Have any of you found that a particular brand of kit’s sprue stretches better or easier than others? Do you have a favorite brand that you always seem to use?
I’m just asking because I seem to have lost my touch(however limited it was) for stretching sprue for aircraft antennas. I’ve never had a problem until tonight.[banghead] I know its probably because I’m rushing it but, darn it, I’m so close to finishing![:D]
I’ve thought about this before… It seems like the harder the plastic, the better it stretched when heated. I found that Tamiya and Revell sprues stretch the best for me.
I have never actually timed how long it takes to melt the sprue, either. Surely that has something to do with how the plastic performs.
What is the best method for doing this?
Best method? That’s a toss up. People will have different ideas on this subject, but, in all honesty, the best method for stretching sprue is the one which works for you. I still use a candle.
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The most consistent method I have found is to actually stick one end of the sprue into a flame and let it ignite. Then blow it out and immediately stick the molten end onto a counter top and begin to pull. The faster you pull, the thinner the sprue. Using this method I have stretched sprue all the way across a room, achieving lengths of ten feet or more of very fine sprue.
Obviously, this method requires some care and the absence of anything flammable near your open flame, but it does work. However, burning polystyrene generates toxic vapors and some greasy black smoke, so you probably want to do it with adequate ventilation and maybe even outside. And definitely away from the cats (don’t ask me how I know this).
BraniffBuff, I was going to try your method … until you mentioned the cat thing.
My runs are limited to about 6 feet, because that’s all the further apart I can stretch my arms [:D]. I have found that “curing” the sprue for a day or so seems to make it more durable. I tape one end to the wall and put a light weight at the other end and let it just hang there. That also makes it easier to color lengths with the appropriate permanent marker.
There’s really no harm to cats involved in this method. Our two cats are like family to my wife and myself, and I would never put them in danger. The reason I mentioned it is that one time when I did this, the sprue, for some inexplicable reason, got kitty’s attention and she leapt up to grab it. She apparently thought it was a new kind of yarn and wanted to play with it. Of course it broke and got tangled in her fur. She never was interested in stretching sprue after that.
When I stretch sprue now, I make sure the cats are asleep or in another part of the house.
“Curing” sprue as you suggest is a good idea, and I do that myself.
A good modeling reference book is one that you can refer back to when needed. I have several in my library and I remembered that a couple had tips on stretching sprue. The first one was in a Kalmbach publication “Building Plastic Models” cira 1976 here is what I found:
Another was found in the book “The Scale Modelers Handbook” by Chris Ellis cira 1979.
We as modelers with some experience tend to pass these books by at swap meets. However they are good resource for refreshing ones memory and sharing skill sets with novice modelers. Like I stated above, a good reference book is one that one refers back to…I use mine often to help others when I cannot find the exact scenario on my bench at the moment to guide them.
I have those books too.
And we also have a cat !
Hawkeye’s illustration is the method I use. Beats the heck out of igniting polystyrene. It works with no smell and no smoke and no harm to humans or cats (we have six).
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