Glueing or Securing galvenized wire

**sreinmann** · #1 07-31-2015, 10:50 PM

The GPS Block IIR satellite that I'm building has two wire antenna structures. In this picture you can see them on thin arms that protrude above and below the satellite bus or body. To me they look like wire fir trees. Anyhow the model has them built of strips of paper glued onto stacks of paper tubes. I'm foreseeing problems building that at my skill level and it staying nice looking in the long-term, so I'm considering using wire instead.

I've chosen a suitable gauge of galvanized steel wire and plan on having lengths bent at 90 degrees to make two "probes" that I'll attach onto a central post, probably also wire. What do you think would be the best way to secure them? CA glue? Soldering? Honestly, I'm not much better at soldering, so I'm hoping there's something else you can recommend.

**elliott** · #2 08-01-2015, 02:52 AM

Think epoxy would do the trick?

**wag** · #3 08-01-2015, 08:16 PM

I don't think you can solder galvanized steel. I would suggest scuffing up the glued surface with sandpaper and using CA or epoxy.
Wayne

**adamaia** · #4 08-01-2015, 10:36 PM

I would use zap a gap, using a technique which worked very well with me. First cut to exact length the wires, make a block of sculpey long enough to take all the wires...stick them in equidistantly then add the cross bar to these parallel wires. Use a pin to apply the glue. Once this has set, you will have a good base to repeat the operation again with the remaining cross pieces, I hope I have explained the process clearly judging from your picture.

**sreinmann** · #5 09-27-2015, 07:30 PM

adamaia's plan worked pretty well. Thanks for the input. Gorilla's CA glue worked like a charm. At half scale it was pretty solid in my test rig, but when I scaled up to my model's 1/25th scale the weight and the torque that could be exerted definitely caused the glued joints to fail - I suspect where I hadn't sanded the main spar well enough. The result, if you jar the antenna, the wires shift - not break mind you so maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Pics to come soon in the gallery.

**Lighter** · #6 09-28-2015, 02:44 AM

CA doesn't have any sheer strength. In a situation like this I use CA to hold the joint and then use epoxy over the joint. I use slow cure epoxy applied in droplets with a needle to encase the joint. You have to carefully apply very small amounts of both the CA and epoxy. I use a needle set into a length of dowel. A drop of CA on a plastic baggie will stay fluid for you to retrieve droplets with the needle. Slow cure epoxy leaves you plenty of working time.