Rigging a biplane - help!

[zenrat]

I'm a car builder recently fallen from my high horse and building planes again after 30 odd years.
I've got a couple of biplanes in my stash which (as I seem to have developed a desire to detail with age) will need rigging.
What is the best stuff to use?  I'm thinking fishing line.
How to fix it and any tips on carrying out the actual rigging?
I know the real things have turnbuckles and the like to tension the stuff and I suspect you can get photoetch for these but i'll be building in 1/72 and sometimes there is such a thing as too much detail.

[Dizzyfugu]

A friend of mine experimented on a lot of Gladiators (I guess 8 or so) he built in parallel with various stuff, including fine cord, heated sprue and fishing line. His favorite became the fishing line, coupled with drilled holes as attachement points. But I guess, in the end, it's very subjective - I prefer heated sprues since the stuff can be as thin as I need it, is relatively stable in itself and can be attached with styrene glue. I also experimented with fine wire, but found that to be too thick and complicated to handle.

Anyway, I'd strongly suggest to try to add some rigging to your model. It much enhances the look and actually stabilizes a fragile biplane, just like in real life. But it needs patience when you start - with some routine things get along more easily.

[scooter]

A friend of mine uses nylon thread for all his rigging.  But as Dizzy says, its all subjective on what you use

[deathjester]

Fishing line and drilled holes - it's what I used on the Sopwith Sparrowhawk, and it worked just fine!

[Captain Canada]

White Ensign sell a nylon thread that is stretchy.....glue on one end and start pulling ! A wee dab of glue at points where it touches the struts....

[zenrat]

Aha.  Mrs z has some nylon thread in her sewing box.
Although I do need to visit the fishing tackle emporium for some nose weights and to get my gas bottles refilled.
Which glue Cap?
I'm guessing superglue (cyanoacrylate) with nylon?
Going back over some of my old issues of Model Art Australia builders of Wingnut Wings WW1 planes seem to use fishing line although those kits are 1/32 and i'm working in 1/72.

Just a thought but Human hair?

[Dizzyfugu]

My friend initially used nylon cord, but then found a very thin nylon fishing line that works very well for 1.72 scale - even though it later needs some tinting/painting, as the clear stuff easily stands out from the model. And this finishing process can become tricky since the stuff is delicate and you might find paint pigments clumping together. Additionally, water-based paint tends to build up "pearls" on nylon, so better use a drop of dish washing detergent when you thin the paint. That's another reason why I rather vote for sprue stuff - it's opaque and I can make it from the colored material I want/need.

He uses super glue in gel form for the fishing line.

[VickersVandal]

EZ-line elasticised thread. Cut it shorter than the gap (by about 20%), anchor one end, dab superglue on the model at the other, dab zip kicker on free end of thread, use tweezers to stretch thread until it reaches glue and BOOM. I used to use "invisible" nylon thread but drilling and then later filling all the holes is a monumental pain in the wahooti fandango. Plus, elastic thread always stays under tension.

[kitnut617]

Aeroclub sell reels of fine thread just for rigging, I've got a couple of them.  You'll find it listed under the Contrail brand ( along with packets of styrene strut too)

[Father Ennis]

I thought Contrails went out of business back in the 80's ?  I bought some of their rod and tube packs back then but they didn't ever get replaced and I heard they went under. Did they just stop importing to the US ?. I would love to get more.

[kitnut617]

As I said Ennis, Aeroclub sells them

You could still get them as of last year, See comments here --- John Aero is Mr.Aeroclub BTW

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234919785-contrail-struts/

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.
I've ordered a reel of E-Z Line from Red Roo models.

[zenrat]

An extra big thank you to VickersVandal.  I've was being driven insane trying to rig a Swordfish so I came and re-read his post above.  Glue on the wing not on the line is much easier and mostly avoids the problems with the stuff sticking to the tweezers, my fingers, other lines...

Just one other thing, I wish i'd read the Wingnut Wings rigging tips before I glued the top wing on as they suggest attaching line before doing so.  THAT would have been much easier but hey, now I know for the next one.

[Allan]

I used to have a roll of real thin tungsten wire in black, but it's disappeared....what I have left is a similar roll of copper-colored tungsten wire, but using it will require the deaded small holes everywhere approach
do you think the color might be a problem?
I like the idea of EZ elasticized thread and stretching it before super gluing it into possie, but the Albion alloys round nickel silver rod looks the easiest to use...that's mentioned elsewhere on this site
I'm working on two 1/72 Camels

[NARSES2]

do you think the color might be a problem?

If its bright copper then it will certainly distract. Pull the wire through a tissue or something similar "wet" with dark grey or black paint before using.