I admit I lol at the cat whisker suggestion in the newest issue.
I’m an avid scratchbuilder that can’t leave a kit well enough alone, and that means I scavenge stuff from anywhere for projects.
So, funny as the article was shortly later I found myself inspecting my dog’s whiskers to see what they looked like.
[:)]
BTW I see from another post I should maybe credit the cat whisker tip to Greg S. and dog whiskers to Fred Z, according to the Nov. issue 
It really does work…I use my cats’ dropped whiskers as super fine brushes. Purr-fect for the job. [;)]
Cheers,
Alex
Gawd, I dunno, HOW, but this thread just made think…
your basic Armor/Air Diorama… and on the ground is…
some poop.
that’s pretty real.
for something even finer, you might want to check out Micro-fibetts at a fly tying shop, and then there is one thats even thinner. They come in several colors, and cost about $2 a packet.
gary
Geez, after I retired at 40 one of my duties is “Chief Housecleaner” and I can only remember seeing maybe 3 or 4 wiskers from my our cat lying about. I will stick with wire and sprue. It is hard enough keeping that half alley/barncat female wildcat out of my projects let alone applying something that has her Scent/Dna on it.
Just don’t pull 'em out!
Doogs hate that! [swg]
My daughter brings me cat whiskers when she finds them. I have a little envelope with them. I take a bamboo dowel, drill a small hole in it, and super glue the whisker in. I cut it down, leaving about 1/4" sticking out. Perfect for instrument panels.
I actually read that tip a while back here on the forums.
It’s neat the multitude of things people find for modeling use.
I’m still trying to find a way to use bacon or maybe sausage gravy. [:D]
Gents,
When the two tips about pet whiskers arrived within a couple days of one another I couldn’t resist running them together. As a cat owner I’d picked up a couple of whiskers over the years and considered the antenna possibilities so I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one. I like the brush idea JWB and Cardshark. I’ll have to try that one.
Cheers,
They’d certainly be useful for very fine painting tools, but I’d advise against using them for antenas or rigging on your models.
I used a couple of whiskers from my old dog for whip antenas on a couple of aircraft models several years ago and within a year or so of building the models, enough of the natural moisture and springyness of the whiskers had left them that they were super brittle and snapped off almost by looking at them.
Remember, they are organic on nature and come from a living creature. Like all living things they age and degrade over time.
I went back to fuse wire and really fine fishing line for antenas after that experience.
Oh man, I hope PETA doesn’t hear about this! [:D]
“I prefer to keep my hobby “Animal Friendly” and I will not use any “biological materials” in my builds!”, MattSix.
There is my disclaimer, the rest of you are on your own! [(-D]
We have three cats… so finding a whisker on the floor is a common occurence. (As well as hairballs, shed fur, vomit, grass clippings spit up, partial mouse and/or bird parts, as well as the occassional scatalogical gift) So I guess it’s actually very “green”.
I don’t know if there is a correlation, but since I started using cat whisker brushes from “recycled” cat hairs, I noticed there was an article about the gray whale population increasing… so hey, “Use a recycled cat whisker and save a whale!” [:D]
However, when I pointed out to my wife that her long gray hairs made great antenna wire, and she seemed to have a growing supply, that was definitely NOT a good move. In that case, animals (namely- me) were harmed.
[;)]
Jon is still seeking the purr-fect Spitfire build. Couldn’t resist.[:D]
I hope after a comment to your wife you plan on sleeping with one eye open and you can run faster scared that she can mad. Wise men know when to keep their mouth [XX].
PaPa-John
Don’t I know it. You’d think after 1 years I’d remember that. But every now and then the clutch slips and the mouth goes into gear before the brain does… [;)]
ooops… meant 19, not 1.
I’ll be happy to give it more time though. [:D]