I'm a newbie at modeling armor and I always wondered on how you make those antennas for the tanks...

you take a bit of sprue the plastic frame holding all the parts of teh kit. Hold over a candle and ratate when it starts to bubble and bend either twist and pull apart or pull apart. Important! as you pull apart move away from teh flame. you should get a nice thin piece of antenna. Takes a bit of practice and timing. BTW I read that 57 mm is scale length for 1/35th german antennas.

i use copper wire for the atenna.
there is no flame in the region that can ruine the antenna

greets ShermanSam

Guitar string might be another solution. I have several diameters that I got from my father (he plays the guitar, not me #:-) ).

Couple of things, each 'type' of plastic will soften at a different rate, so test and play with each kit.
Once you have reached the desired streetch hold still until the plastic hardens a bit. It will keep it from bending (unless you are looking for a bend).

I agree. Flexible enough to bow when you tie it down. Dip the end in krystal kleer to form the plastic ball at the end for modern types.

I never could/did master the stretched sprue method, altho I did have better luck stretching gray tinted sprue (DML/Dragon) for a better thickness consistancy.

Thanks,
Kevin Keefe
Mortars in Miniature

Bluefalcon47,

what diameters do you use for us ww2 vehicles?
what are the costs here in Holland for guitar strings?

Shermansam

Hi,vproject. I'm sticking with copperwire as well, mounting them on the antenna stand with small coil-spring...Just like the real thing!

Bye, John.

I used the stretch sprue method once and won't do it again. It is very brittle, at least the Tamiya sprue I used was after heating and stretching it. It is just about imposible to not hit the antena against something if you take it to shows or move it around and it is nice to have something with a little give to it to keep it from breaking off. I had good luck with some super thin tubing from plastruct and will use it again, but the other items listed sound like good choices also.

That's strange, my stretched sprue antennae are very bendable. If they get hit, they bend away, only to spring up again. I have found the light gray plastic from Dragon works best, but I haven't had any problems of brittleness from the dark green Tamiya stuff either. If you can get a good, straight, long piece of stretched sprue that has a nice point at the end, I think the result is better than with wire, but I have used wire too and been pleased with the outcome (though it can be tricky to stick in place, without drilling a deep hole, I have found).

Nic

For some strange reason I never could get the stretching thing right. Long ago I purchased a $.99 vinyl paint brush that has supplied me with many years worth of antenna and will for many more yet.

I leared the black art of stretching sprue from the late, great builder Jim Jones of the Worcester are of Massachusetts whose Shinano was featured inFSM in 1992 or so. Take a Mark I sprue stretcher, AKA Bic disposable lighter. Heat a bit of sprue until it folds over. release the Mark I sprue stretcher nad grasp bith end of the heated sprue. Pull your hands apart until you get the desired thickness. Hold at this point for a momoent or two until hte plastic cools or attach a Clamp, M-1, Alligator, aka Clip, M-2, Roach, to the stretched sprue and let it cool before cutting to length. Attach with superglue but DO NOT use accelerator. The beauty of this methd is that each kit provides a nearlyunlimited amount of sprue at no extra cost.

I bought a little guitar string set for €5