Here is a tip on how to make cloth covered hoses like they use on fire trucks. This can also be used for making various hoses for dioramas and cloth wrapped hoses in some aircraft engines and landing gear bays. These can also replicate the cloth covered hoses use on vehicle engine compartments.
To start off you will need the following tools:
- Cutting surface – I recommend a piece of glass on top of a grid.
- A roll of White Glass Cloth Tape – I use ¾” width as this works well for various sizes/scales
- Styrene rods for making round ends for nozzles
- Styrene tubing for making hose couplers
- Wire if you are making to hose in use. This allows you to bend and shape the hose.
- A hobby knife and scissors for cutting and trimming
- A small ruler.
- CA glue
The first thing is to determine the size of the hose in the scale you are doing. Example a 6” hose in 1/25th scale is .25” wide. Cut a piece of tape 0.5” wide and then fold the sides half the width so you have a seam down the middle. Then using the hobby knife handle to flatten the hose. This can then be folded length wise to replicate a stacked hose. These can now be painted. I used antique white paint for the white hoses and flat yellow for the larger hoses. These can be painted any color. I recommend flat colors as the paint will get absorbed into the cloth and will not crack or chip. As you fold the hose lengthwise for replicating a stored hose adjust the end so it is aligned with the with the previous fold then apply a dab of CA glue to keep it from shifting as you fold the multiple layers.
If you are adding couplers on the ends I use a piece of styrene rod the size to wrap the tape around. Leave about 1/8” sticking out past the tape. You can then glue styrene tube on the end and use smaller rods or square rods to replicate the couple handles.
If you are making a hose “in use” you can wrap the tape around a piece of wire and then use CA glue along the seam. This will allow you to form the hose as you need.
Here is the completed hoses stacked on the rear of the truck.
For the nozzles and couplers I used on the fire truck model you can purchase resin versions from https://www.threeinchesunder.com/shop/20137253/fire-truck-parts-tools
White Glass Cloth Tape Available at : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LN84Q2G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00LN84Q2G&linkCode=as2&tag=davidscalemod-20&linkId=57547a02ff0fa0448387f0cf795dd273
Happy Modeling!