Does anyone make aerials?  I've checked various parts suppliers and have yet to find anything.

Are they available, or is this something that must be scratch built?  If the latter, is there an "easy"

way of doing this?  Looking for a three section in the up position, as well as the 45 degree angle type as found on 57 Chevies, and other cars of that era.

Thanks

Denis 

denis:

Does anyone make aerials?  I've checked various parts suppliers and have yet to find anything.

Are they available, or is this something that must be scratch built?  If the latter, is there an "easy"

way of doing this?  Looking for a three section in the up position, as well as the 45 degree angle type as found on 57 Chevies, and other cars of that era.

Thanks

Denis

 

 Denis,

 A tough call.  Bear in mind that you would be looking at, most likely, micro-sized telescoping metal tubing (Those old antenna's are 2-sections of telescoping tubing, the larger size around 1/4", with perhaps a section of 1/8" metal rod capped with a small ball to minimize the "poking" hazard, all slipping one size into the ajacent larger size).  At say, 1/4" actual diameter for the largest, that translates into .005" diameter, which is probably only available in surgical stainless steel, or a hypodermic needle size.  While this might be neat, I just spent about 15 minutes with Google, searching this stuff out, the only supplies I could find being a supplier to the medical/scientific industries, and then only in large quantities (30" lengths, pkg's of 5, starting out at over $30 per package (kinda expensive for a model car, I think).  Also, in many places, purchasing hypodermic needles may well require a doctor's prescription, say for use injecting insulin by diabetics (laws regarding the sale or distribution of what could be considered "drug paraphernalia).

In short, it might be about as easy to forget trying to make exact scale telescoping antennae, and go with "music wire", which is spring steel, and comes in diameters down to at least .010" (which is a 1/25 scale quarter inch, BTW).  This can be polished to a bright finish, if you are careful (it comes in 3' lengths, made by K&S (the brass tubing folks), and should be in any well stocked LHS having a good radio control model department.  Another possibility--and I've done this in the past, is to use a fine sewing needle--those are very nicely polished and plated, and can be cut to length, even cutting away the sharp point.

 For the little chrome ball at the end of the antenna, I've had some good luck with just a tiny drop of epoxy on the tip of the model antenna, with just a touch of Testors silver paint on it--looks pretty convincing to me, at least.

 Even though you wouldn't get that "stepped look" of a telescoping antenna, the small size and shiny look certainly would outrank any of the plastic kit antennae in my book!

 Biscuitbuilder1

If you're really a glutton for punishment, another way to make the telescoping look it to start with a piece of wire the full length of the antenna, and wrap thin strips of foil cut to different (shorter) lengths around it to create the sleeves.  If you can get the strips smoothly attached to the wire, the vertical seam will be almost invisible in the reflections.

I'm able to make the "stepped" antennae by placing wire in a drill, turning the drill on low speed, and using a grinding wheel in a Dremel. Grind the narrowest diameter first (don't forget the button on the end) then the mid section.

Thank you for your reply Mr. Biscuitbuilder1, I hadn't thought of using sewing needles.

Being a single guy I have one of those round plastic discs full of various sizes of needles,

in case I ever wanted to sew on a button.

Denis 

Take a piece of extremely fine wiring, strip the outer covering off about halfway down, dip the tip in some glue to give it the little ball on the end, and paint it silver.

I make antannas in 1/25 scale. I have the Tear Drop Antanna also. 

      Jim

Also, in many places, purchasing hypodermic needles may well require a doctor's prescription, say for use injecting insulin by diabetics (laws regarding the sale or distribution of what could be considered "drug paraphernalia).

If you do want to make a functional antenna using hypodermic needles, they are pretty easy to get for free. A while back I was out running errands and had a blood blister I needed to drain. I stopped in a Rite Aid pharmacy and asked the pharmacist if I could have a needle to pop a blood blister, he asked "what size would you like?", I said "little" and he handed me one and I was on my way.

Stew.

Try this

http://stores.homestead.com/hstrial-RSchwartz1/-strse-251/Antenna/Detail.bok

I use Pins.  I cut the point off and dip it to get a small ball on the tip, then I paint the hat part black, when it dries I lightly sand the edge to get the Silver around the base and glue it to the car. 

Guitar strings work great for this but I'm not sure how I'd do the telescoping part. In 1/25th scale a single piece of wire looks fine usually. A drop of glue on the one end and paint it silver (somebody else already mentioned this. Maybe for the telescoping part you could use very small styrene tubing with a piece of guitar string? This is the sort of thing that makes the hobby fun, wanting a particular detail and then figuring out how to make it. "Everything's a model car part" as a buddy always says.

Bruce

The most detailed one I seen is using spru and alot of luck and time..I heard about a guy using a toothpick and some files and a dipping in crome paint also.I build tunners and the need for the old style is gone , now theres shark fins and micro recivers,very ez to build.

I'm not at home right now to find it but SA had an article in tech tips on making a scale telescoping antenna using very small diameter tubing and guitar wire.  You do read SA don't you?

Gary