Control Horns in 1/72nd

BobE · 10 February 2002, 08:06 AM

Would be interested in hearing how everyone makes control horns and rigs them in 1/72nd. The tiny size makes them a really difficult part of the model to deal with. Do you make the top and bottom parts seperate or make one piece and slot it through the wing? Do you actually cut the part to shape and if so how do you manage to cut something that tiny to scale.If you rig with monofilament or thread how do you attach it to the control horns? I drill a hole through the wing,insert a tiny piece of plastic rod,bend it forward at an angle,top and bottom and just touch the tip with a little ZAP to attach the thread. Because of the small scale I can get away with this but it seems there should be a better way.
Finally, what color should they be painted or does it vary from plane to plane? I have seen some pictures that show it the color of the wing and others seem to indicate a grey or black color.
Your input would be sincerly appreciated.

Bob E

StephenLawson · 10 February 2002, 05:26 PM

BobE-

I now do 1/48 scale but 1/72 was where I started many years ago. I can't hardly look at a WWI aircraft model if its not rigged. For 1/72 scale I used brass micro-rod .006 (from model rail road shops.) The control horns are brass rod sections. Drill a mirco hole through the wing and insert the rod. Attach any rigging that you do to this control horn's ends. In 1/72 scale again the blackened brass rod is your best bet. 'Blacken it' is a mild acid sold at, yes - model rail road shops. It blackens the brass for a good paint adhesion. In this case don't worry abot painting the brass. Wipe it off with a soft cloth. Measure the exact length you need and use 'gel' type super glue in very small applications. My rule of thumb is anything under 4.5 inches is a good candidate for brass. Anything over 4.5 and I go with monofilament/invisible thread (smoke coloured.) Good Luck STL

Matt_Bittner · 11 February 2002, 03:08 AM

Sort of the same vein as Stephen's prior method. *However, I use .020 Evergreen plastic rod. *Drill a hole through the surface, attach a piece of rod through the hole, cut to length, then sand the the proper shape carefully until the correct shape is achieved. *I then glue the rigging direct to the horn. *HTH, FWIW and YMMV...

In addition, I think Part makes photoetch control horns that could work as well: http://www.part.pl.

BobE · 12 February 2002, 09:16 AM

Thank you gentlemen. Looks like we are all more or less on the same page on this. Happy to be in such good company. The only thing I have not been doing that Matt does is sanding the rods to shape after they are in place.I also just bought myself some brass rod so I can give Stephen's idea a go. Thanks again,
Bob