Interior Detailing - Flocking How To (dial up warning!!!)

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Interiors are one of my favorite things on a model to build and detail. Flocking is one of the details that really make an interior come to life. It is also one of those details that many of you ask for help with. The following tutorial is how flocking gets done at MPC Motorsports.

Here are the main ingredients neeeded for a flock job.

Flocking, a device to dispense the flocking, and a medium to adhere the flocking to the interior floor. The dispenser is a 35mm film canister and my medium of choice is Testors Acryl Flat Clear. I've used white glue and other paints but I've had the best luck with the Acryl Flat Clear. An added benefit of using clear paint is that you can use it with any color interior and flocking.

The dispenser has to be modified like so.

Drill the BOTTOM of the canister with a 1/16" drill bit until it looks like this. Once you drill it out, cover it with masking tape, turn it upside down and fill with flocking and snap the lid on the canister. The film canister, when modified like this, serves as a sifter for the flocking material.

Next, using a wide tipped brush, apply the Flat Clear Acryl to a small section of the floor.

Before the paint dries, shake the film canister over the interior like you do with parmesian cheese over a pepperoni pizza.

Cover the area with flocking and let sit for a few minutes. It should look something like this.

Some model builders will use their finger and press down the flocking. Do NOT touch the flocking at anytime during this process!!! If you touch the flocking and press it down, you will flatten it down and destroy the "nap" of the carpet.

After a few minutes, turn the interior tub upside down and tap to remove excess flocking material. Then, repeat the above steps until you cover the entire floor area. Once you work your way around, your floor should look like this.

It looks pretty good at this point, but the coverage is quite thin and you can see the floor thru the flocking.

Now, it's time to apply a SECOND coat of flocking. Repeat the same steps above, beginning with the application of the Flat Clear Acryl. You will get a little bit of flocking material in the paint. I don't worry about it because this bottle is used exclusively for flocking.

Notice how the paint soaks into the first coat of flocking. This allows the second coat of flocking to cover much better than the first coat. Here's a pic of the floor area under the drivers seat with a second coat of flocking. Notice how much better the coverage is.

Once you get a second coat on the entire floor, it should look like this.

This is how I do it. I cannot take full credit for the technique. Don Theune of Reliable Resin told me about using the film canister back in 2003 and my flock jobs have been marvelous ever since. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

And before you tell me "Hey, you forgot the rear of the driveline tunnel", I haven't done it yet. I'll do it when I flock the rear deck area.

[Guest roadkill2525]

Thanks for the tutorial. I'll try this on my Impalas.

Does the floor have to be painted the same color as the Fuzzi-Fur?

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Does the floor have to be painted the same color as the Fuzzi-Fur?

I would get the color of the floor as close to the same color as the flocking if you can.

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Thank you Marc!!!

HD

[RJWood]

Hi Mark, Can't thank you enough for the tutorial on Interior flocking. I have a question,...Q: Will the Acryl flat clear work with an Interior tub that has been painted with Enamel paint?

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

I have a question,...Q: Will the Acryl flat clear work with an Interior tub that has been painted with Enamel paint?

Yes, the Testors Acryl will work with lacquer, enamel or acrylic (Tamiya or Testors) paints. That's one of the beauties of this paint.

[mikelo]

Thats a great tutorial. I have tried several different ways, but I will have to try this one. I am currently using 3M spray adhesive, after trying the white glue & acrylic paint. I love the film canister shaker. I keep finding more applications for those things.

Thanks again.

[RJWood]

Thank you Mark for your reply, I will be heading to the LHS and pick up some Testors Acryl clear flat Today. I just hope they have some in stock. my LHS caters mostly to RC. customers, so I'm hopeing they have it. Otherwise I will need to order it online. Again, many thanks. Ron.

[gasman]

good tutorial Marc, i'll try it on my next build

[vwdave92]

I have one quick question... what are these "film canisters" you speak of? Is that something the flash memory cards come in?

I'm joking of course.

I've started taping off my interior tub before I do my flocking to keep it from going places I don't want and to make sure the seats etc glue directly to the tub... sometimes the flocking makes for a tough fit and it can be hard to glue something to.

HTH

Dave

[Steve D.]

A cheap set of salt & pepper shakers work excellent . Just seal with clear plastic wrap and you can use the shakers for storage also . Pepper shakers have the larger holes and work best .

Take care , and see you around the clubhouse ,

Steve D.

[MikeMc]

Wow Marc A film can!!!!! only about 5000 around here and I've been using a kitchen tool!!!Thanx

[brodie_83]

Bump for this topic...I just tried this on my 80's Supra with the exception of Testors Lacquer Clear Flat Enamel and it worked splendidly! It probably took me a good hour or more to get it done (details in the luggage area with a small brush) but it was well worth it. Thanks for the awesome tutorial!

[johnnyb]

Great job Brodie! How did you leave those lines in the luggage area? And you used model master flat clear. Lacquer?

[Dr. Cranky]

Superb. I've always liked flocking, but don't do it often enough. THanks for the great how-to.

[brodie_83]

Thanks! I used the small brush to get the clear lacquer right up to the edges of the straps and vinyl ribs and sifted the flocking on before it dried...just did a little bit at a time. There is no need to rush on stuff like this...if you do, you'll regret it. I'm glad it took as long as it did.

[gasser59]

This is a great tutorial on flocking but why not drill the 1/16" holes in the top of the film canister so you don't have to tape off the holes in the bottom when filling?

[Dr. Cranky]

Again, very useful tips, but I realize now that those roll film canisters will or have already vanished since nobody is developing film any more.

Old spice containers would probably work well too.

[MikeMc]

Again, very useful tips, but I realize now that those roll film canisters will or have already vanished since nobody is developing film any more.

Old spice containers would probably work well too.

DOC, Ask aroung at the big camera stores...drawers and drawers build up over the years....You might get a few metal ones from AGFA Films of old.

I have them in 35mm screw on and 120/220 silde on.off .....all aluminium!!

[crazyjim]

I use a sifter I picked up at Wal-Mart for a couple of bucks. After applying diluted Elmer's Glue, I position the sifter over the interior and dump the Ken's Fuzzi Fur into the sifter. I hold the sifter with 1 hand and use the index finger from the other hand to move the flocking around and through the sifter. Oh, and I put a clean sheet of paper under the interior first. All the excess flocking goes back into the container after drying.

One other tip when flocking - turn off the fan!

[VinciAuto]

Great tip, Going to favorite this page lol

[Dr. Cranky]

Thanks, Mike . . . we'll keep an eye out for them.

[papi62596]

Thanks for the great tip. I'll have to see if I can get my hands on some of the film cans since they're harder to come by now a days. If not I'll try the salt and pepper shakers everyone is talking about. Would an old spice shaker work or are the holes to big?

[Cato]

Just came across this after posting my own thread in the 'Questions' section about the best flock for 1/12 use. Got great answers there. Thanks Marc and all posters here.

Has anyone here experience with flocking a 1/12 project? Which flock 'scales' best?

[Casey]

Just came across this after posting my own thread in the 'Questions' section about the best flock for 1/12 use. Got great answers there. Thanks Marc and all posters here.

Has anyone here experience with flocking a 1/12 project? Which flock 'scales' best?

I would suggest you try the flocking most people use for 1/24 scale models, as it would look more in scale in 1/12 than it does in 1/24 scale. Unless you're replicating shag carpet, cut pile carpet strands are less than 1/4" tall in real life, so on a 1/24 scale model they'd need to be at most .01042" tall. You'd have to grind up the flocking with a mortar and pestle to get it that fine/short, but I think it'd look a lot better than it does straight out of the package.