Struts, etc.

[sean69]

Trouble with some crappy struts, [not the first time either]

other than carving, sanding etc. Has anyone got a good method of creating new struts and landing gear legs etc?

- I've had limited success bending pop can metal around a pre-carved former
- evergreen is ok in some applications but too flimsy on longer runs


I thought about using a draw plate of some kind, found several jeweler's plates that would do the correct size profile, but am not sure it would work well with either evergreen or bamboo.

Any thoughts? has anyone got any input on the draw-plate?

-thanks
-sean

[coyotemagic]

Lacking the old Aeroclub Strutz, I like splitting and sanding bamboo skewers. Very strong, stiff and real looking.
,
Bud

[SteveS]

Originally Posted by coyotemagic

Lacking the old Aeroclub Strutz, I like splitting and sanding bamboo skewers. Very strong, stiff and real looking.
,
Bud

Buds right, bamboos the way to go. It will surprise you how much strength it has even in tiny diameters.


Salute,
Steve

[Brad Cancian]

If you need to make undercarriage struts, I recommend brass "strutz" material - I bent up a set for my 1:48 Jager Albatros C.X, which is a very heavy model, to replace their white metal struts and they have held up great. I glued mine with CA but I would recommend something a little more solid, like solder of some description. I created a jig to bend them at the right diameter as well - basically a flat styrene sheet with the strut plan view angles marked on it, and a piece of circular shaped styrene at the right radius of the bend glued perpendicular to the flat sheet - allowed me to bend it around the circular protrusion and get all the right angles (but was still tricky to keep flat...)



Not sure where you can get this material though...?

BC

[GAJouette]

I agree with Brad that Struz is the best way to go especially when your fabricating undercarriage struts.The only difficulties I've had is using the Strutz is filing down the ends.But I've learned to clamp it in a small C-Clamp padded with balsa strips which makes it much easier to hold on to while filing it to shape.

For smaller scales such as 1/48 Bamboo struts work excellent for the wing struts too.I haven't used bamboo for the undercarriage but I would assume this will as well.

Another option would to use steel wire sandwiched between thin balsa strips.Once you gotten your basic strut it's a simple matter of coating the piece with Zap-A- Gap and sanding to shape. This works well for wing struts and for some undercarriage depending on the type of aircraft modeled.

Best of luck Sean on your project,no doubts it will be another winner.

Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

[sean69]

Thanks for all the thoughts .... I think I am going the draw-plate method: smf-SN-DrawPlates - ShipWrightsFAQ
Byrnes Model Machines - Drawplate

Will probably start with a drill guage - if it really works out well - I'll plunk down the $80 for the oval cross section jeweler's plate.

-sean