Quick little floor mat trick

[Mr. Moparman]

I thought of this while working on some goodies for the interior of my Charger build. Get you a close match color or what ever color the floor mats are sheet of felt, cut to the appropiate size, and put in your model. This trick also works good for carpeting.

Edited March 6, 2011 by Master Modeller

[Dr. Cranky]

No pics?

[Mr. Moparman]

Well just give me a minute Dr. and you shall have pics!

[Mr. Moparman]

Here it is in the Charger's OOB interior.

[Foxer]

I love felt for carpets. It has just the right texture and is available in various colors. This is a red felt carpet going into the van I'm building. It's just laying in there for this shot.

[diymirage]

it woud also make a great mohawk for mister T there

[meaneyme]

It's a good idea but only if it looked to scale. Sorry.

[george 53]

Brandon, you can go to Micheal's Craft stores, and get you a small jar of EMBOSSING powder, it's clear, you just paint some thinned Elmers glue on the floor, sprinkle the poweder over it, an BooF! you got carpeted floors! Just paint it the color you need an that's it. It'll also be more in scale to your model. The felt is just a tad too thick, I think, unless your running a shag carpet in your ride. Just some advice, NOT being critical. (Oh, if you use the coupon, it's REALLY cheep! like 2 bucks)

Edited March 7, 2011 by george 53

[Foxer]

I use embossing powder, George, but it's hard to beat real fuzzy material in some cases. This is just an alternate to powder and "fuzzy fur". Thickness is rarely an issue on the floor, even in a convertible. It can't be seen unless you stick your gauge in and measure seat thickness off the floor. If you worry about scale, I think embossing powder is way off as far as 1/25 scale, but it DOES look right most of the time and that IS what matters.

I went to felt for the van I'm building that was my daughter's. She had covered the dash with a piece of red carpet (!) that she had used on the floor. Using embossing powder or fuzzy fur on the dash just wouldn't have looked right, ESPECIALLY in thickness. The felt I used is about .05", or 1.25" in 1/25 and would seem way too thick, but it comes across just right. The same goes for the edges you see at the rear doors. I think felt is what you need when thickness DOES matter.

This is just another tool in our arsenal.

it woud also make a great mohawk for mister T there

STOP giving me ideas!!!!! ;)

[Casey]

It's a good idea but only if it looked to scale. Sorry.

...and if they didn't look like giant ScotchBrite pads. The problem with felt and flocking powder IMHO is it's too coarse in texture to look realistic in bi-scale. Maybe in 1/8 scale it would be more convincing, but automotive carpet fibers are less than 1/4" tall (unless you're using a shag style carpet), so in 1/25 sale, that equates to .01". Unless you have a material that is 1/100 of an inch thick or close to it, it's going to look too thick.

This is why I think painted 'carpet' floors in models look better. They already have the correct scale texture/thickness, and look more believable in scale when correctly painted.

As for floormats, I've seen a how-to based on rubber floormats cast from enamel paint using a shallow mold, but can't recall who wrote it or where I saw it.

[ra7c7er]

The problem with embossing powder is it looks like spray on bed liner. I have seen felt used going way back to the 60's but as has been said it doesn't look realistic to scale unless you trim it down. Which takes time but once you do it felt can look really good.

[Jon Cole]

Try different grits of sandpaper. A fine grit for the base of the mat, a coarser grit cut slightly smaller for the "carpet" layered on top. Maybe use plug wire for a edge. Spray to color, and give it a shot of clear dullcoat.

Just a thought.

[mr moto]

It's a good idea but only if it looked to scale. Sorry.

I agree that's it's too fuzzy for stock carpet but it's just about right for some 1960's custom cars. I think they used yak fur!

[62rebel]

my buddy from the '70's used to clip threads from his REAL bedroom carpet and glue it into the floorboards of his models... until his Mom asked him why there was a bare patch near his desk..... Chuck, if you're reading this, sorry; it has been thirty years.

[Mr. Moparman]