Struts

[AMStreet]

I have now just about used up all my Contrail and Strutz strutting material.  Does anyone have a source of this item?

 

I can, of course, whittle some from stretched sprue but the result is always disappointing and takes up a lot of time and effort.

 

If anyone has the name of a supplier I would be most grateful.

[Black Knight]

There is a great lack of ready-shaped struts in the modelling world

Have you seen this thread by John Adams, aka John Aero, on how to make struts?

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235075439-home-made-plastic-strut

 

[Pin]

I have a bunch or Aeroclub Struts, old Contrail struts, some leftovers from various kits but .... the more I build biplanes the more I like to use wooden cocktail sticks, toothpicks or ever cigar matches!

 

 

Just a couple of frictions inside folded piece of sandpaper makes them flat

 

 

 

Strong, flexible and super affordable! 

 

 

 

[busnproplinerfan]

Where do you get the Meccano looking set you're using?

[Paul Thompson]

52 minutes ago, busnproplinerfan said:

Where do you get the Meccano looking set you're using?

That's the Aeroclub jig. I have the first version, and finally broke it by dropping it from 4 feet, last week . Mangled when I caught it. The photo is a later itteration, but you'll be lucky to find one now John has definitively retired.

 

Paul.

[AMStreet]

Black Knight, thanks for the link. 

 

I don't log in very often so would have missed John  Aero's post.  It so happens that I have the requisite tools and I will give it a go.  It has got to be better than my pathetic  efforts.

[busnproplinerfan]

I took a look around, John's website doesn't show anything available. I did see a clear plastic one and a laser cut wood one. Not sure if they are good or easy to use.

[Paul Thompson]

6 minutes ago, busnproplinerfan said:

I took a look around, John's website doesn't show anything available. I did see a clear plastic one and a laser cut wood one. Not sure if they are good or easy to use.

Where exactly did you look? John Adams doesn't have a website anymore AFAIK.

 

Paul.

[busnproplinerfan]

http://www.joesmodels.com/AEROCLUB_72_various_accessories.htm

is the site I found.

[Pin]

Are we still talking about struts or switched to jig? 

[busnproplinerfan]

oops

 

[Paul Thompson]

3 minutes ago, Pin said:

Are we still talking about struts or switched to jig? 

Well, Aeroclub used to make both their jig and (ex) Contrail struts, and I'm easily confused.  Aye, 'tis a poor excuse, I know.

 

Paul.

[Orso]

Joes models is not an Aeroclub site. Just a shop in a different part of the world..

[Brandy]

I make my own 1:72 struts from Evergreen plastic strip. Scrape the edges with a scalpel blade to thin them, cut a small slot in the ends and add a piece of brass rod to give a positive location in the hole.  It's plenty strong enough for most aircraft.

I'll make the 4 outer struts on the Muromets from brass rod with plastic strip stuck on just to have the support needed but I've had no problems with struts bending on anything else.

 

Ian

[Torbjorn]

The easiest way I found, which produced good results, was to take evergreen rod (they’re quite soft) and squeeze it in a vice. A little practice and you can get reproducable results. That’ll give you an elliptic cross-section which can be tapered near the connections if needed. Works in 1/72, but in 1/32 I’d expect more afterwork to be necessaru.

[Thomas Bell]

I have been hoarding two complete sets of both Contrail and Strutz for about 15 years. I finally decided just today to attempt to build the 1/48 High Tech Voisin 10 night bomber using some stock from both sets.

      To the original question, much if not most of this stock is wasted for me because I don't work in 1/72 for WW I subjects. It's simply too small for 1/48. So if you don't require my whole stash I'd be happy to share with you.

[Bughunter]

My biplanes are 1/48 and I use often real wooden struts. Much more robust, also in long term as plastic and looking more real.

 

As often recommended I use boxwood:

 

Or glued layers of veneer:

 

So also special formed struts are possible:

 

For metal ones I use squeezed Albion alloy brass micro tubing:

... tinned ...

 

Used on this bird:

 

Hope it helps,

Frank

[RobStewart]

little hijack:  I got a jig from Vertigo.  Very good.