Hi Max-

Builders in Scale carries venetian blinds.  They are great - I use them all of the time.

Jeff

Max.

I have three packets you can have because it's Christmas and we are supposed to look after our fellowmen, I mean modellers.

See how the system works here you ask for something and you get it!

It's a great forum, email me mate. Roo

neville-1234@bigpond.com

Thanks, Roo.

In the meantime, Jeff could you help me with the link to the blinds.

I'm not getting a result from their search box.

Cheers

Here you go:

http://www.builders-in-scale.c...is/parts-window.html

He has lace curtains as well, not really my style, but a friend of mine loves them (I'm just not a lace curtain kinda guy)

I believe Andre (River Leaf Models) also has Venetian blinds....etched paper/card stock.  

(Andre!....Your website is not showing this in the 'details' section.  I'm sure you sold me a pack of these at a York meet....some time ago.  Yes? No?)

Model Memories has HO brass-etched blinds, too.  I've used them in O gauge situations where possible.  For instance, if I'm not trying to have the see-through effect (lighted interior room), then I simply run a B-W photocopy (black background sheet placed over the brass strip) of the HO blind strip, scaled up to an appropriate width for the window and place it behind the window glass.  Works great!!

KD

For blinds I use Scotch Reinforced Strength Shipping Strapping Tape. It gives you the white lines. Found just about anywhere.

Max posted:

"No good for me.  No, no, no.  I have to be difficult because my rooms have people and furniture planned"

Hello Max, you have no idea how long I have "parked" an observation car interior detail project because I could not find suitable blinds that actually looked like blinds and as you mentioned above, they need to be see through.

Roo, thanks very much for the link on these products, I had never heard of them before.

Charlie

MaxSouthOz posted:

Now, I've looked in the index, and all I can find are stick-on pictures to go behind the glass.

No good for me.  No, no, no.  I have to be difficult because my rooms have people and furniture planned . . . 

I haven't tried this, but:

How about printing an image of open blinds on transparency paper? Just make the parts you want to see through pure white. They will come out transparent, no?

Max,

We made Venetian blinds. This item is customize to the window size. 

the gap between the blinds is enough to see through it or if you have patience, you can twist them one by one accordingly your needs. We made them from manila paper.

I will post some pictures later.

Andre.

Some good ideas there.

Thanks, guys. 

Old joke:

Do you know how to make a Venetian blind?  Poke him in the eyes.

Sorry, that's all I had.  Beyond that, for some of my passenger cars and buildings, I've used the Scotch strapping tape as well.  It looks good from the outside of the windows and is really easy to work with.

I resisted, Eddie.  I'm glad you came through for us. 

I'm going to try as many of these I can.

I've not heard of Scotch strapping tape, but I'll put it on my list.

Cheers

Progress, chaps.

Roo is sending me his kits.

And I found Scotch strapping tape with dispenser at www.Stuff4Crafts.com  It may not be the answer, as the windows are already in place, but it could come in handy for later projects.

I'm looking forward to Andre's photos.

Cheers

I had a look at that link, Jeff.  Thanks, but the blinds appear to be closed.

I like your thought process, Pete.  It's on the list.

MaxSouthOz posted:

I had a look at that link, Jeff.  Thanks, but the blinds appear to be closed.

I like your thought process, Pete.  It's on the list.

Hi

They are laser cut, so what you do is pull on each side, in opp directions, and they open up.  You can make them open as much as you like.  If I remember, I'll take a photo on one of my builds

Aha!  They sound like the ones Roo has, Jeff.

I'll be interested to see the photos. 

Here is one pic -  photo is not great as it is taken from a top down angle.  I was fiddling with the 'openness' and neatness of the blinds.

Here are 2 better pics - I left these blinds a bit neater and more open.  See door on 'Bonk's Pub'

Thanks, Jeff.

That looks promising.

I had the idea of adding vertical "straps" made of strips of copy paper, as well.

Charlie

I could make these on my 3D printer in white plastic. Just give me some dimensions, the straps too. 

Hi Alan

I don't know who Charlie is.

There are 13 windows; all different sizes.

My 3D man would have a melt down. 

As would my wallet. 

Thanks.

Hey JCOVERT,

I love the bent blinds.  It looks like someone has been peering through the slats a little too often.  Great touch!

Max,

here is the old style blinds, the new ones are made of thin material so allow the light pass through.

now you can bend one by one to open them.

Different width is not and issue.

Thanks, Andre.

I've gone to too much trouble to create an interior, to cover it up with closed blinds.

This is what I'm after . . .

Cheers

MaxSouthOz posted:

Progress, chaps.

Roo is sending me his kits.

And I found Scotch strapping tape with dispenser at www.Stuff4Crafts.com  It may not be the answer, as the windows are already in place, but it could come in handy for later projects.

I'm looking forward to Andre's photos.

Cheers

If you are looking for thinner lines like open blinds look to the 3M tape like this one.. 3M 8934 Economy Strapping Tape. It uses thinner reinforcement and larger spacing. Most all stores will carry this kind of tape Lowes, Walmart, Staples, Kmart, You will notice the wider the tape the larger the lines will be as in the Heavy duty vs. economy tape.

The one thing I would suggest is do not buy the off brands of this tape, like purchased from the Dollar stores. Over time it will turn yellow and brittle. If you are looking for the illusion of the vertical strings use very thin thread placed on the tape before install.

Max...

Sooo....  How much patience do you have to get the effect in your sample image?

What I see there is a tedious effort to lay strips of very narrow tape (we...LHS...have such in our R/C airplanes dept.) horizontally across the back of your window glazing.  Then, make parallel cuts vertically across these horizontal strips to represent your strapping.  Remove the tiny pieces from the horizontal tape to give you the vertical lines.  Mask any bottom area representing the blinds being not fully extended, if desired.  Lightly spray paint the masked glazing with white....or off-white, if that's your preference.  Let dry.  Then, with a glass of fine wine, soft music, no distractions, etc., etc.,.....carefully peel the pieces of remaining tape to expose the Venetian blinds image.  

Still there?

Hint: Do this with the window glazing taped over a sheet of graph or fine-lined paper to help keep the tape strips spaced and aligned.  Also, fresh blades in the hobby knife are a must!

Hey, unless your making these for a full-scale model of the Empire State Building, it could be worth the effort to get that very special effect your striving for!

Then, of course........show us the results so we can fawn over your effort and heap copious amounts of accolades upon you!!!

KD

Thanks, Guys.

I wish I had thought of the blinds before I installed the glazing and the interior lighting beams, KD.

It sounds like a good idea.

Hi, Max,

I will not embark on such a work! 

Those I have in 1/1 scale are easier to put up!!!

jp

MaxSouthOz posted:

Thanks, Andre.

I've gone to too much trouble to create an interior, to cover it up with closed blinds.

This is what I'm after . . .

Cheers

I made some like this using Evergreen .010 X .040 strips , I bought 2 cheap combs set them up parallel and hot glue them on cardboard with the teeth pointing up, this made a rack or guide to hold the "blinds "  . Slipping several strips thu the combs which holds in strips , then took .020 rod and use the Plastruct Bondene glue to attach them vertically , let them set that glue bonds the 2 and what you get is what you have in your photo.  

I made a similar thing with two cheap combs screwed to a block of wood.  I used cotton and paper strips, but they went wonkey.

I've got a pack of Evergreen .010 x .040 strips.  I might give it a go.

Thanks.

Here's my jig . . .

MaxSouthOz posted:

Here's my jig . . .

Looks good!!!

When I saw these photos, my first reaction was that I really need to get some ventian blinds for some of the structures on the layout, but I have a feeling those wouldn’t have been common at all in the Blue Ridge area during WW2. Yet again, my overall concept null and voids something I'd love to model, dang it!

I’d guess that cloth/lace curtains were what most folks used back then. Maybe even a solid pull-down blind on a roll? Nobody had electricity up there until well into the late 40s (and folks didn't use it for much for many years after that), so I'm not sure how big a deal curtains/blinds really were back then as you wouldn't be able to see inside a house back then unless you're standing right at the window.

OK  Roo's donated blinds arrived, but they are the laser cut twist type mentioned above.  They are only 25 mm wide, and my windows are 50 mm.

I'm working on Scratchbuilder's idea and I've modified the comb idea.

I've had to bin a few tentative tries, but I've finally come up with the answer.

Using the strips he described, I laid the straps on top of the slats - instead of underneath.  Success!

As you can see, I've modified the mounting for the combs.  3 mm washers are inserted between the combs and the block until the outside dimension is 50 mm.  Once the glue has set up, the blind is simply lifted out and glued in place . . .

Only eleven or so to go. 

Copy and print them from Yahoo. You can have them all done in about 15 minutes.

https://images.search.yahoo.co...eb&fr=ymyy-t-999

Bouquets to Scratchbuilder. 

I modified his method slightly, in that I used the .010" x .040" styrene for the straps.

The camera confused the lines of the slats, but I'm happy with the result.

The blinds look a bit the worse for wear - particularly in the public office; but that's where the building is going.

I'm going to slowly age it to match the effect I've got with the blinds.

It's really difficult to successfully photograph them, but I hope that you can get the idea.

I'm really happy with them. 

You can be happy, Max, it's really beautiful! 

jp