Need a whip antenna? What material tapers to a fine point, comes in a variety of hues and lengths, can be painted, and costs nothing (providing you have access to a cat)? Cat whiskers. They’re great for armor, 1/24 scale cars and trucks, even ship models. All you need to do is drill a hole the size of the whisker’s base, add a dab of super glue, and drop in the whisker. They can be trimmed to any length desired, and are so naturally tapered that I’ve found the last ½” works great on 1/700 scale ships. A word of caution: Don’t try to remove whiskers from cats. They generally don’t like having them pulled out, and they’ll express their displeasure in no uncertain way. I have two felines at home, so I find whiskers on the floor and furniture all the time. I collect them and keep a supply at my hobby desk.

Tip submitted by:
Greg SolomonAnchorage, Alaska