Best way to make a collar?

Antenociti · Post by **Antenociti** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:03 am

This may be a daft question but:

Is there a better way of making a collar of styrene strip stock for a cylinder other that simply measuring the circumference and cutting to that length?

I need to put a 2.5mmx2.5mm styrene strip around a 3cm diameter cylinder and i'm having real problems getting the darn thing to fit snugly, especially at the seam/join of the two ends. Heck Im haivng trouble getting it to fit at all as the styrene keeps pulling away... so any tips appreciated.

karim · Post by **karim** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:48 pm

I would personally do this:

cut the strip a little over-length.

glue down one end of the strip.

wrap the strip around the cylinder, glueing as you go.

When you get back around, overlap the ends, cut with exacto, then adjust with a file until the match is as close as you can get.

Then glue down the end and fill the seam just like yo'd fill any other seam on a model.

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:56 pm

2.5 x 2.5 mm? Around a 30mm cylinder? The strip is waaaay too thick to be turned around a 30mm core (at least without heat). It will try tenaciously to come apart, no matter what.

My suggestion is to use 2.5 x 0.5 mm strip, and wrap five layers around (just like Karim said, starting from one side, gluing as you go along and finally fitting the loose end to the already glued one), with the joints offset (each layer has its joint at a different place, so one strip keeps the joint edges from the ones below from coming unglued). Remember: FIVE distinct layers, not a single strip wrapped around five turns. Also, I like to do my "inner" layers joined at a steep angle, so there is less of a tendency for them to come unglued.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:59 pm

I cheat, I use a lathe.

But, baring that...use Karim's method to get as best you can and plan on some filling and sanding.

haywire · Post by **haywire** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:05 pm

Use heat from a hair dryer or hot water to make it a bit more plyable.

Andrew Gorman · Post by **Andrew Gorman** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:17 pm

Or, just cut a ring from a tube that is a sliding fit over the tube that needs the ring. There must be some tubing or cylinders with a 30mm ID about 2.5 mm thick
Andrew

Antenociti · Post by **Antenociti** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:25 pm

Chacal wrote:2.5 x 2.5 mm? Around a 30mm cylinder? The strip is waaaay too thick to be turned around a 30mm core (at least without heat). It will try tenaciously to come apart, no matter what.

My suggestion is to use 2.5 x 0.5 mm strip, and wrap five layers around.

Yeah that was the conclusion i'd come to - or heat and that's a pita - problem was i need to hide the layers and dont have anything that is a fine enough filler to disguise it being layers.... need to get myself one of the ultra-fine fillers that you chaps use/mention on these forums - liquid paper was it?

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:29 pm

Also known as White Out.

Antenociti · Post by **Antenociti** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:42 pm

/em smacks his head

Comprehension finally dawns. Oh!

lol - never thought of using that - i thought it was a trade name of a specialist filler!

karim · Post by **karim** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:28 pm

Chacal wrote:2.5 x 2.5 mm? Around a 30mm cylinder? The strip is waaaay too thick to be turned around a 30mm core (at least without heat).

Ooh... I didn't catch that. You're right. Definitely do it in layers.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:00 am

Or make a ring out of 2.5mm thick sheet stock, instead of trying to wrap a thick piece of strip stock around the tube. Cut a circle out, 35mm in diameter, then cut a 30mm diameter hole out of the middle. Just a different idea, but that way there are no seams to worry about.