The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

Hi all,
I had heard about the method of tensioning stretched sprue by holding a still-glowing matchstick near it but no matter how gentle I tried to be when I used it today the results were either no effect or, more frequently, this:



Does anyone have any tips for getting this to work well? Would a soldering iron be a better option?

I usually use EZ-line or monofilament with through-holes or micro turnbuckles I make myself, but I would like to have a working sprue method up my sleeve for when I might need it.

I've done it using a heated screw driver blade and sometimes you could see it spring taut, other times not so......and occasionally as you've discovered it went badly wrong.
I use elastic thread now; easier and far more forgiving!!

No tips; its gone like that for me too.
I use the hot end of a cocktail stick though.

I do it in gentle stages. First tightens it a bit, second go tightens it more, third go either tightens it more or else it melts through.
Just keep the hot end moving along the length and not too much in one spot.

This way of tightening works with fishing line too

Thanks gents. I have tried to use the heated screwdriver with monofilament before. I don't know why I didn't think of it in this case. I came back to this today and had a smidgeon more success, but not enough to convince me this is any kind of reliable rigging method. Every snapped line means yet more buildup of glue at the attachment points to mount a replacement. Ugly ugly.

Try keeping the warm matchhead away and just use the smoke from it.

It might well depend on the sprue used too. I don't imagine the biscuity stuff that we get from Airfix these days is up to much for rigging. maybe some Academy or Hasegawa sprue would do better. Think long run kits rather than short run kits, maybe.
Steve.

Thanks gents. That did cross my mind too. I used sprue from the Academy Catalina because I needed black but I recall it being somewhat brittle plastic when I was making the kit.