nose weight, What do you use?

[Orion Field]

I have yet to find a good nose weight, so far i have been using a combination of pinewood derby car weights and iron filings, neither of the weights is very effective, what do you use?

[huntermountain]

I use play-doh like stuff, and I push in lead weights normally used to weight down fishing lines. The play-doh in itself weighs quite a bit, and conforms nicely to whatever space you have available.

[janman]

Anything I can find and fits inside the nose of the model. These include all kinds of nuts, bolts, screws etc.

[HistnScale]

.45 cal lead shot set in place with super glue if needed. The lead shot can also be cut up with a pair of side cutters to fit smaller spaces.

Cheers,

Dave

[Phantom ordie]

There are all shapes and sizes of fishing weights. Tungston weights are smaller but heavier than lead.thats what I use mostly. They are a little more expensive.

[phantom]

Fishing weights secured with putty. For BIG models empty paint jars secured where room can be found.

[Kei Lau]

I have yet to find a good nose weight, so far i have been using a combination of pinewood derby car weights and iron filings, neither of the weights is very effective, what do you use?

I used to get casted lead nose weights from Terry Dean at Night Mission. His email was Nightiemission@aol.com. Price was extremely reasonable and very good service. He casted from discard tire weights to the exact cavity shape. I have not used him recently. Hope that he is still there.

For model with larger nose space, I also use Copperhead BBS from crosman.com. You can find it at Walmart.

[Fly-n-hi]

I use steel birdshot and Apoxie Sculpt. Just mix in the birdshot with the Apoxie until it looks like chocolate chip cookie dough and mash it into any space you like.

[Jamie Cheslo]

I use fishing weights with superglue. Works every time. I have also used Terry's cast nose weights. They are excellent, and as stated above, his prices are very reasonable.

[Sunliner]

I use putty and either BB's or whatever random hardware is around.

One thing NOT to use is Squadron green putty. I learned the hard way to READ the warnings on the tube...it specifically says not to use as nose weight. Found that out after it melted the radome on my A-6E.

-Mike

[spejic]

I usually use pinewood derby car weights as well, but I was trying to weigh down a 1/72 Airfix Shorts Tucano and despite stuffing every possible space in front of the CG (including cutting a ring that fit inside the prop spinner!) and thinning the plastic on the other side it wasn't enough. I had to use some of the newer tungsten weights for pinewood derby cars - they come in putty and cuttable form. The cuttable one is a little crumbly when you saw or sand it, but I think it's a little denser than the putty form.

I would be careful with regular iron filings or anything else that will rust or corrode, especially because metals usually expand when they corrode and will may blow your model apart years in the future. I usually totally cover the metal in epoxy just in case.

[Netz]

Small fishing weights are the most practical and probably the least expensive,I use those, I seem to collect things and have a bag of .30 cal lead balls I have no idea where they came from, you can smash the lead with a hammer if need be, I also have a 20lb bag of bird shot (lead) that will last a lifetime, I like it as the pellets are small and you can add them anywhere if you have a space problem, most of my builds have been the typical jet with a radome, I usually just add some elmer's glue and drop in the weights, then another layer on top, they aren't going anywhere, so gluing them in is not a big concern.

Curt

[kenlilly106]

Lead fishing weights or steel shot blasting grit mixed with epoxy and poured into the space.

A good way to catch a good deal on lead fishing weights is to wait until the stores have their summer clearance specials, I picked up a bunch of split lead shot weights a couple of years back for about 60% off normal price.

Ken

[daemon87]

Best things that worked for me: fishing weights made of lead and heavy nuts (inside an Italeri A-10, where I thought a fishing weight that big would be too heavy and too hard to hold down). Any of these, fixed in place with the least amount of glue or none at all.

Reason:My worst choice when building a model (or *why you should never put away your brain when working on a model*): using small nails in the radome of a 1/48 Tomcat...filled with uhu glue...:|

The next morning, all the plastic left on that radome was about the size of a toothpick..

Edited July 10, 2011 by daemon87

[The Rat]

There has been some discussion lately about holding lead weight with CA glues. Apparently there will be a chemical reaction after a few years, and the model will literally burst open. Haven't got a link handy, but I know I've seen threads about it. I use lead fishing weights and either white glue or putty to hold them in.

[Jamie Cheslo]

There has been some discussion lately about holding lead weight with CA glues. Apparently there will be a chemical reaction after a few years, and the model will literally burst open. Haven't got a link handy, but I know I've seen threads about it. I use lead fishing weights and either white glue or putty to hold them in.

I have heard about this as well. Fortunately, I have been lucky. A number of years ago I built a Monogram Intruder, put tons of sinkers in the nose and used tons of CA glue. I check the nose from time to time, and still no apparent damage. I would love to hear some personal anecdotes or see some pictures of the results of this chemical reaction. Maybe the sinkers I used were not made of lead???

[cf18hornet]

I use coil lead fishing weight with the mid-sized circumferance. That way you just cut off what you need with scissors and it can gently be molded into the desired shape with a hammer. Then you only have to deal with one piece of weight.

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=25482.0

(picture in first post)

[The Loggie]

G'Day Orion. I use chunks of lead, secured/embedded into a lump of Milliput. The lead comes from small fishing sinkers (available anywhere - fishing shops, supermarkts etc) or cut from tire/tyre weights I scrounge from the local tire fitters or even picked-up off the roads. Position the chunks, then lock them in (fore & aft?) with soft Milliput 2-part epoxy putty-like filler. It dries hard. Dry-fit the fuselage (then separate) for a good fit.

Sometimes, I've used lenghts of coat-hanger wire, cut to stretch from the pivot point (usually the main UC) to the forward-most point.

I've seem other modellers use odd nuts and bolts. I've seem other modellers place weights inside engine cowlings and wing leading edges just to get an AC to sit on its wheels (eg, R/M 48-scale B.29).

I've not needed Terry Deans specific-cast weights, but I've seen them and heard excellent reports about them. What's next, Terry? Specific-cast main spars?

Good luck, Orion, and have fun. George, out...............

Edited July 11, 2011 by The Loggie

[B-17 guy]

Lead fishing weights or steel shot blasting grit mixed with epoxy and poured into the space.

Ken

I use the steel shot with elmers glue. I used to work as a powder coater, we had 2 of the big blasting machines for the tractor trailer wheels to be cleaned then powder coated. I use to bring some shot home daily, I'd find in my shoes, hair etc.. I filled a coolwhip container with it after I realised I could use it for nose weight.

I usually fill the the area with shot then also with elmers glue.