Rigging bi-planes

Mark, the question you raised is difficult because of the scale you are working 1/72. I have rigged many biplanes but they were all

1/48. My main rigging was and still is a thread called ' Invisible Thread' available at most sewing and knitting shops and is close to the scale rigging used on most biplanes. I have never worked 1/72 biplanes and rigged them, except with wire which looked more like plumbing lines than the real thing. Keep up the work and learn from your mistakes. Mike IPMS >

Just like the other grandpa says- invisible thread, found in fabric stores works quite well. I have seen it in clear and transparent black (smokey gray, actually). I have used it on a couple rag wings and also .008" music wire (Super Slinky 1st string). Both are attached using CA. The thread can be cut a bit long then, if you're a smoker, run a lit cigarette under it to tighten it up or a hot match. You have to be careful or you'll melt it, though. Wires have to be the exact length so dividers will be needed. If the wire gets a curl in it, just roll it between two panes of glass, mirrors, or some other hard surfaces.

-- Chuck Ryan snipped-for-privacy@REMOVEearthlink.net Springfield OH

Mark: The only good way is to use " monofiliment" Fishing line> For 1/72 find the thinnest (or small diameter) as you can find. It can be painted is needed, (I usually spray it silver) It works well with CA glue. and then can be shrunk tight with a light heat source> If you need better or more detailed instructions, contact me at snipped-for-privacy@charter.net and I would be glad to work you through the process.

Denis

One thing I remember reading (in a "Fine Scale Modeler" article):

If the wires are glued into pre-drilled holes; attach ONE end of the wire with CA. Attach the OTHER end with something like rubber cement. This will add a "flex factor". If transporting the completed model somewhere; and it gets exposed to drastic temperature changes.....the expansion/contraction of the metal wire "could" cause it to break loose....

"Mark Warrington" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:LOstb.301$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfep4-winn.server.ntli.net...

Just a thought, I too made a few WW1 biplanes and two old Heller sail ships in 1/600 - and so I thought maybe I could do some rigging using human hair - should be thin enough and cheap, you just ask a good girl friend 8} or a coiffeur for a few lenghtes.

Apllying it to the model is hard work anyway, and when finished, store it carefully...

any comments ? totally unthinkable ?

greetings, Jan

Hairs are very sensible to moisture. For instance, if you rig your plane on a wet winter day, on a dry day hair will dry out and contract a little. Not much, but probably enough to either break or deform the model.

I've used human hair for radio antenna wire on 1/48 scale aircraft (voluntarily donated by my one of my daughters). The hair works OK but eventually it loses tension and starts to stretch and sag or kink a bit (particularly naturally curly hair).

I've had better results with a single strand of thread from an old pair of my wife's nylons. I've found that the strand from the nylon stockings, if stretched a bit before super gluing, never sags. The only drawback is that it's so fine you really can't see it unless you're right up close; about the way it would look on the 1-1 scale aircraft when viewed from a distance, I guess.

"The world would be a much simpler place if every one could pick and choose their obligations, but we can't and we shouldn't." Major Charles W. Whittlesey