**** FINISHED: GB-57 1/48 Bf 109G-6/AS, Finland - WW2 Foreign Service

Ralph Haus · Apr 1, 2023

Username: Ralph Haus
First name: Ralph
Category: Advanced
Manufacturer: Eduard
Model: Bf 109G-6/AS
Scale: 1:48

Despite the decal hiccup (Eduard defect, replaced), this build turned out fairly well, for me. Had to do a good deal of squinting; this to be a non-problem in the future, hopefully.

And for good measure

Wurger · Apr 1, 2023

Well done.

Ralph Haus · Apr 1, 2023

Wurger said:
Well done.

Thank you. Question what material or product are you using for antenna wire? I found some thread in the wife's kit that seemed scale-ish enough, just fuzzy and had to be tamed with some paint.

le_steph40 · Apr 1, 2023

Well done Ralph
I use fishing line (0,08mm) for antenna wires

Ralph Haus · Apr 1, 2023

le_steph40 said:
Well done Ralph
I use fishing line (0,08mm) for antenna wires

I'll have to do some research to see what #test line is .003" (.08mm)? Not sure how to keep it from wanting to try and keep it's curl. Maybe that thin there is no memory?

Vic Balshaw · Apr 1, 2023

Well done Ralph its a worthy build. As for the antenna wire, I use silver thread purchased from our local haberdasher Spotlight.

Ralph Haus · Apr 1, 2023

Vic Balshaw said:
Well done Ralph its a worthy build. As for the antenna wire, I use silver thread purchased from our local haberdasher Spotlight.

Thanks. Closest that I would have would be a Hobby Lobby; but they do have a large area with threads and things. Silver?

Vic Balshaw · Apr 1, 2023

Ralph Haus said:
Thanks. Closest that I would have would be a Hobby Lobby; but they do have a large area with threads and things. Silver?

I've always visulised it as being woven aluminium wire and not sleeved, so if displaying a newish aircraft it would be okay but if a well flown machine you just lightly brush the wire with an oily wash, dust or dry brush paint. I could be wrong about the aluminium and sleeve, its all assumption or guess work on my part.

Wayne Little · Apr 2, 2023

Nice Effort there Ralph, well done.

Wurger · Apr 2, 2023

Ralph Haus said:
Thank you. Question what material or product are you using for antenna wire? I found some thread in the wife's kit that seemed scale-ish enough, just fuzzy and had to be tamed with some paint.

There is a lot of threads that can be used as the antenna wire. The most popular are these of the EZ line strands used for rigging etc. But there are of other manufacturers available. Just a matter of the country and price. However you don't need to buy them because there are other sources for obtaining threads. For instance you may stretch a such string using a warmed up piece of a sprue. The kind of the thread may be really very thin, even like a hair or less. As memo serves I have posted somewhere on the forum a couple of pics with a such stretched thread.
The general rule for using of any thread for the antenna wire is to avoid these of the cotton for instance. Just the "wire" can't be comose. Personally I use the threads ripped out of a woman's thin tights or stockings. When ripped out these look like being puffy but when stretched tight the string is very smooth and thin. It can be glued with the CA or a polystyrene adhesive or just the nitrocellulose thinner (acetone).
The colour of the antenna wire .. it can be noticed in many pics that the wires aren't silver. The colour is something like between black and brown of some grey tinge. Therefore I use the thread from the tights of the light/dark graphit or light/dark beige or tan/bronze tone. The colour range is offered by amost all manufacturers of tights and stockings what make the work easier. What is more the colour range helps with fitting the wire/rigging tone to the camouflage of a model.
The basic rule is that the thin threads shouldn't be painted. Applying of a paint makes the wire" more thick what results in out of scale appearance.

Here a stretching process of the sprue ( posts #12 -13 ) .... Attaching antenna wires

And the wire out of the tights./stockings .. 1:72 scale.

Snautzer01 · Apr 2, 2023

Nice antenna i think i am right saying it makes the model better. Good job.

Crimea_River · Apr 2, 2023

Tunred out well Ralph. I use nylon invisible mending thread, available at any sewing store. One spool and you're good for life.

Ralph Haus · Apr 2, 2023

Crimea_River said:
Tunred out well Ralph. I use nylon invisible mending thread, available at any sewing store. One spool and you're good for life.

Thanks. I see Hobby Lobby has spools of their nylon thread on sale $0.99. Stopping there for sure next week to pick up some.

Crimea_River · Apr 2, 2023

The "invisible" mending thread is very thin and so scales well. It's 0.1mm thick (.004 inches) which scales to 3/16" for 1/48

Gnomey · Apr 4, 2023

Lovely work!

SaparotRob · Apr 4, 2023

Wonderful job. I would have shot my self trying to rig those wires. A nice touch.

Ralph Haus · Apr 4, 2023

SaparotRob said:
Wonderful job. I would have shot my self trying to rig those wires. A nice touch.

Actually and surprisingly, very easy to do. If not for the 'challenge given' I would not have attempted it, but glad I did. Now all builds will have something akin to an antenna (scale being the operative here).

I tooth-picked a very small dab of super glue to the attach point, buried the end of the thread into it, held for a count of about 30 and let it go. Let it rest for another 5 min and then did the other side, laying the thread into the bead (and again a count of 30) and then clipping close to the attach point. EasyPeasy!!

I'll be looking for same on your next builds!!

fubar57 · Apr 6, 2023

Fantastic Ralph. I need something Finnish on my finished shelf. For antennae I use Uschi van der Rosten Super-fine rigging thread. Very stretchy and you get 147 feet on a spool

Uschi´s high stretch elastic rigging

Fine elastic rigging for aircraft, ships and railroad. 150 feet, 45m, comes in "Standard", "Fine" and "Superfine"

www.uschivdr.com

Vic Balshaw · Apr 6, 2023

fubar57 said:
Fantastic Ralph. I need something Finnish on my finished shelf. For antennae I use Uschi van der Rosten Super-fine rigging thread. Very stretchy and you get 147 feet on a spool

Uschi´s high stretch elastic rigging

Fine elastic rigging for aircraft, ships and railroad. 150 feet, 45m, comes in "Standard", "Fine" and "Superfine"

www.uschivdr.com

That looks like good stuff George.

Ralph Haus · Apr 6, 2023

fubar57 said:
Fantastic Ralph. I need something Finnish on my finished shelf. For antennae I use Uschi van der Rosten Super-fine rigging thread. Very stretchy and you get 147 feet on a spool

Uschi´s high stretch elastic rigging

Fine elastic rigging for aircraft, ships and railroad. 150 feet, 45m, comes in "Standard", "Fine" and "Superfine"

www.uschivdr.com

Wow. In my world (US) the fine is
0008". And you are working with the super fine!!?? I'll look for some, but will wait for the finals on the eye stuff. Again. Wow. Thanks for the link.

**** FINISHED: GB-57 1/48 Bf 109G-6/AS, Finland - WW2 Foreign Service

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