[WWI] Gluing Gorillas (in the mist)

[Tom Mason]

Hugh,

Could you explain what 'knitting in elastic' is? Is it a product name?

T.O.M.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hugh Beyts" <hugh at sensorydimensions.com>
To: <wwi at wwi-models.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 9:07 AM
Subject: [WWI] Gluing Gorillas (in the mist)


> 
> Hi Patrick and fellow riggers, 
> 
> I've used 'invisible' thread and super glue for rigging since I
> graduated from fishing line and 24 hour epoxy. It works well in both
> 1:72 and 1:48 scale. 
> 
> This method will work with anything that will straighten under a small
> amount of tension. It puts the glue exactly where it's required with no
> messy excess. The trick is to drill blind holes into one surface
> (normally the underside of the upper wing, 0.3" or smaller; I found some
> 0.2" drills recently but they will probably be more hassle. I haven't
> tried 'em yet and latest project has no rigging.
> 
> Don't be ambitious by trying to complete the rigging in one loop; it's
> not prototypical, not necessary and is making a simple process
> unnecessarily complicated. Thread your wire up through the hole in the
> lower wing. Dip the end into a tiny pool of superglue or dab on a bit
> from the end of a tweezers held piece of fine wire. Insert the rigging
> wire into blind hole and leave to dry. Clip two self closing tweezers to
> the free end (allow about 3", 8cm extra) and pick the model up by
> holding in a manner which minimises any stress on weak joints. If the
> glued end doesn't fly out you are ready for stage two: put model down so
> tweezers are lying flat on work bench, pull the wire back through into
> the wing gap so there is about 1/2", 1cm slack, gently coat wire with
> super glue over a range which you estimate will pull through and into
> the lower wing. Put down your glue applicator, pick model up as before.
> After a few minutes rest tweezers on bench, if the wire remains taught
> it's glued, proceed with the corresponding wire on the opposite wing (to
> reduce uneven stress) or do both with a second set of tweezers at the
> same time.  Trim off loose ends with a sharp (new) blade. Retouch paint
> if necessary. 
> 
> If two or more wires exit the same hole pull slack on one only and apply
> glue to it. Arrange excess lengths and tweezers so that the glued wire
> tightens last. Otherwise one wire glues taught as the glue bites before
> the others do which is a b----r. I think frictional heating is the
> cause.
> 
> With a degree of careful building and experience you can rig almost all
> wires with one end blind. Wire fed into an enclosed space such as a
> fuselage can be fished out with a small fine wire hook inserted through
> a suitable panel which can be placed later, or cockpit opening etc.
> Rotating the hook a few times normally 'lands' the loose end fairly
> quickly.
> 
> The beauty of this system is its ease and simplicity, lack of glue, glue
> in right place, even tension, no need to fiddle with exact lengths etc.
> also immense strength and functionality of rigging. I could go on but
> suffice to say for me the pros massively out weigh the cons and I
> positively enjoy the whole process. Double flying wires are a doddle and
> all those acorns and javelins will end up in line, in the correct place
> with no more effort than ensuring the holes are drilled the same
> distance from the strut base.  I've read so many reviews/articles where
> the writer begins the rigging section using such expressions as
> 'dreaded', 'best of a bad job' etc etc. Needless to say they are not
> using the above method!
> 
> Turnbuckles are simply a blob of gel super glue, paint black from the
> entry point to blob, use a simple paper gauge to measure all blobs the
> same distance along the wire. 
> 
> The thread comes in either clear or smoke. Which gives the most
> realistic result depends a bit on scale and also the colour scheme of
> the model. If it looks wrong a simple thin wash of a suitable colour
> will correct matters but be careful of creating a fine mist of spots on
> your pristine linen!
> 
> Use 'knitting in elastic' for control wires: you can get it nice and
> taught without over stressing the rigging horns, but generally it's too
> elastic to impart enough strength to airframes.
> 
> Occasionaly it proves it's worth on particular areas such as off centre
> diamonds which are an absolute precision nightmare with wire or
> stretched sprue especially if they are paired and have a javelin between
> them. By adapting the above method using k.i.e. you can do them almost
> one handed and blind folded and it looks a treat too (when you take the
> blindfold off).
> 
> Remember: happiness is taught rigging but taught rigging need not be
> fraught rigging.
> 
> Hugh 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 16
> Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 19:53:54 -0400
> From: "Patrick Cook" <festercook at msn.com>
> Subject: Re: [WWI] Gorilla glue?
> To: "World War I Modeling Mailing List" <wwi at wwi-models.org>
> Message-ID: <BAY106-DAV230B2E7FEA8672B76CD118DE3C0 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> Hi Ernest - thanks for the 411 on the glue.
> 
> I use invisible sewing thread and super glue for my rigging.  The thread
> is smoke colored, straight as an arrow, durable and thin.  The only down
> side is cleaning up the super glue that invariably ends up gathering at
> the exit point for the thread.
> 
> Once I tried to use a piece of thread to drop a small amount of glue
> *into* the rigging hole only (to see if I could avoid getting glue onto
> the surface of the model, just into the holes) . . . I tried
> unsuccessfully TWENTY TIMES on a practice model.  All attempts left some
> amount of glue on the surface of the model to be cleaned up.  And as
> usual, the glue does not sand down at the same rate as the surrounding
> plastic so you get hills and valleys when you are trying to get flat
> areas.  Using super glue makes it very hard to get wings and other
> surfaces plained down smooth and flat.
> 
> Oh well.
> 
> 
>