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Fishing line vs. EZ Line for rigging WWI A/C


Gazzas

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I haven't tried EZ Line, but my thoughts take me to what happens to elastic "whatever" after a period of time. Loses its elasticity, becomes brittle, like old dried out rubber bands. At least this is where my thinking goes on it. As for fishing line, great stuff, but as mentioned above, it will slacken and pull taught with varying humidity and temps. I have experienced this on a couple of models.

To me, the best stuff is stretched sprue or very fine metal wire. Never have the issues mentioned in using this stuff, regardless of time, humidity, or various temperatures. Just ma 2 cents worth.

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I have played around with all three. I rigged my Snipe with ez-line. worked great, its a stretchable nylon thread.

 

I played around with fishing line, but gave up, it just didnt look right. Later I found a steel gray very fine cloth fishing line, its .010, so its small. I think this would be good for large structural need. 

 

Lastly, I found .015 music wire which is on a whole new level of strong. I used it for the rigging on my little kingfisher model. I also used it for control rods in the cockpit of my little Fokker. 

 

Since I just just picked up a WIngnut DH.2 (thanks Dennis!), i will probably be using a variety of these all for that string bag. I have to admit, I used to be afraid of rigging, now I think I like it! My wife looked over my shoulder while I was rigging my Snipe, she said "you are crazy"...and walked away.

 

I do this to relax... :mental:  

 

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Edited by 1to1scale
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Ive also used Prym knitting in thread with the same results. If Sir Peter himself recommends it for his kits, then Im cool with it, and my results with it over the past 10+ years give me the confidence to keep using EZ Line, Prym and Uchie. 

I think its up to the individual as to what works best for them. 

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EZ Line Pro's: Stretches so is not affected by heat/humidity, lasts relatively long (but not as long as fishing monofilament), won't break/pull out when you accidentally hit it so it's generally stronger

 

EZ Line Con's:  Does not add much structural integrity to model, doesn't look quite right to me (IMNSHO), black color is too dark (IMNSHO), only available in limited diameters, does not take paint as well as monofilament, hard to purchase/find, more costly ($)

 

Monofilament Fishing Line Pro's: Adds structural integrity to model, looks right to me (IMNSHO), available in a wide variety of diameters, can be painted/colored to any color you choose, can be tightened with gentle heat, easier to use (IMNSHO), lasts for a long time, easy to purchase/available everywhere, dirt cheap ($)

 

Monofilament Fishing Line Con's: Affected by heat/humidity so it may sag, will break/pull out when you accidentally hit it

 

I use both EZ Line and fishing line depending on the situation. You can decide what's best for you! 

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EZ Line Pro's: Stretches so is not affected by heat/humidity, lasts relatively long (but not as long as fishing monofilament), won't break/pull out when you accidentally hit it so it's generally stronger

 

EZ Line Con's:  Does not add much structural integrity to model, doesn't look quite right to me (IMNSHO), black color is too dark (IMNSHO), only available in limited diameters, does not take paint as well as monofilament, hard to purchase/find, more costly ($)

 

 

I use both EZ Line and fishing line depending on the situation. You can decide what's best for you! 

 

 

Definitely agree with that.

EZ Line is far from perfect, and as Bob points out it adds no rigidity nor lateral strength to a model, so using if for interplane struts on the likes of a Felix are probably not a good idea. 

 

 

The other aspect here is how it takes to paint.  It doesn't. However, I have found that if you get the white EZ Line it does take very well to fabric dye pens. This also applies to the Prym knitting in thread that works wonders for simulation of the Brit flat rigging. 

With the purchase of a fabric dye pen from the likes of Hobby Lobby, you can change your rigging color to almost an infinite number of colors including grays, silvers, or anything in-between. 

 

 

The other hitch in the giddy-up here is that unlike the Uschi stuff, EZ Line's profile is very evidently flat. This is exacerbated in the EZ Line "Heavy" but is less noticeable in their fine version. 

The Uschi stuff is much finer than EZ Line, and comes in three thicknesses, with their "Super-Fine" not really being suitable for larger scales, but probably better for 72nd and the like. 

However to my knowledge, Uschi does not offer white, nor am I aware if it takes to fabric dye pens like EZ Line or the Prym thread. 

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I used Uschi's Super-Fine for rigging a ............ Matchbox 1/72 Boeing P-12E .... which I built not too long ago « for fun » (:deadhorse: :mental: ) and a lot of nostalgia ...

 

When the time comes for building my WnW Felixstowe, no debate it will be monofilament fishing line. I am still looking for the ever elusive flat monofilament fishing line... I know it exists, but can't find the right set of search words on Google to spot a supplier ... :hmmm:

 

I will try to flatten round fishing line for my duet of Gee Bee racers ... I have ideas about it, but not too sure about the outcome. In fairness, I used round monofilament on my Fisher ST-M, and only the absolute « rivet-counter cum king-of-nitpickers » would spot it ( funny, I am sometimes in this group ;) )

 

Hubert

Edited by MostlyRacers
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Well, I was going to jump in with the EZ Line and Uschi stuff but Brian and Bob covered it very well.  Like most things in our hobby, there are a variety of resources and tools available to use, and part of the trick is knowing which to use when to achieve the result you want to achieve.

 

One thing I've come to be very careful of with EZ Line is that is appears to be a two-part string:  an inner and outer core or sheath.  If not cut properly, it is possible to have it come apart.  Also, it also seems to only take to one attempt with CA.  If the first try doesn't take, need to snip off that bit and try again with a 'fresh' piece.

 

Having said that, I use it extensively on my 1/28, 1/32 WWI planes and my 1/72, 1/48 WWII Planes.  Have not used it yet on my larger scale stuff but I have the full line of Uschi for that eventuality.  Agree that the thicker EZ Line is actually flat, not round.

 

Chris

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I use fly fishing tippet line. This is used to make flies, not the actual fishing line So, it is very light and very strong. It comes in a variety of thicknesses. I bond it to my models with superglue. Some of my models are 20 years old. I have not noticed them getting tighter or loser with humidity or temperature. The line adds an amazing amount of strength to the model.

 

I think it also drapes nicer than fishing line. I've done a couple ships where I didn't want the line tight - it needed to sag a little.

 

Good luck!

 

ß!

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I have some experience with EZLine. I use a white line that I paint with acrylic tube paint. It looks great to my naked eye, but when I take photos, I can definitely tell that it is a flat line that I have twisted.

 

This may be because of the paint adding dimension to the line, or the reflective pigments in the silver tube paint. I generally paint the line with a mixture of silver and black.

 

As I venture into WNW kits, I don't want pictures ruined by a twist in the EZLine that I didn't see while attaching it.

 

Gaz

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