Hey guys… I am having trouble stretching and gluing antenna cable for WWII fighter projects. I need the details on this procedure and what glue works best to attach them to aerial masts… what are the te4chniques out there??
jimwagg, in the February issue of Fine Scale, there is an article on rigging airplane antennas. But the article recommends using monofilament, and that’s what I do. Sprue drives me crazy, I still haven’t mastered it yet. But the monofilament is pretty strong, and it’s fairly cheap too. Get ahold of the mag and read the article. I will really help you out!
Maybe it is on the website? I’m not sure, but have a look around, you might get lucky.
Hi jimwagg! welcome to forum!
I have the probalem too.[banghead]
I use the fishing line about 4 or 8 lbs.
For smaller scales you can use “invisible” thread. It comes in clear and black. It’s just a fine monofilament line too.
Stretching sprue has become second nature to me, it’s really easy once you get the hang of it.
Just let the plastic soften to the point where you can push each end of the sprue toward the other without any real effort, then take the plastic away from the flame and pull your arms out as far as they can go. Don’t pull too fast, but rather at a moderately quick and steady pace.
Alotta folks make the mistake of leaving the sprue over or near the flame as they pull, and, of course, the heat will melt it apart almost instantly once you start to pull. Another mistake is not allowing the plastic to get soft enough which will cause it to snap.
There’s a few other things that can go wrong, but when it comes down to it this is just like anything else; practice makes perfect. Just mess around a bit and stretch sprue for a few minutes. And if you get something that’s pretty good but don’t need to use it just then, cut it into lengths and keep it stored somehow.
As to attaching sprue, I generally plan it out depending on what’s being rigged. If I’m rigging an antenna from a mast to a tail fin, I’ll drill a hole in the fin and insert one end of the sprue, using superglue. I’ll then put a bit of CA on the mast in the appropriate spot, pull the spue taught and place it on the spot of glue. If the sprue’s thin enough it should bond almost instantly, depending on the type of CA and how much you use. I then trim the antenna by placing a blade on the point where the line attaches to the mast and pull the free end of the sprue up, and it usually separates no problem.
If you have to go from a fin to a wing surface or to the fuselage, drill two holes and insert each end as above. If it sags a bit, strike a match and blow it out. Then pass it under the sprue; the small amount of heat still being generated will tighten the sprue and the line should come taught. Sounds daunting to some, but it’s super easy.
There’s undoubtedly other ways to go about it, but this is what I’ve done for just about all my modeling years.
Fade to Black…
Depending on the scale of your projects, you might be able to use Plastruct or Evergreen rod–but it will have to be the very fine stuff. Use Super Glue to attach. Hope this helps.
one good thing about using sprue is that you can sand it to an aerofoil shape then stretch it and it retains that shape, ideal for rigging larger scale biplanes.
Greg
For heat shrinking sprue, I use one of the small portable hair blowers designed for travel use. Make sure it has a low and high setting, but only use the low. Run the blower about 2-3" from the sprue moving from end to end. As soon as the sprue sags turn the blower away and the sprue will snap taut. More reliable than the burned match method.
Rick
Hey Jim,
I have to agree w/ Blackwolf on his method. I had my own method which was a little tricky but it looked good. Anyway I saw him light up a match and burn some plastic and it magically turned into an antenna wire[;)] I have been using that technique ever since. Thanx Steve, u da man[bow][:p].
What is most important is that you find a method that works for you and you have to feel comfortable using it as well.
Good luck and looking forward to you posts.
Flaps up, Mike
Small tip, if you use sprue from the fret of clear parts it APPEARS thinner than it actually is.