Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
- AndrewR
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Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
Look away if you intend to enter competitions. This is a very casual and slapdash rigging method, which works for 1/72 scale
Here are the tools for rigging. The emu is optional. A pair of tweezers is also useful.
EZ-line elastic thread (or some other variant on elastic thread) makes life easy.
Drill holes right through the lower wing, but not right through the upper wing. This protects the upper side of the upper wing from damage
Thread through from the underside of the lower wing. Secure with tape, but do not glue at this stage.
Add a drop of CA to the hole in the underside of the top wing, and put the end of the thread into the hole.
Pull the thread very gently, so that the glued end stays in the hole, but the rest of the thread is not on the plastic. This is to stop CA soaking up the thread and gluing the whole thread to the wing. (Voice of bitter experience ). I use thick gel CA to help stop this.
Once the CA is dry, gently pull the thread "just" taut and secure it with another drop of CA on the underside of the lower wing.
I usually rig the tail and wings on 1/72 biplanes. This took me about 75 minutes in two sessions. Don't try to do it all in one go. It takes a lot of concentration, so if you find things not working,take a break! Rigging is not scarily difficult to do, but does require patience.
Rigging between the cabanes is much trickier and probably involves drilling through the upper wing, which you have to then repair. So I don't do it, unless it would really detract from the model at normal viewing distance.
This method does mean minimal repair work on top, but if you are wanting people to pick the model up, then repair work underneath is needed. I tend to use a 0.5 mm drill to make the holes. Any smaller and I have trouble threading the lines through. The smaller the hole, the less repair work needs to be done. You have to optimize this for your own particular skill level.
As I don't want people to pick the model up, trimming the dangling threads is enough to leave the aircraft good for display. It has to pass the wife and mother-in-law "It's Cute" test, which is less rigorous than an IPMS judge!
So that's how I do it. If you want to practice rigging, start with a monoplane like the P-26 Peashooter
or the Fokker Eindekker from Revell. They are very cheap, and you can practise the rigging without the fiddliness of getting the threads between biplane wings.
Here are the tools for rigging. The emu is optional. A pair of tweezers is also useful.
EZ-line elastic thread (or some other variant on elastic thread) makes life easy.
Drill holes right through the lower wing, but not right through the upper wing. This protects the upper side of the upper wing from damage
Thread through from the underside of the lower wing. Secure with tape, but do not glue at this stage.
Add a drop of CA to the hole in the underside of the top wing, and put the end of the thread into the hole.
Pull the thread very gently, so that the glued end stays in the hole, but the rest of the thread is not on the plastic. This is to stop CA soaking up the thread and gluing the whole thread to the wing. (Voice of bitter experience ). I use thick gel CA to help stop this.
Once the CA is dry, gently pull the thread "just" taut and secure it with another drop of CA on the underside of the lower wing.
I usually rig the tail and wings on 1/72 biplanes. This took me about 75 minutes in two sessions. Don't try to do it all in one go. It takes a lot of concentration, so if you find things not working,take a break! Rigging is not scarily difficult to do, but does require patience.
Rigging between the cabanes is much trickier and probably involves drilling through the upper wing, which you have to then repair. So I don't do it, unless it would really detract from the model at normal viewing distance.
This method does mean minimal repair work on top, but if you are wanting people to pick the model up, then repair work underneath is needed. I tend to use a 0.5 mm drill to make the holes. Any smaller and I have trouble threading the lines through. The smaller the hole, the less repair work needs to be done. You have to optimize this for your own particular skill level.
As I don't want people to pick the model up, trimming the dangling threads is enough to leave the aircraft good for display. It has to pass the wife and mother-in-law "It's Cute" test, which is less rigorous than an IPMS judge!
So that's how I do it. If you want to practice rigging, start with a monoplane like the P-26 Peashooter
or the Fokker Eindekker from Revell. They are very cheap, and you can practise the rigging without the fiddliness of getting the threads between biplane wings.
Up in the Great White North
- TobyC
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
That's a good little tutorial. Should encourage anyone to give it a go.
Enjoyment over accuracy. That's my motto
- Kitaholic
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
As Toby said. Got some EZline in the toolbox but not used it yet, got to give it a go now
Regards
Gord
Desperately trying to find his MOJO, don't know where I left it
Gord
Desperately trying to find his MOJO, don't know where I left it
- fredk
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
Its not too hard to do the cabane strut rigging this way.
Leave the engine off the model till its done. This gives access into the fuselage.
Drill top wing as for the other holes, drill right through the top of the fuselage.
Glue the lines to top wing, put thru hole in fuselage and use tweezers to hold and pull it.
When its done, put on engine.
Job done
Leave the engine off the model till its done. This gives access into the fuselage.
Drill top wing as for the other holes, drill right through the top of the fuselage.
Glue the lines to top wing, put thru hole in fuselage and use tweezers to hold and pull it.
When its done, put on engine.
Job done
Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
Its not just how good your painting is, its how good the touch-ups are too.
Its not just how good your painting is, its how good the touch-ups are too.
- JamesPerrin
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
I use a similar method though I attach all the wire to the upper wing before attaching the wing to the rest of the aircraft. I do vary the technique though, depending on what I think will work best for the subject.
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- AndrewR
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
As I am fumble-fingered when it comes to getting the top wing on, I prefer to get that challenging task out of the way first!JamesPerrin wrote:I use a similar method though I attach all the wire to the upper wing before attaching the wing to the rest of the aircraft. I do vary the technique though, depending on what I think will work best for the subject.
Up in the Great White North
- Garethster
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
If you have CA accelerator handy, try dipping the end of the EZ-Line in it just prior to inserting it in a CA filled hole. Instant grab.
Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
I've never rigged a biplane simply because I had no idea the emu was optional...
Jim
Jim
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
It's a Hostrige not a Hemu.
Dai Where even the emus are learning to swim!
Dai Where even the emus are learning to swim!
Life or Death there no other options.
Indian Proverb.
Indian Proverb.
- JamesPerrin
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
Yeah but I'm a crazy fool...AndrewR wrote:As I am fumble-fingered when it comes to getting the top wing on, I prefer to get that challenging task out of the way first!JamesPerrin wrote:I use a similar method though I attach all the wire to the upper wing before attaching the wing to the rest of the aircraft. I do vary the technique though, depending on what I think will work best for the subject.
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- iggie
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
Oh heck, what does that wing come from?
If it's something I already have in my stash, it'll be on sale shortly!
If you are using nylon sewing thread, there's a reason why it's called invisible thread!! Use a black marker to darken the first 1/2" and you'll be able to thread it through holes a lot easier
If it's something I already have in my stash, it'll be on sale shortly!
If you are using nylon sewing thread, there's a reason why it's called invisible thread!! Use a black marker to darken the first 1/2" and you'll be able to thread it through holes a lot easier
Best wishes
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
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Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
- AndrewR
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
Nobody is arguing with that statement JamesJamesPerrin wrote: Yeah but I'm a crazy fool...
Up in the Great White North
- AndrewR
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
DH-Drover wrote:It's a Hostrige not a Hemu.
Dai Where even the emus are learning to swim!
EMU = EZ-line Management Unit
Up in the Great White North
- Clashcityrocker
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
Nice little tutorial. Lost my rigging virginity on a Revell Eindecker but I've got a couple of biplanes I'd like to build.
Nigel
Nigel
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Re: Quick and Dirty Biplane Rigging.
The wing was from my Pyro (Inpact) Avro Triplane.
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