Banner Poles
2004-7-1
A topic I've seen discussed on various forums over recent weeks is banners & banner poles, usually in the context of fantasy wargames armies. Some manufacturers produce standard bearer models and even printed banners, but what if you need something different or want to make that unique character? Of course, not all manufacturers make suitable models so a bit of conversion work might be necessary to make your own standard bearer.
This article give some ideas for creating banner poles and standards to head an army, distinguish a character or adorn vehicles. I've said it before but to repeat myself - there's more than one method! Hopefully the following discussion and examples will give some ideas. Remember that if the technique is sound, it can be scaled up or down to suit specific needs.
Bill of Materials:
Copper wire (various diameters) or
Brass tube & rod.
Paint
epoxy putty
superglue
"Banner Material"
Tools:
soldering iron & solder
pliers & side cutters
needle files
Paint brushes
sculpting tools -(possibly)
Hopefully there should be something interesting in this article for most readers, just nothing ground-breaking or revolutionary. Then again, I guess what some consider obvious, others may not have thought about... lets see.
ok..
Stage 1.
Deciding what kind of banner pole you need is pretty much an essential precursor to making one. The scale and complexity depends on your choice - a 54mm army standard will have more scope for detail and be subject to closer scrutiny than a 28mm squad leader. A simple cross or T-shape could suffice for the latter and be much quicker to produce. Time to break out the sketch pad...
Some ideas as examples:
* A simple T for squad leader, not too big so it doesn't look out of place.
* Barbarian / Kelt / Orc - simple medieval style with lashings holding cross piece. The addition of modelling putty and some effort can make this look like timber.
* Imperial style with end caps and a cross piece, ideal for large army standards and not as difficult as you may think.
No, you're not supposed to be able to read it, it's my sketchpad - go draw your own!
Stage 2.
The 'raw materials'...
A short length of twin & earth cable, nothing fancy just the stuff that domestic hardwiring is done with, and a bit of flux cored solder - the kind used for electrical & electronics work. This particular cable is 2.5mm solid core, usually scroungeable but can also be bought from hardware supplies for about £0.30 per meter. If you ask for a 'small sample' to check it's the 'same as the one at home' a kindly shopkeeper will usually let you have 3-4" for nothing.... job done.
Electrical solder is about £4 for a roll if you can't find any lying about.
Yes, I know it may not be straight and 'why don't you use brass rods' etc can be argued ... but it's free! Right. Chop a length slightly longer than the finished banner pole is intended to be and remove the outer insulation carefully without damaging your fingers. On short lengths of cable, holding the inner core with pliers and just pulling the outer insulation should be easy enough.
Before removing the inner coloured insulation it may be necessary to straighten the wire by tweaking it with your fingers. It's much easier to hold onto and puts less pressure on the fingers with the insulation still in place. Once it's straight enough, strip the insulation, again holding the tip of the wire using pliers and pulling the PVC. Repeat, or cut the length to get two pieces of wire. (Duh).
Larger scale banner poles or two part ones are best made from brass rod & tube. Two part banners, where the top half can be removed for transport or storage may be discussed separately, if you ask. Nicely.
Stage 3.
The 'fun bit'.
Since the insulation has only just been stripped off the wire it should be relatively clean and shiny. However, a soldered joint only works if the metal is completely clean. The flux incorporated in the solder wire helps during the soldering process but before attempting to join the wire the areas to be joined should be cleaned with fine wet-&-dry or emery cloth.
note: soldering involves the use of heat, and is therefore relatively dangerous compared to say, painting, so a few simple precautions should be observed. First: A clean work area will avoid unpleasant mishaps, so tidy up and put any flammable items well out of the way. The same goes for solvents, aerosols etc.
Second: Cover your table/desk/bench with a thick layer of newspaper to prevent any scorch marks, and on top of that something relatively heat resistant on which to work. An old plank of wood or better still a plumbers soldering mat (a flexible glassfibre woven mat) should do the trick.
I'd also highly recommend wearing safety glasses. You ony have one pair of eyes and they cannot be repaired easily.
Right. Getting on to the actual soldering, after those notes about safety & the work area...
Begin by resting one piece of wire across the other, or positioning it however your design dictates. It may be necessary to restrain it from rolling about - in the picture a pair of pliers is resting on the wire to put a little pressure on it.
Tools an materials will get HOT, so take care.
The soldering iron is applied to the wire at the joint to heat it up then the solder wire is introduced to the point where the wires cross. If the joint area is hot enough the solder will melt and flow around the wires. It doesn't take much solder to make a good strong joint, so don't be tempted to add more.
CAUTION: The pieces will remain hot for some time after the joint is made without any indication of being hot because they are small. Not much heat is radiated, no heat waves, and fingers won't feel heat before contact so don't leave it unattended - someone else may come along and burn themselves ... if you burn yourself you didn't let it cool for long enough before picking it up. Tough.
Stage 4.
Once the soldered joint has cooled and the banner pole can be handled the cross member can be cliped to the desired length using side cutters, hence the note about leaving the wire slightly longer than the finished dimension. This allows some leeway in the soldering operation - the only thing to worry about is soldering the wires at right angles, not getting the cross pice in the middle as well.
The cut ends of the poles can now be filed to give a neat finish so they look like poles rather than cut bits of wire. The joint may need to be cleaned up as well, depending on how much solder was applied. At the very least, any flux residue should be removed otherwise it may affect paint adhesion later.
The solder may have flowed a little along the wires, depending how hot they were to start with and how much solder has melted, as seen here.
If the wires were clean the solder will have formed a neat compound fillet around the wires as illustrated.
Since it's proved difficult to get a clear photograph of the joint I've made this illustration ---->
If the joint doesn't look like this it isn't quite right. A 'globular' appearance indicates the wire wasn't clean and the surface tension of the liquid solder was increased by oxide present on the copper. A poor joint is likely to break apart again...
A good soldered joint won't break - the wire will bend first if enough pressure is applied.
Stage 5.
Now, from here on it's adding detail! A simple squad sergeant 'T' banner pole would be 'finished' at Stage4. Otherwise now is where additional detail can be created. Later on they'll be a specific example that was alluded to earlier, I've made a banner pole that can be taken apart making transport and storage much easier. (someone is bound to find it useful eventually)
Lashings are relatively easy to add to a banner pole and look very effective when painted. For these, use fine copper wire found in 'flex' appliance cable, speaker wire etc. A medium size banner pole will need a length of about 0.5m! Always start with a longer piece than you think you'll need, any excess can simply be trimmed once the lashings are complete. For extra security, a small dab of superglue can be added to secure the loose end.
Remember, you don't have to actually lash the wires, so forget about that Scout knot tying badge. It just has to simulate the appearance of lashings.
Additional support lashings for the cross piece are a little tricky, since the wire wants to slide towards the middle. This can be overcome by working outwards then looping the wrap back around itself and reversing direction.
For larger banner poles, the thin wire can be doubled and tightly twisted to give the appearance of a rope. To make this easier to get started, fix the end of the thin wire with a blob of superglue and leave it to set completely. Once fixed, the wire can be gently pulled tight and positioned, hopefully without your fingers getting tied in knots along with it.
As an alternative to lashings or in combination with them, details can be sculpted using epoxy putty.
Some ideas for adding details :-
A cross that is slightly thicker than the wire used for the banner poles, gives the effect of metal poles inserted into a node with sockets.
Covering the banner pole with putty then pressing lines into it to give a rought wood texture is quite tricky.
That, I think, just about covers it for basic banner poles. I suppose you're now expecting to find out about making the rags to put on the sticks next.
To be continued...