Z scale screen material

bostonjim Dec 26, 2018

  1. bostonjim

    bostonjim TrainBoard Member

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    Happy Holidays, All
    I was looking for screen material for a little project and came across what I think is the best material I have seen yet. It is the very, very, very fine mesh in coffee maker filters. It is in the basket where the grinds go. I used a new one and aged it with chalk. It looks great on screen doors. I made a pigeon coop for one of my rooftops using it. This is pretty sturdy stuff, too. It keeps its shape and bonds with white glue. For interesting z and electronics try this guy: tennetm@yahoo.com. He goes by the name Iron Penguin Electronics. I think he does custom work and is open to suggestions. Jim
     
  2. Doug A.

    Doug A. TrainBoard Supporter

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    Got a link to these coffee filters? Photos of your pigeon coop? How does Iron Penguin Electronics fit in.....is he selling the coffee filters?
     
  3. bostonjim

    bostonjim TrainBoard Member

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    Hi, Doug
    No link to the filters but they are the ones in the basket. Some are made of metal and others of plastic/nylon. I've also just seen them on some fancy brands of tea. The pigeon coop is almost ready for a photo shoot. I have even added a light to it. I am waiting for some additional parts from rslaser kits to complete the build. It is a kit-bash of the Munson Building. Iron Penguin is a guy on ebay who sells a z scale convenience store with great inside details, ie. aisles, freezers, etc...he enclosed a flyer which has a lot of electronic stuff. Most can be made into z scale items. He is on vacation until tomorrow. I will speak with him after the new year. I am interested in z scale street lights. Happy New Year. Jim
     
  4. markm

    markm TrainBoard Supporter

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    I also ran across some interesting material. It's the doggy bag for a major dentist tooth whitening product. Very fine and thin. As is, works well for the side of the road construction netting. I haven't tried painting or staining it yet. An interesting note: a while back there was a presentation at the Sierra Division meet for using parts of a coffee filter as scrap loads. At the time he wonder if there could be some use for the filter material.




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  5. bostonjim

    bostonjim TrainBoard Member

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    Hi, Mark
    That would be perfect for construction mesh. It is even the same color. The coffee filter and fancy tea bag mesh is similar. It is a bit more rigid and is obviously impervious to heat. I have cut it with scissors and an exacto blade and it does not fray. The white colored ones are clear enough to see thru. The light I put inside (nano Woodland Scenics) works perfect since it can be dimmed. I'm sure others can find other useful uses for it. I see the orange one as a pretty good snow fence or temporary fence. This stuff is the finest screen material I have found. I'm glad you guys have picked up on it and its possible utility. Happy New Year everyone. Jim
     
  6. HOexplorer

    HOexplorer TrainBoard Supporter

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    How about a wife or girl/boy friends nylons?
     
  7. bostonjim

    bostonjim TrainBoard Member

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    I think I like this stuff better...no runs, no snags, no sags...Jim
     
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  8. drken

    drken TrainBoard Member

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    Wow, I just realized I needed some tall (like 12' (scale) or so) chain link fence type material and here this thread is. Thanks bostonjim, I really need to stop by more often ;). I'm going to have to drop by BB&B and/or Target to see what they've got. Soldering together a bunch of MicronArt chain-link fencing didn't work as well as I thought it would. Neither did trying to 3D print it.
     
  9. bostonjim

    bostonjim TrainBoard Member

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    Hi,
    Thanks, drken. Before you go and buy a coffee filter first look in the tea aisle at your local grocery store. The same material is used for some fancy brands of tea. They look like mesh lobster pots and have a pyramid-like shape. The tea is good, too. Glad to pass this tip along. I hope you find it useful. As you can see from the pix it is really fine and sturdy. I colored it a bit by rubbing it in weathering chalk. I don't think paint will do well. It will probably clog the mesh. Take care, Jim
     
  10. drken

    drken TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the tip. I might just go with the screen from a splatter guard, but it's good to have options.
     
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  11. mdvholland

    mdvholland TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Mark, I had the same notion, my daughter had one in black that she allowed me to use :) Makes a great fence.

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    Cheers, Matt
     
  12. southernnscale

    southernnscale TrainBoard Supporter

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    I have seen this type of material in a fabric shop sold by the yard! comes in several different colors! I will have to check it out! looks good in the photo!
     

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