Plank on Frame (lofting) Issues

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Treadhead
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Plank on Frame (lofting) Issues

Post by Treadhead »

I've been working on a scratchbuild for quite some time (click the www on my profile to see it) using the plank on frame technique. I have been having some success with it, but I do have a concern.

What will happen to the planks over time? I used superglue to butt the planks against one another (this doubles as a good gap filler as well), so I'm hoping that it will hold togehter over the long run.

I'm worried that over a few years that the plastic strips may become brittle and begin to buckle. Is this a valid cocnern? Has anyone else encountered this issue?

Please let me know.
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en'til Zog
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Post by en'til Zog »

I've found styrene to get brittle - in about 30 years.

My worry would be the superglue.

A friend and I built a massive model for a film with a PVC pipe spine (which bent with time) and using super glue to hold a lot of bits on. Now, 15-20 years or so later, the superglue has been failing and the ship sheds greeblies a bit like Fall leaves.
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Lt. Z0mBe
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Post by Lt. Z0mBe »

Yep. CA gets as hard as iron over time. It has uber tensile strength, but no shearing strength. It will pop right apart.

Styrene = good over time
CA = good over time, as long as you're ginger with it.

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Re: Plank on Frame (lofting) Issues

Post by Warped Speedster »

Treadhead wrote:I'm worried that over a few years that the plastic strips may become brittle and begin to buckle. Is this a valid cocnern? Has anyone else encountered this issue?
If it's going to happen at all, the buckling and cracking usually take place during the super gluing process, usually when a piece of styrene is stressed, or bent around a tight radius or corner. CA kicker also greatly increases the risk of cracking stressed plastic. But once it survives the CA >setting up< you're usually OK.

I been using CA for several decades and I can't remember ever having any plastic actually start to crack or deform years later. (Unless it's been exposed to the sun, or extreme temps for long spells)

Man, what a depressing thing to think about. This reminds me of the episode of "Gilligan's Island" when the S.S. Minnow's planking started to fly apart. :shock:
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Treadhead
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Re: Plank on Frame (lofting) Issues

Post by Treadhead »

Warped Speedster wrote:
Treadhead wrote: Man, what a depressing thing to think about. This reminds me of the episode of "Gilligan's Island" when the S.S. Minnow's planking started to fly apart. :shock:
That is exactly the image that came to mind when I posted this thread :)
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Umi_Ryuzuki
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Post by Umi_Ryuzuki »

I light coat of epoxy, and fiberglass would go a long way toward
securing the overall build up. Something really light, like a 1.5oz cloth.

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