A/C Antenna Wire

Maybe the difference is gross misrepresentation versus acceptable representation; such as ordinance that is easily seen to be out of scale and an antenna wire that makes an adequate representation of the wire. For my personal builds I leave off the things that will break off if bumped. For competition I add them and only hope they survive the event. When the judges get out the calipers and dividers to check thickness and alignment to within a .5 degree, to me it has gone way past judging the basics of fit & finish. IMO models are representations of actual items, not exact miniature replicas. If you were to judge a model on being an exact replica, just one item or dimension should disqualify it should it not be exactly to scale, hence a antenna wire or the depth and width of a panel line, which would disqualify every model. I like to build models for the sake of enjoyment and the time spent with others with this same affliction. Let the lashings begin. ;-)

It's not - and there are two ways to go with it. My first weapon is a stuff called Wonder Wire that is 3 mil monofilament carbon fiber. Great stuff - right color, wants to be naturally straight, and sags just the proper amount over a long run. I forget just where I got my last stash of it from, but any properly sized fiber would do.

Second choice is guitar string - .009 or lighter does the trick for antennae in 1/32. Pieces of wound ones also make great oxygen hose...and if you're good at dissecting the winding from the core, you can also make nice springs out of them.

Rufus,

I'll look for the smaller stuff.

However, the wonder wire at .003 scales out at .15" in 1/48 and .009 in 1/32 scale comes out at .009 x 32 = .288 inches, well over 1/4". The .003 in

1/32 scale would be about 1/10 of an inch, which is acceptable IMO, although still out of scale

The oxygen hoses and springs from guitar strings is something I want to do, but I keep forgetting to when it comes time to detail those items..

Art

I use Tippet Line on my 1/350 scale ship models because I have the same gripe you do about out of scale rigging. Tippet Line is the stuff fly fishermen use when tying custom made flies. It comes in lots of different diameters and can be found at better tackle shops like Bass Pro. The line I use is so fine it can hardly be seen once it's on the model, but visible enough to look realistic.

Rusty White Flagship Models Inc.

Therein lies the biggest flaw in most rigging and antennae wires. In most, save the largest scales, at normal scale viewing distances, they are near to completely invisible.

I've uses strands of human hair donated (VOLUNTARILY, I swear) by my wife or one of my daughters, for antennae and some aircraft rigging. The scale is pretty close but if you step back more than about a foot or two (in 1-1 scale distance), you can't see it, which is about true when you view the 1-1 scale subject at the say 48 or 96 (1-1 scale) feet distance.

Just a thought.............

I use a medium to dark grey thread. The darker colors make it appear to the eye to be smaller. Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder to get fine thread. The craft and sewing places like Michaels and JoAnns don't carry as much thread as they used to. They say sewing as a hobby is declining in popularity.

I can get some really fine wires, but wire is kind of hard to handle, especially with smaller, more fragile models. I do a lot of WW1, pre- WW1 and classic era stuff, so do a lot of rigging, and it is a problem with rigging for small scales too :-(

Rufus,

"Sharp" how? The ends after they are cut? The surface of them?

Art

Rusty,

Tippet material is what I use. Great stuff! And now that my legs won't allow me to fight the current in mountain trout streams anymore I have a closet full of the stuff.

Actually, tippet material is not what one ties flies with. Very fine threadi s used for that, both waxed (would make good antenna wire) and unwaxed. The tippet material is used as the transition line between the fishing line and the fly itself. The fishing line is too thick to tie directly to the fly so a tippet line is used. And a tippet line from the fishing line may have further reductions in diameter depending upon the size of the fly, some of which can be quite small, barely visible.

Unfortuantely, my wife has discovered the value of tippet material and has "borrowed" some of my best diameter line for clothing repair. Smaller than thread, almost invisible and stronger.

Art

The ends of them, no matter how you cut and finish the ends. Guitar string cut into short bits (like for the whip antennae on my Hunter) is very stiff....009 and .010 is about needle gauge, and isn't very forgiving if you manage to poke yourself with it.

I can make the same statement about carbon fiber - short bits of it are very stiff and can present a needle-like hazard; and you can't cut it so much as break or shatter it. Carbon fiber is brittle in sheer and so can break off under your skin if you stick yourself deep with it.

I started to use nylon socks... If you pull out a thread, it is very thin and it is elastic - you can't break it so easy.

Terminator

"I'll be back.."

"D>> I have a question, truly not a rant, so please don't take it as such. >>

And if you want REALLY small diameter wire/antenna, go to a craft store around Christmas and find a small box of Angel Hair. I use it for 1/700 scale ship halyards/signal flags. The material is white, but don't try to paint it as its essentially invisible without a hood magnifier. The signal flags on a 1/700 destroyer look like they are floating in the air under the yardarm. The individual strands are about .001 inches in diameter. One box will last several lifetimes.

Tom

Tom,

Is Angel Hair a glass fiber?

Art

I don't really know, but that would be a good guess.

Tom