How thick are your pins?

[GazzaS]

Hi everyone,
    My first Roden Albatros D.III is in a sorry state.  Completed only a few months ago, it got tilted and it's undercarriage separated from the fuselage.  When I attempted to lift it by the wings, one of the Vee struts separated from the lower wing and got bent.

As my first Biplane build, it wasn't pinned.  I'm thinking that those struts are very thin and flimsy.  I have some fine copper wire, but I don't know if it's strong enough to use for pinning.

What do you guys use to pin skinny struts?

Thanks!

Gaz

[GazzaS]

Broken micro drills (.20 - .30mm steel or tungsten)

Really?  I think most of the tungsten bits I've broken stayed in the model.

Gaz

[lcarroll]

Gaz,
    I use stainless steel guitar string with good success. Inexpensive and easy to trim to length with a good pair of "nippers" it works like a charm, the only challenge is to drill out the often tiny struts to receive the "pin". Get the finer ones, labelled PL 011 or PL012, they are 0.28 or 0.30 mm in diameter and should be available in 20 to 30 inch lengths for a dollar or two each, one will easily supply stock for half a dozen projects. I insert them into a bit of medium CA and they are permanent.
   Any music store should have them, hope this helps with your question.
Cheers,
Lance

[krow113]

 On The Little Blue Bugger I used s/s rod, wrapped in strips of sign vinyl that were cut to profile. Positive location holes were easily drilled and the struts fit mint.
In 1/72 scale it looks proper and is very strong. The resin struts in the kit were laughable to say the least , and the mounting points were large depressions in the wing casting , sort of a generic 'they go somewhere in the hole ' location scenario.
It solved my problem:

 All of the struts on the model are fabricated as described.

[Borsos]

Since my Albatros B. II I always replace thin plastic struts with brassrod. I use a vice to squeeze the brassrod into shape, adding a 0.5mm thread for pinning. Altough I love my Albatros B. II I never take it on any model show as its really shaky.
Andreas

[GazzaS]

Guys,
   Thank you for the great replies!

Gaz

[rayb24]

Gaz,
    I use stainless steel guitar string with good success. Inexpensive and easy to trim to length with a good pair of "nippers" it works like a charm, the only challenge is to drill out the often tiny struts to receive the "pin". Get the finer ones, labelled PL 011 or PL012, they are 0.28 or 0.30 mm in diameter and should be available in 20 to 30 inch lengths for a dollar or two each, one will easily supply stock for half a dozen projects. I insert them into a bit of medium CA and they are permanent.
   Any music store should have them, hope this helps with your question.
Cheers,
Lance

If someone in your family plays guitar, you have free pins since guitar strings break and its recycling what would be thrown away.


Ray