1/32 Rigging Question

dirtyshirt · 12 November 2009, 04:27 PM

Evening All.
I've been following Terri's builds on Aeroscale for the past two years and can confirm that her system is the business, she really knows what she is doing, check them out under THE GIRL.
All systems are adaptable and seeing as I have been a miserable failure with stretching Q-tips, what I have resorted to doing is stripping the plastic insulation from the smallest paper clips I can source in stationers shops. These I strip and cut the resultant tubing into 3mm lengths and use as Terri describes. This system is grand for 1/32 scale but I haven't been able to find clips suitable for smaller than this , but as I have only built in 32nd scale since 1973 it suits me.
Regards
Mike.

bobs_buckles · 12 November 2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by modelhound

I have been using this technique for many years, but I do not find a need to grease the mandrel wire. I use Contrail plastic tubing and the plastic just slips right off. I find that if I pull the mandrel wire straight before heating and streaching the plastic the results are better. I clamp one end of the mandrel in my bench vice and grip the other end with a vice-grips pliers which I clamp to my workbench with a C clamp. I take the mandrel wire out of my jig and cut the pieces of stretched plastic right on the wire by rolling a #11 xacto blade on the plastic. I use the part of the blade nearest the handle so as not to dull the tip area, which I use for 98% of my other cutting. YMMV.

As Always, Yours,

mIKE

Mike,
Where does a boy from England get hands on 'Contrail plastic tubing' and what is its application in the real world?

Cheers,
Bob

stevedrew · 12 November 2009, 11:30 PM

Wow!

What a great idea! I haven't tried "stretched sprue" to make rigging wire, as I figured that the technique would be beyond me (or at least to take many years of practice).

When I started haunting The Aerodrome "Model" Forum, and I saw many use monofilament, I thought that was great. So how do you "terminate" the rigging wires?

Drilling through the wings seemed like a logical solution. I became intrigued by "Bob's Buckles", and decided to "bite the bullet" and order some from Bob in the UK. I mentioned to Bob that the tiny brass tubing he uses couldn't be sourced in Australia as far as I knew, and he generously popped some in the package with my buckles (thanks Bob!).

A few mentioned that they stretch cotton buds to make turnbuckles, and I figured that the same difficult technique as stretched sprue was used.

But now, a new technique...

I gather that the #7 guitar string is greased with Vaseline, slipped through the cotton bud (after the ends are clipped off) and the cotton bud stalk is heated and stretched but will retain the correct inside dimensions to enable really thin monofilament (I plan on using 0.14mm 4lb breaking strain line) to be threaded through, passed through a buckle, and then back through the stalk.

Am I correct that this is the technique to be used? The use of a "former" to prevent the cotton bud stalk becoming too thin or melting in on itself and closing the centre "tunnel" is brilliant!

OK... A question...I'm guessing that the inside diameter of the cotton bud stalk would become greasy after sliding over the greased guitar string. Therefore, after the whole stretching process is complete, and you have cut it to 3mm lengths (is that correct for 1/32 scale?) to make turnbuckles, you would have to clean the monofilament to enable it to be coloured with a silver felt tip pen or dragging it through a drop of silver paint. (What method do you use to colour the monofilament?)

So, if it needs to be "cleaned" how do you do this? Just run it through a cloth? Does this stretch the monofilament unneccessarily? How do you colour the monofilament?

Thanks for the brilliant idea guys (and girls).

Steve

modelhound · 12 November 2009, 11:55 PM

Bob at al,

Contrail is a long defunct maker of vacuformed model aeroplane kits. As a side product they made some extruded airfoil section plastic rods in several sizes suitable for 1/72 through 1/24 scale wing struts and such. They also had a selection of several sizes of plastic tubes and rods.
These rods and strut material showed up in Blue Max kits as well as several other limited run manufacturers.

I believe the last I heard of these products, they were being sold by Aeroclub.

Aeroclub Models - CON001 - WING STRUT, 5 SIZES PER PACK, 300MM LONG

Aeroclub Models - CON002 - STYRENE ROD, 5 SIZES PER PACK, 300MM LONG

Aeroclub Models - CON003 - STYRENE TUBE, 5 SIZES PER PACK, 300MM LONG

Aeroclub Models - CON004 - BI PLANE PACK

Good Luck, eh?

mIKE

THE GREAT WALDO · 13 November 2009, 02:28 AM

Hi Steve

I use rub n buff to colour monofilament, Just be carefull with handling as it can smudge onto fingers and then onto the paintwork.

Cheers

Andrew

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevedrew

Wow!

What a great idea! I haven't tried "stretched sprue" to make rigging wire, as I figured that the technique would be beyond me (or at least to take many years of practice).

When I started haunting The Aerodrome "Model" Forum, and I saw many use monofilament, I thought that was great. So how do you "terminate" the rigging wires?

Drilling through the wings seemed like a logical solution. I became intrigued by "Bob's Buckles", and decided to "bite the bullet" and order some from Bob in the UK. I mentioned to Bob that the tiny brass tubing he uses couldn't be sourced in Australia as far as I knew, and he generously popped some in the package with my buckles (thanks Bob!).

A few mentioned that they stretch cotton buds to make turnbuckles, and I figured that the same difficult technique as stretched sprue was used.

But now, a new technique...

I gather that the #7 guitar string is greased with Vaseline, slipped through the cotton bud (after the ends are clipped off) and the cotton bud stalk is heated and stretched but will retain the correct inside dimensions to enable really thin monofilament (I plan on using 0.14mm 4lb breaking strain line) to be threaded through, passed through a buckle, and then back through the stalk.

Am I correct that this is the technique to be used? The use of a "former" to prevent the cotton bud stalk becoming too thin or melting in on itself and closing the centre "tunnel" is brilliant!

OK... A question...I'm guessing that the inside diameter of the cotton bud stalk would become greasy after sliding over the greased guitar string. Therefore, after the whole stretching process is complete, and you have cut it to 3mm lengths (is that correct for 1/32 scale?) to make turnbuckles, you would have to clean the monofilament to enable it to be coloured with a silver felt tip pen or dragging it through a drop of silver paint. (What method do you use to colour the monofilament?)

So, if it needs to be "cleaned" how do you do this? Just run it through a cloth? Does this stretch the monofilament unneccessarily? How do you colour the monofilament?

Thanks for the brilliant idea guys (and girls).

Steve

terri werner · 13 November 2009, 05:31 AM

The easiest way to colour the line is with a black sharpie or silver one .

For the metal tubing you can that at this place here on line .

www.holepop.com

David_Layton · 13 November 2009, 07:53 AM

I have some of Bob's shiny buckles, so this tread is helpful.

Need help on the translation for US products:

1. Cotton stalk is a 'Q-Tip' with a hollow plastic tube?

2. #7 guitar string? Is that a G, C or E string? I may have to research the various guitar string diameters.

3. Tubing, assume on inner diameter: 2 x by rigging width, so if you use .006 on 1/48, then the Inner diameter would be .012?

bobs_buckles · 13 November 2009, 08:09 AM

Be careful with the fine tubing from holepop. As superb a product as they come, there is something you should know (I know only to well

) the hole running through the 0.5 tube is barely a hole. Where as the the tube I buy here in blighty (when I can get my hands on it!) has a nice 0.3 hole running through the 0.5 stock. This precise 0.3 makes it far easier threading the 0.15 dia fishing line back through the tube.

Steve,
The grease thing is not a problem. The sleeve acts a cover for the fused line. Below is a basic illustration I prepared earlier

bobs_buckles · 13 November 2009, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Layton

I have some of Bob's shiny buckles, so this tread is helpful.

Need help on the translation for US products:

1. Cotton stalk is a 'Q-Tip' with a hollow plastic tube?

2. #7 guitar string? Is that a G, C or E string? I may have to research the various guitar string diameters.

3. Tubing, assume on inner diameter: 2 x by rigging width, so if you use .006 on 1/48, then the Inner diameter would be .012?

1> Cut the buds off and slip the tube over the wire former. Apply heat from candle and stretch out the bud tube to form.

2> Link to eBay seller in the States who sells the strings I use: D'Addario Single Plain Steel Strings 07 Gauge PL007 on eBay (end time 16-Nov-09 14:05:10 GMT)

3> Yes, you want the line to be able to pass back through the sleeve without to much grief and swearing

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Bob

David_Layton · 13 November 2009, 09:35 AM

Thanks for all of the tips, Q or otherwise.

Bob, at your webpage, I realize that this methond would work for balsa and tissue models as well. I have a DPC BE2e frame built a few years back but never covered as I did not have a rigging solution. It is roughly 1/20 scale, but I am going as light as possible.