Bronco Models
WWII British Airborne Weapon & Equipment Set
Bronco Models 1:35 Scale Kit No. AB3567
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BSA Military Bicycle
Guide to assembling the etched wheel spokes
Wheel etched spokes and central hub parts plus the bending jig.
After cutting the spokes from the fret do not try and file down the attachment bur at
this stage as the spokes are too fragile, wait till after the spokes have been assembled, see below.
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Bending the etched spokes using the jig provided.
It is important to bend one spoke in the opposite direction from the other, this is due to the
spokes need to overlap when assembled and as the valve is included on each etched spoke this must be lined up correctly.
Reversing the direction of one spoke will ensure the two spokes overlap each other and align correctly when assembled.

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When initially bending the spokes there is a distortion on one or more outer segments due to the compression of the outer edge as the
spoke is bent to the dome configuration. These distortions will multiply as you glue the other edges together making for a uneven finish around the spoke edge.
To rectify this you need make a small cut in the outer segment and straighten the frame.
The cut can be made on any hard surface such as glass or metal using a #11 blade as the etched frame is quite thin
.
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To prevent this distortion from occurring in the first place you should cut out four small sections from the outer etched segments,
you only need to remove a very small section of about 0.2mm to give room for the compression
of the edges when bending the spokes.
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Note the outer edge is without distortion after bending with the cuts as above.
The central hug (part Cd1) has been glued to one etched spoke hub.
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The main problem is the jig doesn't bend the spokes enough and are too flat in profile and the edges will not mate by
quite a bit when fitted together. You first need to glue the two spoke halves together at the valve to make sure this
is perfectly aligned, this is where the overlap of the spokes is evident in the images as mentioned above when bending the spokes.
The image shows the spokes only joined at the valve and the large space left on the opposite side due to the jig not bending the
the spokes enough to the dome profile.

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You next glue the edges directly opposite the valve, don't worry about the edges sticking up all over
the place due to the cuts made previously (1), this will all fall into place as you carefully glue a little section at a time
using thicker cyanoacrylate for added strength while working your way around the outer edges of the spokes (3).
Image 2 below shows the spokes assembled without making the cuts around the outer edges
showing the distorted outer edges that needed filing to get a smooth outer edge and is quite messy.
Image 3 shows the assembled spokes after the cuts had been made resulting in a smooth outer edge only requiring
minor filing of the attachment burs the occasional raised edge.

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The plastic spokes are cut from the wheels and the inner rim trimmed smooth
before fitting the assembled spokes.

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When fitting the spokes inside the rims you need to make sure they are positoned centrally on the rim as it's easy for them to
be off centre if not careful as you glue in place.
The assembled wheels with the etched spokes and the plastic spoke wheel for comparison.
It will take about an hour to do each wheel but the work needed to fit the spokes is more than worth the effort
for a marked improvement in detail definition.
The remainder of the kit can be assembled as per instruction.

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