I’m trying to attach a monofilament line to styrene posts. This is the big 1/72 Yamato main turret safety rails. It’s impossible to glue this stuff. CA, plastic welder, nothing working here. Need to glue the ends.
Any ideas? Thanks.
How about epoxy
Do you have a set of calipers so you can measure the diameter of that monofilament line? You may be able to get styrene rod that will serve as a substitue, and all you need is normal model cement like Tamiya Extra Thin to get a permanent bond with the posts. Evergreen Scale Models has styrene rods as small as .020" in diameter.
. Already tried that, Evergreen 218, their smallest rod is too big. And I think epoxy would not look right at this delicate scale.
Hello!
Using Evergreen here would ruin you financially, there’s another way to get fine styrene filament almost for free - it is to stretch sprue after heating it over a flame - I use my Zippo lighter for this (and almost only for this, I don’t smoke). Takes a few times to practice though, then again, the material (sprues) is free.
But to answer your original question CA should do it, the hard part is to hold the post and the filament WITHOUT MOVING until the glue sets - and this can take a few seconds, depending on the glue. I would recommend clamping the filament to someting, then routing it along the posts until you are satisfied (with no glue at first). Once you are happy with the way the filament runs, take some thin wire, maybe with a tiny loop at the end for CA applicator and touch the spots where the filament contacts the posts. Allow the glue to dry and you should be all right. I have glued fishing filament to styrene many times to make whip antennae or static charge dissipators so I know it works.
But to get back to styrene (stretched sprue) - if you use fine stretched sprue on your model there’s a neat trick for tensioning it - after it is glued heat it GENTLY and sproing - it will almost magically snap to a nice tension. I make wire antennae and stiffening wires on my aircraft this way.
Hope it helps, have a nice day
Paweł
I find CA works for me. A butt joint is a weak one, and rigging joints can experience a lot of sheer joints. I try to drill a small hole in the plasic. If plastic is to small I tie the mf in a knot around part, then glue.
I think I’d ditch the monofilament and go with an elastic thread such as EZ Line. EZ Line is often used to rig biplanes and to make halyards & antennas on ships. Infiniti also makes some in three varying thicknesses
This material is easy to glue with CA and stretches for a taut fit. Being elastic it is also forgiving of an errant finger poke
Begin/end your run on a stanchion.
I’ve been using stretched sprue for years on modern ship models, it attaches quickly with CA.
I used it here to substitute in certain places. From the builds I’ve seen of this turret model, EZ line seems to be the answer, I just don’t have any handy.
It is impossible to do this correctly with the supplied (fishing line), which Takom should have known.
Another example of a great kit, with a part supplied that simply will not work. Even in the hands of an expert modeler.
Well!
I did this in the 1/200 Arizona. The rails on the Turrets were indeed small, Smaller than what you’re doing. I used sprue stretched very carefully over a heat source till it was so thin I almost couldn’t see it.(Gossamer?) Then used a “V” rig and a magnifier drilled out the Stanchions. These were tiny things that were so hard to grasp many went to be sacrificed to the curtain and carpet monsters.
The drill bit looked like something from a Micro Surgery set!
You might want to consider UV setting epoxy like bondic. It sets very fast when activated by UV light is about as sturdy as CA when I use it to attach PE or EZ line to styrene. I think EZ line would be a great alternative however.
Hi, Rob44!
You know I completely forgot about the Bondic. And I use it regularly! Thanks for the reminder about that.