Fishing weights

[Vinster]

Hey all, I know this question is always answered but i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of fishing weight packs I should get. I need various weights able to fit in 1/72 kits and I need a pack that will at least some how to enable me to reach over 100 grams for my C-121. Or could i use a stone for this weight. Would you recommend shot or sinkers depending in the shape, as I'm not sure what would be the best for the scale I'm working in.

Sorry for posting about a very common topic 

[Richard E]

A suggestion, you may find it easier to use lead shot as it's easier to weigh out the exact amount you need rather than use fishing weights.

 

HTH

[Circloy]

Beware what you glue it in place with there are issues if you use PVA

 

https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2737

[pigsty]

If you need as much as 100g, and you need to put it in a C-121, you might find a couple of large bolts easier and cheaper than shot or fishing weights.  But for smaller models, those are the best options.  A lot of shops that sell one sell the other too, as it’s all country “sports”.  I’d avoid branded stuff like Liquid Gravity, only because they charge a lot more than the generic stuff.

 

Fixing: I use candle wax.  It’s completely neutral, no odd effects over time, and when you pour it in it conforms easily to the shape.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

41 minutes ago, pigsty said:

Fixing: I use candle wax.  It’s completely neutral, no odd effects over time, and when you pour it in it conforms easily to the shape.

Im surprised the heated wax doesn't distort the plastic ? But if you've done it i may have to investigate this method ? Tons of candles around here as SWMBO sells them for extra $. 

[Acinonyx Jubatus]

Have you thought of stick on weights used to balance alloy wheels on cars

They come in strips  of around 70g 

Your local tyre fitting centre may give you some free of charge if you ask nicely

[Vinster]

3 hours ago, Richard E said:

A suggestion, you may find it easier to use lead shot as it's easier to weigh out the exact amount you need rather than use fishing weights.

 

HTH

Is tlead shot the little balls that come in large packs of 100. I was worried if so as they weighed like 0.5 g and I wasn't sure using several would fit into the the gaps on 1/72

[Vinster]

1 hour ago, Acinonyx Jubatus said:

Have you thought of stick on weights used to balance alloy wheels on cars

They come in strips  of around 70g 

Your local tyre fitting centre may give you some free of charge if you ask nicely

That's a good idea - I'll give it a try and if it's free no loss hey

3 hours ago, Circloy said:

Beware what you glue it in place with there are issues if you use PVA

 

https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2737

I usually use CA glue for the weights - this should be ok hopefully

[Vinster]

3 hours ago, pigsty said:

If you need as much as 100g, and you need to put it in a C-121, you might find a couple of large bolts easier and cheaper than shot or fishing weights.  But for smaller models, those are the best options.  A lot of shops that sell one sell the other too, as it’s all country “sports”.  I’d avoid branded stuff like Liquid Gravity, only because they charge a lot more than the generic stuff.

 

Fixing: I use candle wax.  It’s completely neutral, no odd effects over time, and when you pour it in it conforms easily to the shape.

Thank you, I'm probably going to get some shot as others have suggested and go with what you said about using bolts for my C-121. Also I'll give the candle wax idea a go sounds interesting.

[Richard E]

9 minutes ago, Vinster said:

Is tlead shot the little balls that come in large packs of 100. I was worried if so as they weighed like 0.5 g and I wasn't sure using several would fit into the the gaps on 1/72

I think it comes in a variety of different weights and pack sizes, have a look of Ebay or Amazon.  I've got a jar full of shot which came from a friend who was giving up shooting clay pigeons.

[Black Knight]

11 hours ago, Acinonyx Jubatus said:

Have you thought of stick on weights used to balance alloy wheels on cars

They come in strips  of around 70g 

Your local tyre fitting centre may give you some free of charge if you ask nicely

note that for the last 10 years or so wheel weights have been zinc and iron - marked  Zn and Fe on them. These materials are not malleable, ie you can't bash 'em with a hammer to reshape to fit into a model, nor do they melt at reasonable temperatures

Most fishing weights are also zinc, including the 'shot' sized ones

Zinc is lighter than lead

Lead = 11340 kg/cu.m

Zinc = 7135 kg/cu.m

better is brass at 8700 kg/cu.m

Brass nuts are easy to get and can be bashed with a steel hammer

 

A source for lead for weights is old pewter cups, usually found in a bashed up state at car boot sales for about 50p. The pewter weighs about 8500 kg/cu.m

[Vinster]

10 hours ago, Richard E said:

I think it comes in a variety of different weights and pack sizes, have a look of Ebay or Amazon.  I've got a jar full of shot which came from a friend who was giving up shooting clay pigeons.

Thank you, yeah i think I'm gonna go for like 1 gram or in that region 

[pigsty]

On 11/29/2019 at 9:20 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Im surprised the heated wax doesn't distort the plastic

Never been a problem yet.  The wax is a lot cooler than the flame and it sets in a couple of minutes.

[rayprit]

22 minutes ago, pigsty said:

Never been a problem yet.  The wax is a lot cooler than the flame and it sets in a couple of minutes.

Nice tip, I use nuts and bolts, held in by epoxy, never considered candle wax...…...worth a try, thanks for that tip

[Giorgio N]

Personally I'm happy enough with a couple of sets sold at the local Decathlon store. Now these shops usually have a wide array of fishing weights, not having in the stash anything that requires as much as your C-121 I'm happy with a set of small weights (up to 2 g) and one with larger weights (from 2 to 5). All spherical weights that however can be easily split down the middle and pressed with pliers to fit in the sometime small recesses of a 1/72 model. They are very cheap and til now have sorted most of my requirements for weight.

For heavier needs, I cut some lead from a bar I made myself in the past by melting a number of bits coming from various sources. MIssing this, I'd probably just head to the same Decathlon store and see what they have, as they also have much heavier stuff. All their products are pretty cheap and yet of decent quality.. not that I need quality stuff to add weight to a model...

Have to say though that I prefer to use many small weights rather than a single big one, as this allows me to pack areas where there's no detail. Failing that, one interesting option is to try and shape a heavier weight to fit into a designated space in the model, something that it's much easier to do with fishing weights than with other materials

To fix the weights in place I use silicone sealant, the kind sold for a pound or two at the local DIY shop. I started using this as I had a couple of "accidents" in the past where I had dropped the fuselage and the weights had become loose so I decided to use something that retained a degree of flexibility to avoid this problem. Silicone works very well, has very good long term stability, is easy to squeeze in the model recesses, requires no preparation and is cheap.

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by Giorgio N

[Black Knight]

a. I usually wrap my weights in a blue tac. Sometimes the lead gets super glue lashed on.

b. if there is no 'bay' for the weight, eg behind the cockpit, I put in a bulkhead made of sprue and scrap plastic card

c. years ago I was given the part remains of a roll of roof flashing lead. I'm still using it. There is about 5kg left. I also got about 20 1kg sticks of car body solder, but as that is 50% lead and 50% tin I prefer not to use it for models.

d. my son used to give me the lead weights from scrap wheels off cars he scraps. I have about 3kg from that. Thats how I come to know of the change to zinc and iron.

e. I have the means for oil sand casting and heat-proof rubber casting so I can make my own shaped . eg cone shaped, weights for noses of jets and for Hawk jets I formed a master, made a mould in heat-proof rubber and I can cast a pilot in a seat in lead based white-metal.  It weighs about 3g to 4g after trimming. I think it'll do a Tucano as well.