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Superfine thread for rigging

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  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Superfine thread for rigging
Posted by Don Stauffer on Friday, November 30, 2012 9:14 AM

At a recent seminar on ship rigging, a guy showed some super fine thread (3 mil),   and I bought some. I have been looking for a finer thread, since most of my threads look too large for smaller scale stuff.  This stuff is almost invisible.  I am using it for some rigging on a WW1 biplane, and I am finding some of the problems with very fine rigging thread!

Visibility is okay if it is in bright light, but on a biplane it is sometimes hard to avoid some of the area between the wings being in shadow.  Then, the thread disappears!

Also, I find my tweezers sometimes cannot grab a thread that fine.  The points are uneven, and seem to have flaws and unevenness on the order of the thread diameter.  I hold a doubled piece of sandpaper with the tweezers and draw the sandpaper through.  That seems to help, but sometimes still cannot hold the thread!

It looks very nice when I get a piece rigged, but sure is hard to work with :-(

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: MN
Posted by Nathan T on Friday, November 30, 2012 5:00 PM

Don, what scale bi-plane? Have you tried the E-Z Line brand? It comes colored so maybe it would be easier? I've used it for WW2 aircraft aerials and it sure beats stretched sprue. Here's a link to the review:

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: MN
Posted by Nathan T on Friday, November 30, 2012 5:01 PM

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Saturday, December 1, 2012 1:06 PM

Yeah, I have tried it but not real satisfied with it. It looks even bigger than my translucent black monofilament, which is same size as the EZ line I tried (both .007).  This new stuff is only half that size, so looks great- barely noticable.  Nothing is as easy to work with as real thread, but I just cannot find any real thread small enough for normal modeling scales.  I guess it is one of those fundamental tradeoffs of nature.   Whatever looks best will be the hardest to work with.

BTW, I am working on an Eduard 1:48 dH-2.  Have rigging finished now, but it was sure work!  Now finishing up with reserve gas tank and gas lines.  Oh, one other thing about that 3 mil thread- you must hold your breath when working with it. Normal breath, even from nostrils, makes it whip around like a rope in a hurricane!

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: MN
Posted by Nathan T on Saturday, December 1, 2012 11:49 PM

HaHa, Don, I always hold my breath when doing rigging!

 

 

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