Need a technique to attach etch blade antenna, pls SOLVED

[DavidWomby]

I need to attach a couple of blade antenna to my Sea Hawk. I have some suitable etch bits and also some plastic strip I could use. The model is painted already. There are no locating holes on the kit.

Whenever I have tried this before, I grip the etch or plastic in tweezers, put a dab of CA on the end of the antenna and try to place it upright on the model. It's a very stressful and hit-and-miss type of approach. Does anybody have a better way to do it, pls?

David

[iggie]

I've not yet tried it but I read once about heating the etch and pushing it into plastic so it melts it's own home or slot. Maybe cut a piece of thin plastic that's just bigger than the base of the antenna and try melting it into it?

[TeeELL]

Have you considered using ‘laser light’ glue? It uses UV light to set the glue, which is quite thin, so it sits somewhere between cyno and epoxy. It takes a ‘zap’ of about 8 seconds to cure the glue.

[DavidWomby]

I've not yet tried it but I read once about heating the etch and pushing it into plastic so it melts it's own home or slot. Maybe cut a piece of thin plastic that's just bigger than the base of the antenna and try melting it into it?

Thanks, Jim. The heat sounds a possibility but I don't understand what you're getting at with your last sentence.

David

[DavidWomby]

Have you considered using ‘laser light’ glue? It uses UV light to set the glue, which is quite thin, so it sits somewhere between cyno and epoxy. It takes a ‘zap’ of about 8 seconds to cure the glue.

TeeELL, thanks. Maybe but would the glue be thick enough to hold the etch upright on its own while it is being cured? If not, I can't see me holding it in place for 8 seconds and operating the light but maybe I am misunderstanding something. I might try it anyway.

David

[iggie]

Rather than risk damaging the model, I was suggesting making a little mounting plate, which if the antenna sticks into it ok can then be glued onto the fuselage; hope that makes a bit more sense!

[DavidWomby]

Rather than risk damaging the model, I was suggesting making a little mounting plate, which if the antenna sticks into it ok can then be glued onto the fuselage; hope that makes a bit more sense!

Aha! I get it now. Yes, that makes sense. Thanks.

David

[JamesPerrin]

Take some copper wire ~0.75mm thick. Flatten an end with flat nose pliers and file to shape to make the aerial. Cut off leave a short stub of wire, drill hole and glue in stub. If you need a wider aerial I would try thicker solder/lead wire.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/gregers ... ml#p157140;

[DavidWomby]

Ooooooh. That IS clever, James.

Off to look for some suitable wire in the garage after dinner.

David

[JamesPerrin]

This just posted online by the master modeller Paul Budzik, he must have been reading this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyazawI ... ture=share;

[DavidWomby]

Thanks, James. He actually re-posted that because of me asking the same question over on Hyperscale. As I couldn't find any copper wire, I tried his technique. I think your suggestion will be a bit easier as the copper will be softer than brass but this worked fine for me this time.





David

[JamesPerrin]

Job's a good'un