You will need these items:
Pin Vice
Tweezers
Metal Probe
Super Glue
The material you can use for an antenna varies. I show clockwise from top: a broken drill bit, three boar bristles from an old hairbrush, clear toothbrush bristles, and the original antenna wire Ral Partha used to include in their blisters.
Use a tool called a pin vise, which is essentially a tiny drill bit chuck on a handle. Drill a hole deep enough to hold a tiny drop of glue to hold the antenna in place. Many mech miniatures have pilot holes (like this Highlander) showing where the antenna is placed. You can refer to technical readout pictures as well.
For controlled placement of a drop of superglue, I use a pointed metal probe (toothpicks or pins can be used as well). Add a drop of glue, and then touch the top of the antenna hole, the glue will fill the hole. Clean up any excess with a paper towel (Not your fingers!).
Use tweezers to gently set the antenna in place. Be sure to keep it at the angle you want until the glue sets. You can very lightly dampen the antenna with water to make the glue set instantly.
Cut the antenna to the desired height with wire cutters or small scissors. Be careful not to break the bond of the glue when cutting. You can of course cut the antenna to height before mounting, but in the case of this miniature, it will have two antennas that I want to be of the same exact height. Since it is more difficult to drill two pilot holes the same exact depth, I can trim them to height after they are mounted.
The finished antennas. I chose a thinner boar bristle for the tall antenna for variety.
Some mechs just don’t look right without their antennas. These use the Ral Partha wire.
I hope you’ll find these steps are so simple that you shouldn’t be daunted by the thought of adding the appropriate detail to your miniatures.
