Making Headliners

[vintagestang]

How do I make a relistic looking headliner?

[62rebel]

well; it depends a lot on what kind of material the actual headliner is made of. if there's any molded-in detail to follow, like support rod lines, etc, that makes the job a little simpler. the most basic way is to layer strips of masking tape inside the roof to make a pattern, then transfer that pattern to a final headliner, made of one, two, three pieces of tape that follow the actual pattern of the 1:1. then, just paint it with the color of your choice. you'll have to make allowances for window glass clearance, of course. sometimes, it's easiest to simply paint the inside of the roof and leave it at that, depending on how much of the interior can be seen, how clearly, etc.

i always paint the inside of the roof; i have made a couple of insert pieces from craft foam to fill in the space left in an "old style" one-piece window unit and along the sides. getting rid of ejection pin marks is one key to beautifying a headliner presentation.

[vintagestang]

Ok thanks. It has the ribs but how would I simulate the ribs on to the masking tape?

Edited January 16, 2012 by vintagestang

[Mike Kucaba]

Lay in some strips of plastic rod or thin wire. Attach it with white glue or clear acrylic,then lay the masking over it.

[Bastardo]

One of many ways:

http://www.briansmodelcars.com/tutorials/tutorial/116

And more tips:

http://www.briansmodelcars.com/tutorials/index.asp

HTH