Embossing Powder as Carpet

[Bridgebuster490]

I'm going to need some interior detail on several builds and seems most folks prefer embossing powder over flocking for this.  In using embossing powder, what kind of glue do you use?

Thanks!

[StevenGuthmiller]

I use Elmer's white glue, thinned very slightly with water.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Bucky]

54 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I use Elmer's white glue, thinned very slightly with water.

 

 

 

 

Steve

I second that motion!

[James2]

8 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I use Elmer's white glue, thinned very slightly with water.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Has anyone ever do a write up on the techniques for using flocking?

[StevenGuthmiller]

4 hours ago, James2 said:

Has anyone ever do a write up on the techniques for using flocking?

 

With my technique, not much of a write up is required.

 

Mask the areas that you don't want covered, brush the glue on the areas that you do, then pour the embossing powder onto the surface.

Shake it around to cover the area, and then pour off the excess.

 

Work over a piece of newspaper or the like so that you can save the excess for a later project.

Unmask any masked areas before the glue dries to avoid pulling up the glue and powder on the desired finished area.

do not handle the parts until the glue has cured completely, and even after, avoid too much handling.

 

Not really much to it.

It's one of the fastest and easiest parts of the build process.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Bainford]

The only thing that I would add is that I first paint the areas to be flocked with a colour similar tot he powder I will be using. Once the paint has dried, carry on as suggested.

[RichCostello]

I mask off the area that I don't want carpeted, then spray a coat of paint the same color as powder, and dump on the powder right away, before the paint starts to dry, let it dry, then pour off excess powder, and you've got carpet. I've done it this way many times, and it works perfectly. Do it on a sheet of newspaper, and you can just pour the extra powder back into the jar, and it will last forever.

[djflyer]

Has anyone tried the tea strainer method of dusting on the powder?  I've seen it in videos of builds but never known anyone that has done it that way.

 

[RichCostello]

2 minutes ago, djflyer said:

Has anyone tried the tea strainer method of dusting on the powder?  I've seen it in videos of builds but never known anyone that has done it that way.

 

I think you do that with flocking so it doesn't clump. It's not needed for embossing powder.

[Bainford]

I use a salt shaker for applying embossing powder, though it’s not necessary. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Bainford said:

The only thing that I would add is that I first paint the areas to be flocked with a colour similar tot he powder I will be using. Once the paint has dried, carry on as suggested.

Agreed.

Either paint the surface a color close to the powder prior to applying, or paint over the powder the desired color after the powder is thoroughly dry.

 

 

1 hour ago, RichCostello said:

I mask off the area that I don't want carpeted, then spray a coat of paint the same color as powder, and dump on the powder right away, before the paint starts to dry, let it dry, then pour off excess powder, and you've got carpet. I've done it this way many times, and it works perfectly. Do it on a sheet of newspaper, and you can just pour the extra powder back into the jar, and it will last forever.

I have heard that people have success using paint as their adhesive.

The only thing that I would ad is to be certain that the paint you use is a slow drying paint.

I tried this once with a faster drying flat paint and wound up with a mess.

 

 

1 hour ago, djflyer said:

Has anyone tried the tea strainer method of dusting on the powder?  I've seen it in videos of builds but never known anyone that has done it that way.

 

Absolutely not necessary for embossing powder.

You will get a perfectly even carpet just dumping it on and shaking it around as long as your adhesive is even.

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

[James2]

I use a screen strainer with flocking and I prime in similar color.   

[StevenGuthmiller]

Just a couple of pictures of the results with the metallic powder that I like to use over paint & Elmer's glue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It also makes a pretty good hood insulation, although this is one of those instances where the more fibrous appearance of flocking might look better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[RichCostello]

5 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Agreed.

Either paint the surface a color close to the powder prior to applying, or paint over the powder the desired color after the powder is thoroughly dry.

 

 

I have heard that people have success using paint as their adhesive.

The only thing that I would ad is to be certain that the paint you use is a slow drying paint.

I tried this once with a faster drying flat paint and wound up with a mess.

 

 

Absolutely not necessary for embossing powder.

You will get a perfectly even carpet just dumping it on and shaking it around as long as your adhesive is even.

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

Yep, Steve that is right, make sure your paint is still wet. I actually have the paint in one hand, and embossing powder in the other, and as soon as the paint is applied, I dump a lot of the powder on and forget about it for at least a couple hours. After that, just tip your floor over and give it a little tap, and you get a perfectly smooth carpet.

I'll never use flocking again, in fact, I've got several different colors that I'll probably toss out unless somebody wants it.

[RichCostello]

Steve, I really like that under hood insulation. I'm gonna have to try that! I noticed that HL has some new powders with that salt & pepper look that would work great for that.

[Ace-Garageguy]

29 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Just a couple of pictures of the results with the metallic powder that I like to use over paint & Elmer's glue...

I was hoping somebody would post pix. Very convincing, and exactly what I need to get a hung-fire build moving again.

Thanks.

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, RichCostello said:

I'll never use flocking again, in fact, I've got several different colors that I'll probably toss out unless somebody wants it.

I tried flocking a couple of times many years ago and never had acceptable results with it.

Within the past decade, I saw someone recommend embossing powder and thought that it might be worth a try.

Got perfect results on the first attempt and never looked back.

 

If you have any gray or black, I would take it off of your hands just to try the hood insulation idea.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, RichCostello said:

Steve, I really like that under hood insulation. I'm gonna have to try that! I noticed that HL has some new powders with that salt & pepper look that would work great for that.

I use a combination of the gray and black metallic powders that I have for the insulation.

 

By the way, another nice feature of embossing powder is the ability to mix it to achieve certain colors to some degree.

You can't mix red and yellow to get orange, but you can mix like colors to some degree to change the hue.

 

Both of the turquoise/green examples above were achieved by mixing blue and green to varying degrees.

My set has no turquoise included, so I tried mixing them and was quite happy.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Bridgebuster490]

GREAT info guys.  I'm very appreciative to get this expertise from you guys.  The pictures are terrific!  Nice work, sir.  Carry on.

 

[RichCostello]

3 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I tried flocking a couple of times many years ago and never had acceptable results with it.

Within the past decade, I saw someone recommend embossing powder and thought that it might be worth a try.

Got perfect results on the first attempt and never looked back.

 

If you have any gray or black, I would take it off of your hands just to try the hood insulation idea.

 

 

 

 

Steve

I might have some black somewhere. I haven't used it for so long that it might take some serious digging to find it. I'll look for it and let you know.

[StevenGuthmiller]

36 minutes ago, RichCostello said:

I might have some black somewhere. I haven't used it for so long that it might take some serious digging to find it. I'll look for it and let you know.

Not really a priority Richard.

I just thought if you're going to toss it anyway, it might be worth trying first.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[RichCostello]

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Not really a priority Richard.

I just thought if you're going to toss it anyway, it might be worth trying first.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Hey Steve, I wasn't even looking for it and found it by accident. I also found some tan that I think could be mixed with the black to make that hood insulation. I'd be glad to send them both, just PM your address to me.

[Mike Young]

So I've been trying the embossing powder for the first time after getting back in to the hobby. It works really well!

I've been using the 'wet paint' method and so far have had good results, albeit I've only done a few parts to my Barracuda build. Since gloss colors tend to dry the slowest, that's all I've used, but even at that there's a short window to get the surface covered and not have dry spots.

The parts I've done are for a '66 Barracuda. The console has a lot of carpet attached to the bottom that drapes over the trans tunnel. I made that area out of .010 sheet and used a fine embossing powder. I have one that's a little more course, but it gave too high a build for the application. I think for parts like this console, or the carpeted bottom of door panels, or any other carpeted area that's not the floor, I'll be using the finer powder. For the floor, I'll try the courser stuff.

I've also been experimenting with other powders for other textures. For the top, plastic part of the console, I used all purpose flour. I tried that, as well as baking powder and corn starch. The flour had the best texture. A lot of 60's Mopars have a more 'pebbley' grain on all the surfaces so it looks really good. For other types of grained surfaces, it may not look as good or to scale.

 

[TarheelRick]

I have noticed HL has a couple different sizes of embossing powder.  The smaller size jars are a bit expensive for the amount of powder.  However the larger, coarser, version is a bit more reasonable.  Has anyone used the coarser stuff with pleasing results?  My hobby budget is pretty tight and I really do not need another jar of useless material sitting around my workbench.  I have used flocking for many years with somewhat mixed results and I have a plastic shoebox full of colors, so switching to embossing powder is going to be quite a drastic change for me.  Any comments?  

A couple pictures of a Mach 1 using flocking for carpet and headliner.  I used paint as a fixative.

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by TarheelRick

[MrObsessive]

Here are a couple examples of my use of embossing powder........in this case both red.

AMT 1967 Mustang............

1959 Chevy I finished just a few years ago. In this case I wanted a "deeper" red than what came out of the jar and I wanted some of the reflective grains of the powder to be toned down. I airbrushed the body color red (Roman Red) over the embossing powder to do this and this helps in "locking down" the grains so you don't have constant shedding while getting the interior together.