I received 2 e-mails and a question on DD on how I did my anti-skate floor on my Demag D7 and maybe it can help others here also, so here go's

The first pictures of my Esci Demag D7

Making the anti-skate floor is not hard, in fact it is so simple that nobody needs to be afraid of it. Adding anti-skate plating to your vehicles is a small touch but it gives a quick overall appearance of detail.

I went to my local arts and crafts store where they also sell architectural materials and I got myself a Plastruct sheet with embossed anti-skate pattern (scale 1/100) but I was disappointed at the price, I paid 8,60 Euro (= Dollars) for one A4 sheet.

So, because I am on a budget, I need to let it last as long as I can, and I can last forever.

You don’t need much to do it.

- The sheet of Plastruct
- Aluminum kitchen foil
- Double sided tape
- Scissors
- And your finger



After taking the correct measurements of the place where the plating should go you can transfer this to your double sided tape and cut the correct shape out.



Then you take your kitchen foil and lay it on your Plastruct sheet and simply rub your finger over the foil until the patters shows up.





Now tape your double sided tape to the backside of the foil (not to much pressure) and simply cut the foil with your scissors in to shape.






Tape it to the model, done, it is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

Brilliant....thanx, Jim

How strong is the detail? I mean, will it flaten out when painting?
Would it help to coat with white glue or something, or would a good covering with paint help? How did you fix it down on the vehicle?
Sorry to ask so many Qs, but at the price of this stuff, its worth getting a good method to replicate it.
Thanks for the tip Ronny!

Plasticbattle,




The detail is strong enough, the double sided tape gives a strong backing, of course you should not put to much pressure on it (but that is obvious)




To be honest I don't know, I did try to cover it with white glue but I did not like it, because of the details the glue remained in puddles.
Painting will give a extra surface so yes I think that it will help, so priming painting and drybrushing should be no problem.

Oh yes after reading your first question about the details I took my drybrush brush and tried it by using the same amount off pressure I normally would do and the details remained.




Double sided tape, I use the low tack type so that I can reposition if necessary

i hope this helps.

Very nice techinque.

Plastic battle, if you test this technique using some tread pattern from a completed kit you may have, you can see if the surface is durable or not. Almost $9 for a sheet of plastic is quite high.

Thanks guys...... this is definately something I will be trying out. Cheers!

Another method is to use window screen and foil in the same manner. Just find some screen with a fairly tight weave and rub away. Shep Paine discusses this in his first How to Diorama book. Works like a charm. "Q"

Hello!
I bet, everyone has seen this article in Armorama AFV-features :

GREAT IS VERY NICE
CONGRATS

ROBERTO

I wonder if spraypainting the underside of the foil before affixing the tape to it would help it hold its detail? Or a thin coat of white glue on the backside, just enough so it settles into the grooves to give them a little support.