While at the art supply store today, I found a product called Wire Form or Contour Mesh. It is a fine brass, copper, or aluminum mesh that is used for sculpting forms and craft projects. It comes in various densitys and is perfect for afv grills, mesh etc.
It is produced by 3 different companies.
Amaco
Activa Products
Paragona
Each one has a pattern or packaging peculiar to them but its pretty much the same.
It is square woven mesh or it has a diamond pattern and is inexpensive. A 16"x20" sheet runs about $8.00.
I saw that Michaels Crafts had some as well as Pearl Art Centers. I figure it will probobly show up in any “art supply” store or place that handles ceramics or modeling & sculpting clays.
working the last couple weeks at a farm implements dealership (largest of its kind in North America [tup]) I found that the sprayer nozzles have little strainers in them with very fine mesh. you can get several different sizes of mes, too!!! you’d probably get about 18 square inches of it from a strainer for about $1.60 or so. (canadian funds too)
[:D] i found something preety close to the same thing at hobby shop,it is brass and in a dimond pattern not sure about the price ,but it would look good as a grill[:D]
gdarwin.[roy]
i’ve got the other day some (5) round disks with handle that they use for splatterpainting with a toothbrush (i think) they were only 1€ a piece [:p] think they are in aluminium. well i used a technique on them that i always use for blackening copper chains : bleaching agent +hydrochloric acid+kalium polysulfide (don’t use make it inside because it’s smells like a stinkbomb [(-D] put the mesh in the mix and went to take a look afther about 5 hours and it was totaly gone [banghead] never going to do that again [:D]
This has been a sort of background project for me. I’ve been looking for cheap, readily available substitutes for PE that will work for things like grills, fencing, etc. I know there are some filter screens (like m1 posted) and some other materials that will work fine and once painted will be acceptable for a multitude of applications. Its just finding the stuff as its used in other applications.
Tulle
wire form
aerator or debris screens from faucets
paint filters from paint stores
intake filter screens
dryer lint filter screening
All have produced some very interesting results
Gang, even replacement screen door screening can be used. It’ s usually made of plastic these days, and can be easily cut to fit most anything. The pore size is a bit large, so it’s use is somewhat limited, but I’ve used it a time or two with good results.