What does everyone use as ballast?

If you happen to do 1/700th scale ships several times I found they include a strip of weight about 1-1/2 inches wide for the waterline ships.  Mostly these were from Fujimi, I think.

Talking about fighter kits having a large weight, one day I was talking to one of my F-15 pilots and he told me that there was a weight, of about 500 pounds, mounted in the nose of their aircraft to balance it out.  

Just one of those little things you pick up in a squadron as yhou go along.

I like lead bird shot ...fits in tight places.

12 ga. Shotgun slug

Eaglecash867

 

 

Tojo72

I appreciate the way some manufacturers have included some sort of ballast specific for the kit,or the way Tamiya actually made the front gear well metal on their Me 262

If they know their kit has a balance problem they should look to correct it.

 

 

 

 

Yup.  Tamiya had a gigantic white metal weight that mounted under the cockpit floor and extended toward the forward bulkhead on their 1/32 F-16CJ.  The 1/32 F-16A+/C that Hasegawa put out in the early 90s had an ejection seat that was made entirely of white metal for ballast purposes.

 

So THAT'S why that's in there! 

Eaglecash touched on something you should be aware of; white metal. White metal is, I believe, a tin alloy that is easily cast into lots of stuff. But as in many fishing weights today, because of environmental concerns, white metal is used in lieu of lead. so the use of fishing weights may not always provide enough weight. My advise is to go for the fine lead shot and a non-intrusive adhesive, meaning something that sticks good but does not flow where it isn't wanted.

Eaglecash867

Yup.  Tamiya had a gigantic white metal weight that mounted under the cockpit floor and extended toward the forward bulkhead on their 1/32 F-16CJ.  The 1/32 F-16A+/C that Hasegawa put out in the early 90s had an ejection seat that was made entirely of white metal for ballast purposes.

The Hobbyboss 'Easy Build' 1/48 Me262 came with a nose weight shaped to fit perfectly under the gun bay cover...a pretty cool inclusion, I thought, in a kit obviously targeted toward younger modelers.

Hey Brian,

The previous posts have already mentioned my favorites, i.e. BBs and pine derby car weights, but there are a couple of other options that I've used in the past. 

One is something called "Liquid Gravity" by Deluxe Materials. It's described as a "free flowing weighting system." Basically, it's very small "shot" or balls of some kind of metal. It's great for filling small spaces. I keep it in place with some CA.

Another option is a nose weight specificially designed to fit the kit you're building. A gentleman named Terry Dean offers a long list of lead weights specifically molded and sized to fit certain kits. I'm not sure if he has a website, but I've ordered from him using this email: NightieMission@aol.com . You can see a quick example of his stuff here and here. Hope this helps!

Cheers,

-O

Tojo72

I appreciate the way some manufacturers have included some sort of ballast specific for the kit,or the way Tamiya actually made the front gear well metal on their Me 262

If they know their kit has a balance problem they should look to correct it.

gomeral

 

 

Justinryan215

I second the Tungsten putty!  ... it gives good results for small amounts, due to its density.

 

 

 

I'm looking to pick some up myself because of the ease of use, but I figured it's fair to comment that while the density of solid Tungsten is ~19g/cc, the density of W putty is ~10g/cc, which is less than solid Pb (~11g/cc).  From my perspective, that means that it's essentially the same density, but easier to fit in a tiny 1/72 scale P-38 nose.  :)

 

daniel

 

Edit: Whooops, fell into abbreviations there.  W=tungsten, Pb=lead.  Need more coffee...

 

Well....if you wanna get scientific about it....lol

bapowellphys

recommendations on what to use for ballast on 1/72 aircraft. 

Hi, Brian - as an experiment, I bought some lead weights used by tropical fish owners to anchor plants in aquaria.  These work fine (and can be cut to the required size, then rolled up), but are a bit of a luxury.  I normally just use small nuts, bolts , washers etc. (as a woodworker I have a vast collection of these!), held in place with PVA glue.  This is my favourite option, as it costs (effectively) nothing.  I try to find nuts that will fit on a handy bolt, as this saves space.  For very small and/or irregularly-shaped spaces, I use squashed-down airgun pellets.  Or the aquarium plant weights.

I appreciate the way some manufacturers have included some sort of ballast specific for the kit,or the way Tamiya actually made the front gear well metal on their Me 262

If they know their kit has a balance problem they should look to correct it.

Believe it or not!

    I use Radiator repair Putty.It's basically a heavy epoxy type putty that you have to blend with your hands till it it's warm then force it into both halves forward and over the gear bay and next to it as well, Also some behind the seat area. Usually I don't work in this scale . I normally use Pine Car Derby Weights, cut to fit. In 1/48 scale.

Justinryan215

I second the Tungsten putty!  ... it gives good results for small amounts, due to its density.

I'm looking to pick some up myself because of the ease of use, but I figured it's fair to comment that while the density of solid Tungsten is ~19g/cc, the density of W putty is ~10g/cc, which is less than solid Pb (~11g/cc).  From my perspective, that means that it's essentially the same density, but easier to fit in a tiny 1/72 scale P-38 nose.  :)

daniel

Edit: Whooops, fell into abbreviations there.  W=tungsten, Pb=lead.  Need more coffee...

I have a sheet of lead flashing (UK thing) cut into 1 1/2" by 1" strips, I cut strips with a proper paper guillotine to fill as needed.

I use various things including nuts and bolts if i do not need super density.  I do use the pinewood car weights.

Whatever the metal I hold it together with the gel (thick) CA.

bapowellphys

Hi all,

I'm hoping to get some recommendations on what to use for ballast on 1/72 aircraft.  I need to fit 8g into a fairly tight spot (under the seat towards the nose of the A-10 Warthog).  Also, how does one go about cementing it in?  Any suggestions and tips would be greatly appreciated!

Brian

 

I second the Tungsten putty!  It's my go-to!  with the putty, there is no need to secure it inside the panel, as the putty is a bit tacky to begin with.  I use the stuff sold in the Pinewood Derby section of the craft and hobby box stores.  It is a little pricey, but "poound for pound", it gives good results for small amounts, due to its density.

Lead shot and CA glue. 

Sometimes use pine derby car weights if there's enough room inside. 

Steel 1/2" nuts and bolts from Ace.

Bill

I use old golf club lead weights. They can be cut and bent. Sticky on one side after you remove tape. They work great. I still have a few left. Not really cost effective like BBs and sinkers.

or shotgun pellets of different gauges(size).

I usually get an assortment of Tungsten weights that normally come in kits for Pinewood Derby cars.  You can also get Tungsten putty when you can't fit any other kind of weight in there.  Tungsten is denser than lead, so you get a heavier weight in a smaller package.  I usually secure the Tungsten weights by putting a puddle of mixed epoxy in the bottom of where I want the weight, set the weight in the puddle, and let that cure for 24 hours before closing anything up.  If you get an epoxy that has a 24 hour cure time, you won't have to worry about heat during the curing process.  Its usually the faster-cure epoxies that generate a lot of heat, and those are often not as strong.

This is the epoxy I'm using.  I prefer the separate bottles because you can more easily get an accurate mix of resin and hardener.  Got the two bottles almost 6 years ago, and still have about 2/3s of it left.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005K091ZU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tungsten shot and weights are a little heavier than lead.  Don't use a big amount of epoxy, can heat distort plastic as it cures.

bapowellphys

Thanks!  I've got some fishing weights but they don't seem dense enough: the largest ones (perhaps a cm in diameter) weigh only 1.5g or so, and so I'll have to do some serious pounding...

The little ones are good because you can sometimes fit them behind instrument panels, under seats, and in other odd corners that will be out of sighf once everything is 'buttoned up.'

Good luck.

Thanks!  I've got some fishing weights but they don't seem dense enough: the largest ones (perhaps a cm in diameter) weigh only 1.5g or so, and so I'll have to do some serious pounding...

ikar01

You cxould use fishing weights.  I have a container of various weight sizes.  They are pretty cheap and can be pounded flat with a hammer to make them fit into smaller spaces.  Normally I use superglue to keep things secure and once in a while I might block off a area with plastic just to make sure.

Agree wholeheartedly on the fishing weights for the reasons above...plus, if you get an assortment of the teardrop-shaped ones, they will often fit in noses and radomes quite perfectly.

I would caution against the use of super-type glues, however. They can sometimes react with lead alloys by forming an oxide that 'blooms' -- and actually grows in size over time -- which can eventually force apart or split model parts.

I use craft-type PVA or white glue...often adding a scrap of sprue or styrene as Ikar suggested, to lock the weight in place.

Ditto on the fishing weights. They can be beaten flat and cut to whatever size or shape you need. Good project when you are having "one of those days". Just sit there, put on your favorite music, have a sip of your favorite drink and beat the "h e two sticks" out of those weights. worked for me lots of times.

Because models don't usually get a lot of handling, almost any type of glue will work to hold the weight in place. My go to for that job is a little 5 minute epoxy. 

Jim 

Stay Safe.