I’ve noticed in a couple of threads that there are folks using and singing the praises of various modeling jigs (typically the LMG BB-01). I do not have and have never had a modeling jig, and I hate to miss an opportunity to exercise my “Want!” gland, so I thought I’d ask: What’s so great about having the jig? I can see perhaps holding an aircraft upside down for detail work, where the jig makes it more steady than just resting it on its nose/tail/wingtip, but I don’t have a huge workspace and I’m not sure it makes sense. Thoughts? Opinions? Free donations?
Biggest benefit is proper alignment of the wings (i.e. dihedral), but your comment about using it to detail the bottom is also a plus. I’ve also seen people use them to transport their builds by securing it to the jig with rubber bands.
The jig that I have been using for roughly a decade has been invaluable. Most of my modeling subjects are aircraft of various scales., and it seems to have worked for anything that I put on it. It helps to stabilize the model while I attend to detail work on either top or bottom. If only there was a jig that would accommodate an airplane resting on its side with the wings attached, that would help with decals and weathering.
You do have to be mindful of your surroundings when using the jig, particularly when you are working on a large model. What happened to me with my recent 1/24 Hellcat build, is I had the Hellcat top-side down. Airfix molded the rudder antenna onto the model rather than as a separate part. I had done a very good job of keeping that antenna protected by ensuring where I moved the jig with the Hellcat on it to prevent breakage - until I didn’t. I didn’t fully snap it from the rudder, there was still a little connectivity there, and I was able to repair it satisfactorily. My solution to that, given that the jig isn’t really suitable for 1/24 aircraft (it’s rated for 1/72 - 1/32) was to put the jig atop a thick book and to protect the antenna mast with one of those plastic tubes you find on your paint brushes, affixed with tape.
As for storing the jig, I have a large workspace that I built in my garage. I put a nail in the frame and hang it from there, out of the way. It stays there until I reach the point in a build where I need it (which for my current 1/32 Ju88 will likely be this weekend). I imagine you can disassemble the jig after every use and stash it in a drawer.
I also have a second jig that I got from a guy in Czechoslovakia via eBay. It is much smaller and intended for biplanes. It will work for monoplanes, but is really not suitable for that use case. That was the first jig I acquired. When I noted that monoplanes tended to tilt due to balance on the short prongs, I found the bigger wooden jig that came from Ukraine.
I don’t really have anything larger than 1/48 scale and pretty much everything is aircraft, so I’m trying to decide what would be a good “starter” jig to try out. I’ve found one that’s more of an airbrush jig than a building jig, but now I have to wonder about the dihedral aspect. Most of the kits I have built have the dihedral molded in as part of a one-piece wing part, but not all aircraft conform to that design (e.g. shoulder-wing).
Ahoy G-man, I was building models for a long time without a jig before I bought an LMG BB-01 two years ago. I use it for every airplane I build. It does all the things other people have mentioned. If you want your airplane to be absolutely aligned, that is, wings, elevators, wheels and other protruding parts attached at the correct angles, you should use a jig and measure your alignment. The eyeball works OK, but nothing beats actual measuring. My Monogram 1/48 scale F-18C is sitting on my BB-01 (for demonstration purposes only). The BB-01 is pretty good, but if you can find a better jig, go for it. I also have a BB-45 jig for smaller airplanes. You can see that the airplane is sitting “backwards” because most aircraft don’t have wings so far aft. When I attach the landing gear and LG doors, I’m going to strap it down and measure. I use steel try-squares of various sizes, a protractor, and steel scales to check the alignment. If you have extra “want” money, a jig would be a good investment if you’re serious about your airplanes.
I also agree with everyone else about the benefits of using modeling “jigs” I have one for aircraft and one for ship models. My friend,before he passed away, was what I consider to be a master modeler and he was also great at woodworking and he usually built a jig for each model that he was working on if he didn’t already have one made.
So now I have to wonder about building one versus buying one. I am pretty good with AutoCAD and have already designed some things and laser cut them out of thin MDF, I wonder if it’s worth doing it for something like this? Maybe I need to open a new thread, but…hey @veedubb67, @Aggieman, @Strongeagle, and @MR_TOM_SCHRY! If you could change anything about your jig, what would it be? I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, but perhaps I could build a better mousetrap…
Probably not worth it for something like this, but since I have things like a 1/72 PBY in the stash, I’m not sure I want to get somthing just for my smaller single-engine 1/72 models, but I’m also concerned that trying to build a 1/72 Hurricane on that BB-01 would be awkward.
I would pay more attention to sanding the pieces before assembly and I would find better quality hardware in order to make adjusting the sliding pieces work easier. Other than that, the LMG jigs are very clever (but clunky) from an engineering perspective…is clunky a word?
" “Clunky” is an informal adjective used to describe something that is awkward, clumsy, or ungainly in appearance, form, or execution. It can also refer to something that makes a clunking sound. Essentially, it implies a lack of grace or sophistication."
