The Ship Model Forum

Has anyone ever successfully used star shaped, pentagon, etc. antennae spreaders (such as made by WEM) for Dreadnaughts, and WWl battleships, etc? In this case in 1/700. Did you make a jig? I've tried and the lines always get twisted, and I give up in frustration .

I did, though in 1:350. Created a jig with sheet plastic. After setting a matching center point on each of two vertical backers I used a compass to draw a circle a good deal larger than the spreaders (about 3/4" diameter, as I recall. Don't have it with me at the moment), then drilled out a series of equally spaced holes around the circumference.In this case, I think it was 8 holes matching the quantity in the asterisk-shaped spreaders. Then I glued them to a backing (plus some additional stiffeners) at a spacing several inches longer than the cage aerial segments needed. Superglue and accelerator had the jig ready to go quickly. Measure and mark out your final spreader spacing on the floor of your jig - check your references for quantity and do the math you need to figure out how much space you'll need between them.
I unspooled enough fine fly tying thread to have 8 strands, significantly longer than the jig (About 9"-12" overrun), then tied one end of the bundle together - double knot, and a dab of superglue for good measure. Don't worry about looks, this will be discarded later. Then I threaded all strands through the holes at one end of the jig.
Next, starting with the top strand, I threaded it through a hole in however many spreaders were to be used. (I did need to widen the spreader holes with a sewing needle inserted into a pin vise)
During this process they can all bunch together - we'll space them out later. Finally, run the line through the corresponding hole in the plastic card at the other end, and clip a clothespin to the loose end and let it hang off the table - get some tension in it to pull it taut between the uprights. Next, pick the next line and run it through the spreaders - in order, facing the same direction, and through the bottom hole of each. Once this thread is weighted the spreaders won't flop around so easily and you might be able to thread the next lines without having to grab the spreaders to keep them still. Repeat the process to the remaining holes; yes, you'll have eight clothespins hanging at the end.
Now you can slide your spreaders to the positions marked on the jig floor. Once in the right position and making sure they aren't cockeyed, dab a little superglue on each ring to lock them in place along the thread; all arms of each spreader, one spreader at a time. I recommend not using accelerator at this pint, since it can wick along the thread and contaminate the whole thing - meaning the little dab of superglue you put on the next spreader might get your applicator stuck to it, get a bigger glob than you wanted, etc.
Now, your threads flare out past the last spreader at each end. Once the spreaders have all been glued and set, cut another four pieces of thread. Tie one around the eight flared threads on the knotted end of the jig and slide it toward the first spreader until your cone is the size you want, then dab superglue to lock it in place. Tie a second thread a little closer to the plastic card to create a length of tight 8-strand "cable" and superglue again, and along the entire tight length. (this creates a straight segment that can be cut to length, provide a lap-splice length for the subsequent rigging, etc.) Then repeat the process on the weighted end of the jig.
Finally, clip the thread loose past the outermost tie-off threads, and you have a cage aerial segment!

I made 4 of them for my HMS Lord Nelson. In the swing of it, it took an hour and a half to make each without magnfiers, and a half hour each with. (Meant to bring them to the build gathering but forgot, then finished the last one at home with them. Sooo much easier with them)

- Sean F.

I've done it in my 1/700 dreadnought with metal wire and WEM's star-shaped spreader, that seems just like what you would do. My method doesn't need any special tools so I'm afraid whether it will be helpful or not.


Place spreaders evenly on a graph paper with white glue and be noted that they should glue weakly because you will detach them after applying wires. This process determine the whole result, neat or crude, so you may pay much attention on it. I recommend to attach graph paper on any flat and stiff small thing such as small steel ruler as shown in my pic above to secure flat space and easy to handle it.



Carefully glue metal wire on each "arm" with super glue. Although metal wire strands are naturally straight but it needs extra care to be seen neat result.



Then detach it from graph paper and remove residual dried white glue at spreader if it exists. Attach other metal wire strands on residual "arms" which are originally attached on graph paper. Now you may get a bundle of cage antenna!



The result.... I also used some very short metal strand(in my memory, 2mm long each) to make merging part to attach normal single rigging part.

Please excuse my crude language skill, hope you can understand my words.

Strongly suggest the above techniques be saved to the Tip and Tricks section

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Very Fire 1/350 USS Brmingham

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Yes please!!!

This is a treasure.

thanks Sean,thanks YOON G ,very valuable tips
wish if Seanf can post some pictures of his method

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Hmmm...I like Joon's method, but I model in 1/700. Is there wire stiff enough and fine enough to do this in this scale?

I use Modelkasten's Metal Rigging 0.047mm.

Thanks Yoon. Sorry I got your name wrong before!

Is your model ship in 1/350, or 1/700?

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