Tips for wiring/cabling?

[LooseSeal]

Hello! So I'm starting my second model of the year (Tamiya 1/32 F-16CJ) and I'd like to try adding my own details this time round, and thought I'd start with extra cabling around the engine.

 

Can anyone give some tips or provide a link to a good article about this topic? At the moment I'm not entirely sure on what type of material (lead wire, aluminium, electrical wiring?) to use, the best way to bend them to shape or which particular glue is best to use. I got some aluminium tubing, but it seems so difficult to actually bend into the right shape.

[larchiefeng]

Different diameters of solder or solid copper wire work well because they are easy to bend

[LotusArenco]

The wiring on this was done with lead and brass wire all glued with superglue.

 

The lead wire is cheaper if bought in a fishing tackle shop as it’s used for fly tying. It’s available in different thicknesses, but you can roll lengths of it under a flat surface like a steel rule to make it even thinner. If needed you can even give it a texture (like a braided hose) if you roll a fine file over it.

 

Edit: Forgot to say, if you anneal copper or brass wire first it’ll make it softer and less brittle and much easier to bend. Using lead wire avoids this, as it’s so soft to begin with.

 

Mart

Edited August 7, 2018 by LotusArenco

[little-cars]

You can also use coloured enameled copper wire if you don' want to mess about painting them.

We've been selling a wide range of these for the last 15 years.

 

Just bend the wire to shape and glue i with PVA  or CA glue.

 

Detailing wires from modellingtools.co.uk

 

Paul

[dnl42]

Lead wire works quite well. Easy to route and finish.

[Rumblestripe]

Ethernet cable, lovely thin copper wire. Ask your chums in the IT department for some with broken ends we rarely bother to repair them and chuck them for WEEE recycling.

[BP85]

In my 1/48 Spitfire I added some wiring using 0.5mm copper wire fixed with superglue. Not the most workable material but doesn't require painting for WWII kind of things at least. 

 

 

 

 

[hammett98]

On 12/5/2018 at 9:40 PM, Rumblestripe said:

Ethernet cable, lovely thin copper wire. Ask your chums in the IT department for some with broken ends we rarely bother to repair them and chuck them for WEEE recycling.

you sir are a genius. I told my wife that giant box of spare cables would come in handy one day. And 30 years later = in yer face wifey!

[thorfinn]

On 8/7/2018 at 6:08 PM, dnl42 said:

Lead wire works quite well. Easy to route and finish.

My very favorite detailing material.

Ridiculously easy to shape, but firm enough that it won't 'wander,' It can also be given a fabric-like texture by rolling it over sandpaper or a file.

Can be had in a useful assortment of sizes at fishing stores:

 

 

 

 

Here's a recent example, wiring up the wireless on my in-progress Mustang III:

 

 

[Torbjorn]

I slaughter old crappy electronic devices. Cheap kids’ RC cars (the type that costs £5-10 that the kids  get for birthday presents from their peers and usually break before the party is over is daddy’s favourite) contain enough small-diameter wire for many models. 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Old guitar string's the metal kind, is good for braided hoses, and pilots air hoses and comes in multiple diameters. Plenty of musicians on the forum so you might be able to get some for free if you ask in the wanted area. 

 

Dennis

[Red Dot]

Another vote for ethernet cables.

 

Never twist them together though, as that is a big no-no when routing cables on the real things. 

 

Remember to simulate connectors on the ends and clips along cables runs. Wires do not route over sharp edges or hot bits either. 

 

Does my head in when I see this on models!! Guess what I used to do as a job.

 

Andy