Subject: rbf tags
From: Everett McEwan <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 18:30:55 -0700 (PDT)

Steve, here is the mini-how to article to go with the pics. Let
me know if you need the pics sent again, the file names should
be used for the captions of each photo.
Thanks, Everett.

       How to make British Remove Before Flight Tags
                     By Everett McEwan

   Most parked military aircraft are covered with Remove Before
Flight tags, and adding them to your model can really add
interest. There are more than one style of tags depending on
what nation it is, but for this article we will be making the
kind used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.
   First go out to the store and get red construction paper and
white paper labels, then make sure you have these standard
modeling tools and supplies, electronics wire, super glue,
tweezers, needle nose pliers, scissors, hand drill and #11 blade
exacto knife. Before you begin, find some good pictures of the
RBF tags hanging on the real thing so you know where to place
them.
    Start by cutting strips of the red paper to the aproxement
width, then cut the length twice as long as the final tag will
be. Cut a small length of wire and fold the red paper strip in
half with the wire placed in the center. Then tightly twist the
two lengths of wire together with the needle nose pliers. The
next step is to glue the two pieces of paper together with the
super glue. After that, cut a very thin strip off of the labels,
and remove the backing (you may need to use a fresh #11 blade to
do so) and then wrap it around the tag at an angle (see
picture). Cut the end of the label but leave a little bit of
excess and coat the tag in super glue, this is because the white
label is not held on by much and might come off otherwise. After
the glue is dry, cut the edges off of the tag to clean it up.
This is the basic process for each tag, make as many as you need
with this method.
   After making up all of your tags it is time to attach them to
your model. Again start by checking reference photos, noting
how many will be needed and where to place them. After figuring
out where they go, drill a very small hole for the wire to be
placed into. Then place a small drop of supper glue onto the
area of the hole and insert the tag's wire after bending the top
of the wire at a right angle. Repeat for the rest of the tags
and your done!
    This process could also be used to create American style
tags, using a color printer to print white lettering (Remove
Before Flight) onto the red construction paper and then making
into tags. I have yet to try this and the lettering may be
unreadable at such a small size, but could be better than
nothing. Also remember that RBF tags are often frayed and faded
from years of use so faint unreadable lettering may be just
fine.
Hope this helps make your models better, have fun!

                     

=====
Everett

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