Simulating antenna cables with monofilament

[MikeEM]

I'm attempting to use monofilament two pound fishing line to simulate antenna cabling, but bonding it to tips of plastic has proven to be a challenge. I'm trying to use medium CA in the process but it doesn't seem to stick. Is CA the right adhesive for this type of material? If not, what should be used? Thanks in advance.

[compressorman]

Last time I did this I used one of my daughters long beautiful hairs and just glued it with dots of white glue. Unfortunately she has since moved to the other side of the US. :( Maybe she didnt like me stealing her hairs.

Chris

Edited January 12, 2015 by compressorman

[Rex]

Try it like this:

take a length of Monofilament longer than you need and hold it in your tweezers, as if the line is a pencil lead sticking out of the jaws

get your microbrush of CA Accelerator ready and lay it near where your left hand will be

put a dab of the CA glue where one end of the line goes, hold the line up there with your tweezers (in the same direction it will be in when you are finished)

get close without touching anything with the microbrush, the Accelerator's fumes will do the work

when you release the tweezers, you will have a line attached at one end, pointed to where it will go, and ready to attach that other end

using the same supplies and tools, pull the line taut, wave the Accelerator brush close again, and you will be glued on both ends

trim both ends

if you get any sag, put your soldering iron or a blown out match up close, without touching,,,,,this will tighten the line

[Joel_W]

Outside of EZ line, nothing beats good old stretched sprue. I attach it with Tamiya's Extra Thin, let it set up, then a candle moved along the bottom of the sprue and it just pops tight.

Joel

[MikeEM]

Try it like this:

take a length of Monofilament longer than you need and hold it in your tweezers, as if the line is a pencil lead sticking out of the jaws

get your microbrush of CA Accelerator ready and lay it near where your left hand will be

put a dab of the CA glue where one end of the line goes, hold the line up there with your tweezers (in the same direction it will be in when you are finished)

get close without touching anything with the microbrush, the Accelerator's fumes will do the work

when you release the tweezers, you will have a line attached at one end, pointed to where it will go, and ready to attach that other end

using the same supplies and tools, pull the line taut, wave the Accelerator brush close again, and you will be glued on both ends

trim both ends

if you get any sag, put your soldering iron or a blown out match up close, without touching,,,,,this will tighten the line

Interesting, I'll have to try this procedure. I also totally forgot about accelerator which I'll have to go out and buy, but I think that was the major problem. Thanks, Rex!

[SonyKen]

Mike,

I used a process very close to what Rex has outlined on my 1/72ns scale E-2C Hawkeye. One problem that I ran nto with the CA glue and the paint that I put on the "wire" was the monofilament was too "slick" for the adhesive and the paint to "stick" to it. So I took the line and rubbed it with really fine sandpaper to give it a "tooth" so that these would stick to it. Even if I wasn't going to paint the line, it allowed the CA to stay in one place and not to run down the line. I hope this helps!

Best Regards,

Ken Bailey

(SonyKen)

Edited January 15, 2015 by SonyKen

[Devilleader501]

Outside of EZ line, nothing beats good old stretched sprue. I attach it with Tamiya's Extra Thin, let it set up, then a candle moved along the bottom of the sprue and it just pops tight.

Joel

I am still trying to figure out how to pull a piece of sprue apart with a candle. I have used a candle, heat gun, torch, Lighter, even boiling water and have never come up with anything consistent with what you pros like to call wires from sprue. What gives dude, Please share your technique. Us Inquiring minds want to know.

[Joel_W]

I am still trying to figure out how to pull a piece of sprue apart with a candle. I have used a candle, heat gun, torch, Lighter, even boiling water and have never come up with anything consistent with what you pros like to call wires from sprue. What gives dude, Please share your technique. Us Inquiring minds want to know.

Devilleader501

I've been stretching sprue the same way for more then 40 years. I can pull a line as thin as a hair, or as thick as I want, which takes practice, but isn't hard to learn. Like 10 min. For the basic sprue stretching start with a piece of colored sprue about 1 1/2-2 inches in length. For now make sure that there is no nubs or stubs along the length so that the heating and melting is even. Colored sprue melts easier then clear sprue. Also colored sprue doesn't require painting. Gray and or a gray metallic looks perfect for what it's intended to replicate. I use a cigarette lighter, not a candle for melting the sprue. If you have a candle with a wick that will produce a decent flame that's fine.

Light the candle or lighter and hold it with one hand

hold the piece of sprue in other hand just over the top of the visible flame, not in it, and slowly rotate the sprue back and forth between your fingers. This will heat the sprue evenly. Just keep doing that, and in less then a min you'll see the sprue start to sag where the flame is concentrated. Let it bend to a vertical position. Takes about 15 or so seconds. Now put down the light or candle (blow out 1st).

grab the other end of the candle with your free hand and just start to pull apart. You'll get a long, and I mean long plastic thread.

The Sprue cools quickly. The main section of the pull is the same dia. It's thicker on the ends and continues to increase in thickness as you move to each end.

That's the whole procedure. It's easy, and it's fool proof. The secret is in rotating the sprue while it's heating up.

Joel

Edited January 15, 2015 by Joel_W

[galileo1]

Great explanation of the technique, Joel. I can do pretty good stretching sprue but your explanation on rotating the piece to evenly heat it is what I've been missing.

Rob

[Joel_W]

Great explanation of the technique, Joel. I can do pretty good stretching sprue but your explanation on rotating the piece to evenly heat it is what I've been missing.

Rob

Rob,

Glad I could help. If you need any tips on making the line taught, just let me know.

Joel

[volzj]

Generally, the faster you pull the softened sprue the thinner the diameter you are able to achieve. I can get hair then, but if you get too fast you will break a few. Luckily, the process is pretty much cost-free, and we mostly all have an infinite supply of material...

[balls47]

I do mostly jets, but I do prop jobs on occasion. If I do a wire antennae, I drill a small hole into the tail that's as close to the monofilament line or stretched sprue size as possible. Put some CA glue in the hole and slip the line inside and pinch the tail at the hole with the line in it to get the CA to "grab" the line. Don't put too much glue in or it'll ooze out or you'll have a mess. If you are going to attach it to the fuselage, drill the same sized hole in the top and attach the same way. If you want a little more strength, drill a hole in the bottom of the fuselage and glue it on the bottom and then sand smooth. Good luck!!!