Viasistina Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Gents..one of the legacy tools of our hobby is stretched sprue. I used to use it but havent really needed it for many years. I decided a had a need for it and tried to stretch some sprue the other night. I keep pulling the plastic apart and never could really get it to stretch out. Can someone give me a quick primer? how close to the flame? when to start pulling etc etc. I know this should be like riding a bike but I failed. thanks!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
UK_tomcat_fan Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 (edited) Here you go NOTE that is not me! Martin Edited June 2, 2011 by UK_tomcat_fan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grey Ghost 531 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 A slight variation that might or might not be easier: Instead of heating the sprue in the middle, heat it on one end until the plastic is all melty and shiny. Then, stick the hot, gooey sprue end onto a sheet of cardboard, wait for a second and then pull the other end. How rapid you start pulling determines the thickness of the stretched product, pull fast - it's thin; pull slower - it's thicker. You can get more stretched sprue out of one sprue because you don't need a "handle" at both ends. Just keep breaking the streched part off and heating the same end over again. You can whip out a bunch of lengths of the stuff all stuck to the same piece of cardboard. Saw that on a model ship site where they were using it for rigging. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie Cheetah Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Man, never could master that. I must practice it. Everytime I try I either burn the sprue or it breaks when I start to stretch it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neptune48 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Man, never could master that. I must practice it. Everytime I try I either burn the sprue or it breaks when I start to stretch it. I had the same problem until I discovered one detail that no one had mentioned...once the plastic is soft, move it away from the flame before you stretch it. Also, I continuously roll the sprue between my fingers when heating and moving away from the flame, right up until I start to pull it. HTH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie Cheetah Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I had the same problem until I discovered one detail that no one had mentioned...once the plastic is soft, move it away from the flame before you stretch it. Also, I continuously roll the sprue between my fingers when heating and moving away from the flame, right up until I start to pull it. HTH Cool, I'll try that. Thank you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Loggie Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I use the Grey Ghost 531 method because it is more economical. George, out......... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Netz Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yep, sticking it to cardboard is a new one to me. I also roll mine and definitely take it away from the flame, while rolling you can judge the viscosity (?) of the plastic to get the desired thickness needed. If you break your sprue you can always melt it back together, just get it melted/shiny stick them together and give them a roll between the fingers and your off. Also the old Monogram plastic is the best, so keep the sprue's from your old Monogram kits and if you have an F-20 that is like gold, you'll have nice metallic threads using their metal flake steel grey. You can also stretch plastic tubing to get thin tubes :} I've even stretched channel and angle iron to get real fine shapes that they normally don't sale. Curt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TXCajun Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 A slight variation that might or might not be easier: Instead of heating the sprue in the middle, heat it on one end until the plastic is all melty and shiny. Then, stick the hot, gooey sprue end onto a sheet of cardboard, wait for a second and then pull the other end. How rapid you start pulling determines the thickness of the stretched product, pull fast - it's thin; pull slower - it's thicker. You can get more stretched sprue out of one sprue because you don't need a "handle" at both ends. Just keep breaking the streched part off and heating the same end over again. You can whip out a bunch of lengths of the stuff all stuck to the same piece of cardboard. Saw that on a model ship site where they were using it for rigging. That is an excellent method I honestly never hit on. Thanks for sharing that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Hi, Something else to consider is that different manufacturers sprues stretch differently. I've had difficulty stretching the sprue out of my Trumpeter kits since it seems to melt very easily but the sprue in the new Revell Hawk stretches beautifully. HTH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Also - not all styrene is created equal. Some stretches much better than other. The higher the vinyl content (ie: the softer the styrene) the better it will stretch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattC Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 FWIW, if you twizzle one end of the sprue quickly as you rotate it and hold it firm until it cools, you can, with practice, get the stretched sprue to take on a twisted appearance which looks a bit like rope for use in a diorama. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gundamhead Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Heat until sprue section turns shiny. (People roll the sprue in the flame to heat it evenly/faster) Remove from heat. (Candle flame) Pull slow for thicker sprue, pull faster for thinner. It takes about 2 or 3 tries, but you get the feel very fast, and there is more effort in typing this than actually doing it. Easy-peasy. :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Uncle Uncool Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 NOTE that is not me! Aw, yeh; we all know it's indeed ya, Marty... :lol: Need not be ashamed, matey! In this beautiful hobby, the older ya are, the more interestin it is, really. Ya hear, paps? You can also stretch plastic tubing to get thin tubes :} I've even stretched channel and angle iron to get real fine shapes that they normally don't sale. Noooiiiceee piece of info, Curt! Which brand 'n' diameter o' plastic tubin' d'ya use to work with, Evergreen or Plastruct? Any special technique in order to stretch tubin' when heatin' it? Or is the technique quite the same as Marty shows on his video, along with the modellin' fella on his right? :P Cheers, blokes Unc² Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thorsten Wieking Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 [...] Noooiiiceee piece of info, Curt! Which brand 'n' diameter o' plastic tubin' d'ya use to work with, Evergreen or Plastruct? Any special technique in order to stretch tubin' when heatin' it? Or is the technique quite the same as Marty shows on his video, along with the modellin' fella on his right? :P Cheers, blokes Unc² For the tubing, try q-tips/cotton swabs with plastic handles. Cheers Thorsten Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Uncle Uncool Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 For the tubing, try q-tips/cotton swabs with plastic handles. :blink: Thorsten...? With plastic handles? Me ain't gotten it "them" concept, mate. :wacko: Comin' "they're" conclusions, anyone? Danke schön, mein Freund. Unc² Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooter Man Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Also - not all styrene is created equal. Some stretches much better than other. The higher the vinyl content (ie: the softer the styrene) the better it will stretch. Totally agree!! Very rarely, if ever, will I use anything else other than sprue from a Tamiya kit. This is not to say sprue from other manufacturers won't work, it's just that based on my own personal experience Tamiya's sprue is the easiest for me to work with. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wdw Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Yes, the different brands stretch differently. And it takes a bit of practice. Until this past weekend, I hadn't stretched sprue for a few years. My first attempts were hopeless; it just broke every time and just wouldn't stretch. So I tried another sprue and it was wonderful. It was from a Hasegawa kit. After a few tries I could get it so fine I could hardly see it which is just perfect for my 1/72 scale model, although delicate to work with. Warwick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gundamhead Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 OK To make thicker sprue, heat until glossy and isn't too limp. Pull slower and staedy. To make thin sprue, heat until glossy, and it goes limp. Pull steady and quicker than before and there you have it. Really, it's easier to just try than to type this, and read it... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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