best material for slings

joesilver

PMC on demand!!!!!!
Jun 3, 2011
374
2
18
44
Portugal
witch is the best material to do slings for gijoe weapon´s in the 3/4 size? any tutorial you can recommend is welcome
 

K-Tiger

All solutions are final.
Founder
Mar 14, 2011
31,266
190
63
I use thread and painters tape, it can be painted and gives good flex. Some people use metal rings and some kind of craft throng material. Never liked the look of those, though.
 

G.I.*EDDIE

gobbles a LOT of cock
Founder
Mar 14, 2011
43,432
428
83
S.E. Mich :(
I like hockey stick tape...it has a really nice texture...

Obi uses micro canvas from Lego that looks really nice too
 

darthdre758

Watsamattau?
Officer Club
Mar 14, 2011
3,991
12
38
For the most part I use Flex Rex. I have some of the Lego canvas, but haven't tried slings yet.
 

Pickelhaube

Replicator of Toys
Officer Club
Mar 15, 2011
1,601
124
63
65
New Orleans
This is a tip from the Hun who gave me the idea years ago.

Use a tooth paste tube. Cut it into small strips. Use a mosquito mesh for the buckles.

You need to cut the mesh/ screen into tiny squares and thread the strips through them.

Works for slings and helmet chin straps.

The strips are very durable and will stay posed .

:thumbsup:
 

WVMojo

Mocha Viper
Jul 20, 2011
4,004
3
38
toothpaste tube...interesting.

Too bad I'm from WV and only have one tooth. Takes me 18 months to use a tube.
 

Obi-Shinobi

Pioneer, Damn It!
Apr 6, 2011
2,370
16
38
54
York, PA
Depends on how "real" you want your slings/straps. Flex-rex tends to be too thick and bulky for anything more real or scaled, but several people insist on using it anyway... along with thick metal rings to secure it to the weapon. It might technically work and be easy to put together, but imo, it looks a little like butt. Especially when you have a really good custom fig using it.

I haven't tried hockey tape, but knowing the material, it's a least better than the above. And it should have more flexibility, being thinner. Texture is probably fairly good too,

Yes... I use Lego "micro-canvas" (sails,etc.). Personally, it's about the best stuff for simulating scaled nylon or cotton webbing because of the texture. And since it's paper thin, it works nicely for many scaled applications.

Buckles and sling attachment points are another animal all-together. For scale, try using hobby wire. 18ga is a decent size and very easy to work with. Styrene can be used also, but requires quite a bit more modeling skills to create proper designs/sizes. Not to say that my methods/techniques are the best thing out there, but here are some examples for reference.

Every clip/buckle on the set-up below is made from styrene, with exception to the front "eye-bolt" and the rear "carabiner".



This one uses wire for the attachment and D-ring, with 1 styrene buckle -



Here's an older one, using wire and styrene -



AND of course this one -



Hope all this gives you some insight, and some good ideas.
 

joesilver

PMC on demand!!!!!!
Jun 3, 2011
374
2
18
44
Portugal
thank you for the suggestions... now i´m gonna see what i can get here in Portugal... or most probably on ebay... thank you all
 

Dropshipbob

Turtlenap, Hanger Alpha
Mar 29, 2011
6,922
92
48
This is a tip from the Hun who gave me the idea years ago.

Use a tooth paste tube. Cut it into small strips. Use a mosquito mesh for the buckles.


But how would you piant the tube material and have it actually stick?
 

Akunin

Snow Bunny
Apr 7, 2011
1,818
1
38
Impressive! And where did you get the stands?

Depends on how "real" you want your slings/straps. Flex-rex tends to be too thick and bulky for anything more real or scaled, but several people insist on using it anyway... along with thick metal rings to secure it to the weapon. It might technically work and be easy to put together, but imo, it looks a little like butt. Especially when you have a really good custom fig using it.

I haven't tried hockey tape, but knowing the material, it's a least better than the above. And it should have more flexibility, being thinner. Texture is probably fairly good too,

Yes... I use Lego "micro-canvas" (sails,etc.). Personally, it's about the best stuff for simulating scaled nylon or cotton webbing because of the texture. And since it's paper thin, it works nicely for many scaled applications.

Buckles and sling attachment points are another animal all-together. For scale, try using hobby wire. 18ga is a decent size and very easy to work with. Styrene can be used also, but requires quite a bit more modeling skills to create proper designs/sizes. Not to say that my methods/techniques are the best thing out there, but here are some examples for reference.

Every clip/buckle on the set-up below is made from styrene, with exception to the front "eye-bolt" and the rear "carabiner".



This one uses wire for the attachment and D-ring, with 1 styrene buckle -



Here's an older one, using wire and styrene -



AND of course this one -



Hope all this gives you some insight, and some good ideas.
 

Rick

Enlisted
Founder
Mar 14, 2011
3,250
81
48
Obi, that's rediculous! What is this 'Sail" material you guys have referenced?
 
Hey, I'm still VERY new to you all here at the Fghtn 1:18, but I've spent hours lurking and lookin. I've only just started replying to stuff here and nobody knows me too much, so please don't think I'm a fly-by-night-gusher when I say that I HAVE NEVER SEEN WORK LIKE Obi-Shinobi's!!!!

I've been customizin and kitbashin 1:18 stuff on and off since 2002. ^^THIS^^ skill level, this kind of achievement is what I've been after all along. I've NEVER seen such perfection in 1:18. Anyway . . .

I too have always thought that slings, webbing and such were vitally important to the overall look of any given military themed fig.

What I have used is Johnson & Johnson medical tape, sticky side folded over on itself. Get this at WM, Rite-aid, etc. The scale and texture is as close as I can imagine (in 1:18) to real webbing. It glues perfectly and takes paint wonderfully.

Here's a couple examples:

 
Last edited:
Hey GI Ed:
is it similar to fabric bandaids?
Yeah, you could say that . . . just not stretchy at all. It's the stuff you would use to wrap a gauze pad so it stays in place.
what are your buckles made of?
Those are oval jump rings from Beads and Pieces. They were the smallest size available (I forget the exact measurement).
 

Giga Bread

Mega Calories!
Aug 20, 2011
6,368
20
38
43
How does the adhesive hold up to changing humidities? About five years ago I tried using electrical tape and glue ended up everywhere as soon as it got hot.

Even though I use micro canvas, I'm interested in trying this and combining it with the toothpaste tube method suggested earlier. The one thing that has always kept me from making slings is how unnatural the material and guns hang. This might work to get around the fact we can't scale down gravity.
 

Obi-Shinobi

Pioneer, Damn It!
Apr 6, 2011
2,370
16
38
54
York, PA
when you said soaked, do you mean just dip it into straight white glue and hang, or "paint" the glue on? Also, I assume you painted it before the glue?

Yeah... basically. And yes, painted before the gluing.

Hey Med... when are we going to hang out and maybe do some dio story pic stuff with your sweet-ass setups? We're way to close, bro.
 

Meddatron

I am what I am
Apr 19, 2011
11,383
5
0
50
York, Pa
s1193.photobucket.com
Thanks for the tips!! Always appreciated. As for getting together, Anytime bro. I work all my hours over the weekend. Long days, so I am home and available during the week, I just have my kids but they are always good, well mostly, lol. we can set a day up anytime bro. your customs in my dios would make for some killer pics bro. Only takes me about 30-40 minutes to get to Palmyra or Hershey. I know you are somewhere around there. I can come to you, or you to me (I have 2 dogs and a cat if you have allergies), or we could rotate. If we had a writer, we could do a joint dio-story.
 
Last edited:

Obi-Shinobi

Pioneer, Damn It!
Apr 6, 2011
2,370
16
38
54
York, PA
Either place would be cool with me, and we have 4 cats - no problems. It might be easier for me to go to you, unless you want to cart your dios.

Story huh? I like it! We'll have to talk. I'll send you a PM shortly.
 

Meddatron

I am what I am
Apr 19, 2011
11,383
5
0
50
York, Pa
s1193.photobucket.com
Sounds great bro. if you want to come here first, Thats cool. Definately need to talk. Let me hit up my calender and maybe we can pick a date in July. I'll pm you later the days I am unavailable and than you could pick whhichever date you want.

Also maybe, I know fogger is close too, maybe someday we could do a cookout here. Who else is close to Southern Central Pa, I forget? Maybe setup the date when a toyshow is at the York fairgrounds. Its walking distance from me.

I do have to say about a cookout, I do not drink so i would not have alcohol available, but have no problems if people brought their own, just take leftovers home. lol. Sry.
 
Last edited:

Giga Bread

Mega Calories!
Aug 20, 2011
6,368
20
38
43
I think I'll still try this toothpaste tube and medical tape method just to see. If it's too thick, I'll try the other.

I also keep forgetting to make that sling buckle set. I was quite pleased with how my harness set came out, even though it's a little on the fragile side.