The Ship Model Forum

Sprue is great, but it has two major disadvantages. First - it's hard to make multiple pieces all the exact same size. (In 1/700 a millimeter is a chasm) Secondly, it is extremely fragile. The caenis thread I've recently started using requires a different method of installation, but once you figure it out, is much easier to use. All the pieces are the same size and the thread will not break (or at least won't break until long after the model does).

David

David you seem to be developing quite a few converts. Including myself

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"The vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."
Washington DC, 27 October, 2003. President George W Bush

I just ordered a spool of the Caenis Thread myself. I think it'll work out well enough for my purposes.

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-Shane

Dallas, Tx

Working on: Revell 1/426 USS Arizona BB-39

In the Stash: USS Arizona 1/700 Dragon Premium, DKM Bismarck 1/700 Dragon Premium, Admiral Graf Spee 1/700 Trumpeter, & Prinz Eugen 1/700 Trumpeter

For anybody considering using monofilament fishing line, a WARNING. A few weeks ago, I was about to finish a 1:64 model of a Gato sub. It was a commission, which is the reason for the strange scale. Anyway, I had rigged all of the lifelines using actual wire, and the last thing that I needed to do was install the radio antennas. There are two of these on the port side and one on the starboard side, and they extend from a pair of outriggers on either side of the bridge to a mast near the back of the deck. On a model this size, that makes them something like 18" long. I did not want to use wire -- too hard to "tie" to the insulators. So I used 6 pound test fishing line. It worked beautifully, and I was very proud of the model, and delivered took it to be cased and crated for shipping.

A couple of days later, I learned that the person casing it had come into his shop and found the port antenna lying on the deck, with the outrigger snapped off. At first, he thought someone had bumped it, but when he went to glue the outrigger back on, the antenna lead would not reach. It seems that the difference in temperature between my shop (air conditioned) and his shop (not air conditioned) had caused the monofilament to shrink. The 18" antenna lead had shrunken almost an inch, and had put enough force on the outrigger to snap it clean off.

That's a 5% shinkage.

The solution was to replace the antenna leads with silk suture cord, which he had in his shop. He cut away the mono filament, glued the out rigger back on and installed the new silk line. The model was fine after that, and has been delivered to the client, who was very happy with it.

The moral of the story is that mono filament MAY be be to use as rigging for very short runs, particularly if it will have some slack in it. But if you are using to rig anything longer than an inch or so, you might want to try something different. I am sure that different types of monofilament have different shrinkage rates, but from now on I plan to avoid it altogether and go with either wire or silk.


Vince McCullough

I love the Uni-Caenis thread. I first heard about it in David's book and I'm hooked on it. I used fly fishing tippet previously but the black is much better in appearance.

The main product of Mucilage glue, Elmers, stopped producing this glue a few years ago and the supply has vanished. It is wonderful stuff as it dries clear and flat and shrinks down. It was also great for attaching figures. I've been using Gator's Grip glue now and it works very well. Used sparingly it also shrinks down and holds very well.

Once I get all my lines attached I use smoke from an incense stick to tighten the lines. You literally just let the smoke flow up through the rigging and it draws tight.

I would love to find something like this in a brown color. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Dave

Sorry for dig up a old thread. I currently have a little bit of trouble to tie the copper wire on the mast , also to the the glue it down too. Reading Mr.Griffith book, i plan to get a caenis thread , 70 denier for my 1/350 ship, but i still on the fence between it and a Infini rigging line product. Does anyone use both of them yet ?

I have both materials and they behave differently.

The Caenis is still a great choice. It’s also available in white which is nice for signal flag halyards. Once the line is in place you stretch it tight by applying heat.

The Infini line is very nice to work with. It tends to be a little flat instead of round but you won’t really notice it. The best tip I ever received on working with this line is to put a small touch of CA glue where you want the line to go. Soak the end of the Infini line in CA Accelerator. Then attach it to the where you put the CA glue. Hold it for a couple of seconds and you are done! This can work with other lines but the Infini (or Lycra thread) lines really work well with this technique. The Infini or Lycra thread seems to hold up really well over time as well.

If I were picking one over the other, I would pick the Infini line.

Good luck!
Dave

Thank Dave, i decide to get a Infini 40 denier for my 1/350 first, i will try to get a Ceanis 20 denier on later date

Also i want to ask abit about the glue that attach the line , i just not able to find mulicage here, but there is plenty of water glue, clear glue that for stationary use . Can i use them instead or dilute PVA glue to glue down the line ?