wonwinglo
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
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- Barry
The world of model making is so full of a bewildering range of materials,many of these we take for granted and sadly many are vanishing from the model shop shelves and becoming scarce,here we are going to take a mini look at what is available in the way of wire and rods for sake of some other terminology-
First on the list is good old piano wire,originally marketed as music wire due to its associations with the piano industry,this much maligned material is so distant from its origin that it can hardly be called what it really is,the fact is that extruded wire is a rare find these days and many types of wire sold in shops are in fact silver steel rod,true piano wire will withstand up to quite a bit of abuse,if it springs back it will immediately right itself,try a modern substitute which bends out of place and stays there ! the thicker extruded wire substitute in fact is quite brittle,try cutting half way through and it will sometimes shatter.
Not a lot we can do about this dilemma in modern marketing,the days when the requisite for complicated springs and motor hooks to be made from such a material is a thing of the past.
Another thing is that some gauges have vanished from the shelves,20 swg for example is now difficult if impossible to obtain,and if you find it then snap it up quickly.
Leading on to brass rod,this is obtainable in 18 inch lengths from those useful metal centres displayed in model shops,the problem here is that the popular sizes sell quickly and it can be months,years before the dealer stocks up again,make sure that you get the correct tube sizes as the are two sizes in circulation.
Soft wire can be obtained from florists shops in small coils and brass wire is available from the larger craft shops,you need to seek it out.
Copper tube or rod is obainable from model engineer supplies or steel stockholders and has many uses,dont forget if you bend it to use the proper bending restrainer tools to avoid kinking,it solders up beautifully and also bonds by soldering to tinplate providing that it is properly tinned ( a term for priming and chemically cleaning the metal prior to soldering )
Apart from actually buying wire and tube always keep your eyes open for other sources,old broken antennae's makes good material for certain jobs,also offcuts of alloy tube can sometimes be picked up for a few shillings.
Best way to store your wire and tube is in discarded card tubes from iron on film covering etc,just plug one end with a balsa disc glued into place.
First on the list is good old piano wire,originally marketed as music wire due to its associations with the piano industry,this much maligned material is so distant from its origin that it can hardly be called what it really is,the fact is that extruded wire is a rare find these days and many types of wire sold in shops are in fact silver steel rod,true piano wire will withstand up to quite a bit of abuse,if it springs back it will immediately right itself,try a modern substitute which bends out of place and stays there ! the thicker extruded wire substitute in fact is quite brittle,try cutting half way through and it will sometimes shatter.
Not a lot we can do about this dilemma in modern marketing,the days when the requisite for complicated springs and motor hooks to be made from such a material is a thing of the past.
Another thing is that some gauges have vanished from the shelves,20 swg for example is now difficult if impossible to obtain,and if you find it then snap it up quickly.
Leading on to brass rod,this is obtainable in 18 inch lengths from those useful metal centres displayed in model shops,the problem here is that the popular sizes sell quickly and it can be months,years before the dealer stocks up again,make sure that you get the correct tube sizes as the are two sizes in circulation.
Soft wire can be obtained from florists shops in small coils and brass wire is available from the larger craft shops,you need to seek it out.
Copper tube or rod is obainable from model engineer supplies or steel stockholders and has many uses,dont forget if you bend it to use the proper bending restrainer tools to avoid kinking,it solders up beautifully and also bonds by soldering to tinplate providing that it is properly tinned ( a term for priming and chemically cleaning the metal prior to soldering )
Apart from actually buying wire and tube always keep your eyes open for other sources,old broken antennae's makes good material for certain jobs,also offcuts of alloy tube can sometimes be picked up for a few shillings.
Best way to store your wire and tube is in discarded card tubes from iron on film covering etc,just plug one end with a balsa disc glued into place.