Flocking

[Sidney Schwartz]

What are good sources for flocking? Thanks.

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

Do you want flocking, or embossing powder?

 

 

 

Steve

[Sidney Schwartz]

Good question. What are the differences?

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Sidney Schwartz said:

Good question. What are the differences?

Flocking is very fine fibers.

I've never had much luck with flocking.

It has a tendency to float all over the place, and it's very prone to static electricity, making it want to stick to everything that you don't want it to stick to.

It's long fibers make it look more like a shag carpet.

 

Embossing powder is a very fine granular powder.

Personally, I find it easier to work with, and it's appearance is more in tune with the cut pile carpet found in most cars.

 

These were done with metallic embossing powder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[stitchdup]

2 hours ago, Sidney Schwartz said:

What are good sources for flocking? Thanks.

 

you can get 10 or 12 grams from a lot of model supply places for about 5 bucks or if you want more you can but it from motorsport prep shops in larger quantities for around the same price. If you were in the uk i'd say try motorsport services as they have many different shades and the fibres are shorter than you get from model stores. the size you want is 2 or 3mm from this store but they do them up to 15mm lengths. if i remember correctly their small bag is a half kilo and it will do thousands of carpets. avoid the gold flock though, it is more metalic than the others and it seems to affect how it sticks, though i'll mix a pinch of it in the other colours to give more of a carpet look

[NOBLNG]

Embossing powder can be gotten at Micheals. Also craft shops that sell supplies for making greeting cards will most likely have it. The original purpose of the powder is to be sprinkled on the wet ink on a card, and then melted to create raised plasticized lettering. And of course there is Amazon.?

Edited April 6, 2023 by NOBLNG

[ctruss53]

I buy flocking on Amazon. You can get big bags of it, basically a lifetime supply, for about $15 per color. The flocking available on Amazon is advertised as the stuff used to line drawers on jewelery cabinets.  Think, felt lined drawers.

Embossing powder looks better. If I had it to do over again I would buy some of that instead. But I got a bunch of flocking powder now. Maybe I'll eventually buy some embossing powder eventually.

Something that isn't mentioned in this discussion is application.

I use a metal tea strainer.  Basically you open the strainer up, dump in some flocking, then let it snap closed.  Then when you want to dust your part with the flocking, you shake ot tap on the strainer and the flocking falls out in an even and controlled manner.

[Sidney Schwartz]

Thanks all for the info. I've seen embossing powder but didn't know what it was for. I'll try some.

Nice work, Steven! ?

[peteski]

Well, simulating carpet is not the intended use for embossing powder. It's original use was for scrapbook craft, but modelers discovered that it makes a great looking carpet in 1:25 scale.

[stitchdup]

12 minutes ago, peteski said:

Well, simulating carpet is not the intended use for embossing powder. It's original use was for scrapbook craft, but modelers discovered that it makes a great looking carpet in 1:25 scale.

actually its original use was for fancy gold lettering on books, you lay out some powder then use heated stamps to emboss the letters. if the coloured letters are slightly sunken then it was embossed, and its been used this way for half a millenium in europe and even longer in the arab nations and far east. if you have an old bible it will be embossed for all the gold lettering

[peteski]

That is correct. Nowadays this type of decorating of book covers or product packaging on commercial scale is done using hot foil stamping method, while embossing powders are used more in the hobby field.  At least that's how I understand things.

Edited April 6, 2023 by peteski

[Sidney Schwartz]

Is there a method that will allow me to match the powder color to the interior paint color? Or is it just a matter of being lucky and finding powder and paint that already match?

[peteski]

You should be able to buy several colors of powder then blend them (before application) to get a close match.  it will not be a solid color, but the mix will likely look pretty realistic, like carpeting.

[Rodent]

2 hours ago, Sidney Schwartz said:

Is there a method that will allow me to match the powder color to the interior paint color? Or is it just a matter of being lucky and finding powder and paint that already match?

Both? You can paint over embossing powder with flat paint and it still looks OK.

[NOBLNG]

Yes, it can be painted. I have sprayed it with flat clear also to protect it.

Edit: This is actually two coats of embossing powder. The first coat was a bit patchy, so I sprayed it with clear, then more glue and another layer of powder, then more clear.

Edited April 7, 2023 by NOBLNG

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, Sidney Schwartz said:

Is there a method that will allow me to match the powder color to the interior paint color? Or is it just a matter of being lucky and finding powder and paint that already match?

The powders can be mixed fairly convincingly, although don’t expect to mix red and yellow to get orange.

It works pretty well to mix similar colors to achieve certain results.

In the case of this ‘65 Plymouth, I had no turquoise, so mixing blue and green worked fairly well.

Otherwise, the powders come in a wide variety of colors, and if you need a color that you can’t find, the powder is easily painted after application.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[ctruss53]

3 hours ago, Sidney Schwartz said:

Is there a method that will allow me to match the powder color to the interior paint color? Or is it just a matter of being lucky and finding powder and paint that already match?

I actually apply paint UNDER the flocking.  This way you can slightly change the shade of the flocking without painting it.

[Straightliner59]

4 hours ago, ctruss53 said:

I actually apply paint UNDER the flocking.  This way you can slightly change the shade of the flocking without painting it.

I do, too. It's much easier to cover a like color than not.