I’m looking for suggestions on what to use for radio antenna wire for aircraft. I don’t have enough faith in my abilities (or enough patience) to try to make stretched sprue. I remember reading an article a long time ago about a company that made a product that worked very well, but can’t remember where I saw it. Any ideas?
try E-Z line you can get it from Bobes Hobby in Fl.
Thad
I use black #8 fishing line for most scales including ships. Use CA on both sides and then a real “quick” hit with a small hair dryer, when I say quick I mean like 1 second indirect hits. The hear tauts the line tight but too much could break the attachments points and/or melt parts.
Stretching sprue isn’t too difficult, just practice with a candle.
I use “invisible thread”. It’s found at any fabric store and comes in black (what I use) and clear. It’s great stuff, and very fine. Works great for antenae wires.
Fuser wire out of a laser copier or printer. Very fine beading wire. Fishing line. Elastic thread (this stuff is kind of cool since if you bump the antenna wire it stretches).
On the issue of antenna wire. How is it really attached on the real aircraft? I drill a tiny hole of the vertical stab but I’m sure it does really go that way. Sometimes I attach it with much difficulty on top of a small and short pin on top of some airplanes.
Lycra rigging thread, if you can find it (not easy in the States, I understand, but in the UK Aeroclub stock it):
http://www.aeroclub-models.com/p.html?n=1&c=ART003
drill tiny holes at each end, pass thread through one end, superglue in place. Pass othe end of thread through other hole, take up the slack (easy, because Lycra thread is self-tensioning) and tie off. Fix in place with another drop of superglue.
Check out this Airfix 1/72 Nimrod to see it in use:
Cheers,
Chris.
I use the same stuff as Chris. Its great and if needed you can split it in half or thirds as i did for my 1/144 MC200 and it still retains its elasticity,
…Guy
I hear black stockings work well too [;)]
Pull one apart, the thread is stretchable, pretty durable, and one should last you a lifetime!
A member since 2003 and only one post now that must be a record surely [^] i just hope you don’t reply in 6 years time [#welcome] [#oops]
I use ‘Merlin’ invisable black thread one roll will last a life time and it won’t break too.
ian.
Always having an eye on ways to save money, I stay with stretched sprue (and it’s an absolute breeze, with very little practice.) Break it (and I can be really hamfisted, at times) who cares? It costs nothing. Also, I use the sprue from the clear parts, because a) it seems to stretch better, for some reason, and b) it’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a metal appearance, and British aerials, at least, were stainless steel.
Edgar
Ah your right there Edgar [tup] but they soon went black due to smoke/oil residue from active guns and engines.
A roll of ‘Merlin’ thread is 100 metres long, super fine and very very strong and costs £1.50p or $2.17 cent ! i’ve had a roll of it for 18 years and i think it will out last me ! [angel]
ian.
I find used guitar string works well.
The nicest thing is that is already stretched and needs little to no tension to appear straight.
I started using it for antenna poles and short rigging on 1/700 ships.
Of course, I play my guitars, and change strings 6+ times a year, so I have a ready supply.
Just something else to try.
Mike
Hey Dragonfyre,
For 1/48 I use 2 lb monofilament fishing line, the clear stuff. Very cheap and easy to attach using CA glue. I like to paint it with citadel’s boltgun metal paint to simulate the steel color and then use white glue painted with enamel silver for the tensioners. Here’s an example. I’ve never used e-z line but I heard very good things about it. Sounds…springy!
I’d agree with Edgar that if you’re going to use stretched sprue, then clear sprue is the best sort to use. Looks lighter, and thinner, than grey or black. I used to use it for aerial wires and biplane rigging when I was a kid.
However, I’d still go with my recommendation of Lycra thread. A decade or more’s supply costs less than a single tinlet of Humbrol enamel, so price isn’t really an issue. Also, because i’s self-tensioning, it gives slghtly to the touch, so there’s less chance of accidentally damaging it, and having to make a repair.
I think you have to be careful painting rigging and aerial threads. A coat of paint can thicken a thread considerably, and make it look heavy and out-of-scale. Running a black or dark grey marker pen along the thread is really all you need to do, and often, not even that. In scales of 1/48 and smaller, you don’t need to represent every last detail, a suggestion of detail is sufficient. This is one of those occasions where, I think, less is more - check out the signal halyards on this Tamya 1/72 Perkasa-class fast patrol boat:
Cheers,
Chris.