1/32 Luftwaffe Oxygen Hose

[AlanG]

I am trying to find suitable products to recreate Luftwaffe oxygen hoses. In particular for the likes of the Fw190 and Bf109.

 

Any ideas for things i should try?

[dodgem37]

Correction 2.23.20:  This is of a restored Bf109.  See Radubs' post below.

Maybe a guitar string?  Maybe make your own out of wrapped wire?  Maybe mold and cast a Tamiya 1/32 P-51D oxygen hose and adapt it?

 

Sincerely,

Mark

Edited February 23, 2020 by dodgem37

[BiggTim]

I've had good results by wrapping thin wire around another slightly thicker wire and setting them in place with a dab of CA.

Edited February 22, 2020 by BiggTim

[thierry laurent]

MDC makes them in black flexible resin. 

[TAG]

3 hours ago, BiggTim said:

I've had good results by wrapping thin wire around another slightly thicker wire and setting them in place with a dab of CA.

 

This works. Alternatively, if you want a hollow tube you can use Tim's suggestion to create a coil with thin wire wound around a thicker gauge (or even a brush handle), then carefully remove it and adjust the distance between the coils by stretching or compressing it, depending on your needs. Next, wrap your coil in plumber's teflon tape, with the caveat that teflon being what it is obviously won't accept paint well. The better, more elegant solution is to cover the coil in masking fluid or even thinned PVA glue as the surface tension will bridge the gaps and will remain flexible once it dries, allowing you to bend the hose into whatever shape you need, not to mention actually taking paint. Your mileage may vary, of course, but with some practice you can get some pretty convincing results.

 

Or you could always just use the bendy part of a bendy straw. Guitar strings are good too.

 

By the way, I was under the impression that the Luftwaffe used mostly smooth hoses for their oxygen masks but just did a quick web search and only saw corrugated hoses in the period photos I found. Anyone have the full 411 on that?

[Fenous]

Would like to try this

http://www.greenstuffworld.com/en/roll-maker/69-roll-maker-tube-wire-machine.html

[thierry laurent]

6 hours ago, Fenous said:

Would like to try this

http://www.greenstuffworld.com/en/roll-maker/69-roll-maker-tube-wire-machine.html

Interesting but alas I doubt you can use that device for creating oxygen hoses for smaller scales than at least 1/24th.

[USMC Herc]

Using thin wire and larger, wrap smaller wire around larger wire into coil. Stretch and bend hose to desired position and length. Cover with white glue and tissue like many of us did as a kid to balloons in school... 

Edited February 23, 2020 by USMC Herc

[LSP_Kevin]

14 hours ago, dodgem37 said:

Maybe a guitar string?  Maybe make your own out of wrapped wire?  Maybe mold and cast a Tamiya 1/32 P-51D oxygen hose and adapt it?

 

Sincerely,

Mark

 

I've used wound guitar strings for this purpose before, and it works OK. The main drawback is that it's pretty stiff stuff, and wants to either straighten or kink.

 

Kev

[D.B. Andrus]

Here's my technique:

Stretch a thin, malleable (depending on scale) piece of wire between two points and then wrap it with lead wire of the correct thickness for as long as you can stand it(or the wire breaks).

[MikeMaben]

7 hours ago, USMC Herc said:

Using thin wire and larger, wrap smaller wire around larger wire into coil. Stretch and bend hose to desired position and length. Cover with white glue and tissue like many of us did as a kid to balloons in school... 

 

...or black silicone aquarium sealant.

 

 

[Radub]

 

In the past I used guitar wire. You can get wires of a variety of gauges. 

 

However...

 

In the recent years I learned that the "ribbed" hose is incorrect. The photo posted above depicts Bf 109 G-2 "Black 6", currently residing in Cosford. That hose is a modern item. 
The "Sauerstoff-Dusche (Membranlunge)" manufactured by Dräger used a smooth hose. 

You can see see the smooth hose in a lot of wartime photos and in many museum exhibits. Possibly the clearest example is the Arado 234 that has  a long hose that is clearly visible. Go to this link of a 360 degree panorama of the Arado 234 cockpit and have a look at the hose on the right side of the cockpit. https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/10103pjpg

There are more "walk around" photos of the Ar 234 on he internet and you can see it there too. 

 

There was, however, a "ribbed" hose on the oxygen mask. These ribbed hoses, which were very short, connected to the smooth rubber hose. See these links:
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/mask-oxygen-demand-type-luftwaffe

https://www.historicflyingclothing.com/en-GB/show-me-everything-/luftwaffe-model-10-6701-oxygen-mask/prod_15009#.XlI7VyieSUk

 

So, to answer your question, you can use a piece of smooth wire to represent the hose leading from the regulator. If there is a pilot wearing a mask in the cockpit, you only need to make a short length of ribbed hose from the mask to the hose. 

 

HTH 

Radu 

Edited February 23, 2020 by Radub

[AlanG]

Cheers guys. Normal wire it is then. That makes it a load easier

[dodgem37]

Thank you, Radub.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[MikeMaben]

Some pix ...

 

 

 

 

 

Early 109 pre E , odd restraining strap setup ,

 

 

hth