, I do, but lack of grille material is no longer one of them

Thanks everyone!

Scott

ssorrell · Post by **ssorrell** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:43 am

Hey all!

Thought you might enjoy seeing the fruits of everyone's suggestions

This is my modified Revell Viper "MK I" nosecone....

Nosecone before modifications
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0045.jpg

Nosecone cut in half
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0046.jpg

Nosecone halves with plug and grille installed. The plug is mainly to keep the foam from escaping. I like to fill my hollow models with expanding foam. Just gives it a nice, solid feel

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0048.jpg

Inside of 2nd nosecone half painted flat black. I do the same thing with my return air ducts at home. The flat black absorbs any light and keeps you from having to detail it. If you can't see it, you don't have to worry about it

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0064.jpg

Nosecone halves glued back together.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0066.jpg

Finished nosecone.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0069.jpg

Nosecone dry fitted in fuselage.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0070.jpg
&
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0072.jpg

The inspiration -- the nosecone on Zoic's MK II. I don't know the policy on posting images I've downloaded from starshipbuilder.com, but that's where the pics are. I think the resemblance is pretty acceptable

Dry fitted nosecone with grille painted flat black. Did this mainly to see what it would look like. I had to gamma correct this photo to even see the grill, which, unfortunately, is the case in real life, as well. I'll ultimately paint the grille a metallic color so that it will stand out.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/ ... C_0078.jpg

This is my first real attempt at customizing a stock kit, and I'm pleasantly surprised at the way it's turned out so far. Now that this little pain is out of the way, maybe I can make some more obvious progress on it.

At any rate, thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions for this!

Scott

PetarB · Post by **PetarB** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:13 pm

That's a nice customization... really adds to that area.

ssorrell · Post by **ssorrell** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:29 am

PetarB wrote:That's a nice customization... really adds to that area.

Thanks! Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised by the way it turned out. I actually did it twice. The first attempt looked great to me, until I realized that the line of the grilles was not parallel to the vertical plane of the nosecone. Once I saw this, it was all I could see when I looked at it

Scott