Hello,
I’ve seen references to the use of piano wire to simulate things like cabling, conduit, pipes, etc. Is there a reason piano wire is favored over regular copper wire? What sizes/gauges should I consider trying if I mainly build 1/72 or 1/48 aircraft?
Thanks in advance,
Jeff
You might try guitar strings. Depending on what size conduit you might try .011 to .020. Single strings are cheap and easy to find at a music store. Piano wire for the larger stuff.
I use .010" and .020" diameter solder. It’s easy to bend and cut.
Piano wire, copper wire, and brass wire have significantly different characteristics. The big, distinctive feature of piano wire is that it’s stiff. Even the smallest diameters require pliers to make a permanent bend. It’s also extremely hard. In any size larger than about 1/16", it’s best to use an abrasive cutter in a rotary tool, rather than wire cutters, to cut it. (If you do manage to cut heavy piano wire with wire cutters, it will dull the blades in a hurry.) It’s best used for applications that require it to be straight. Examples in aircraft modeling might be engine pushrods, aileron and rudder control rods, antennas, etc.
Copper wire is extremely soft. The gentlest bump - accidental or intentional - will bend it. It’s extremely easy to work with (it can be cut with a pair of scissors or an Xacto knife, and solderred easily), and comes in quite a variety of sizes. It’s most conveniently available, perhaps, from places that specialize in electronics. A cheap pair of earphones for a Walkman or Ipod from Radio Shack, for instance, will yield a huge amount of incredibly fine copper wire. Just strip off the insulation and separate the individual strands. (They may have some sort of insulation applied to them individually; if so, and if it causes a problem, you can probably burn it off in a few seconds over a candle flame.) Copper wire is useful for simulating wiring harnesses in cockpits, wheel wells, engines, etc. - anyplace where you want to be able to bend the wire into small-radius curves. It’s not so great for such things as antennas, which are supposed to be straight and stiff. Fine diameter copper wire isn’t able to support itself in lengths greater than an inch or so.
Brass wire is a compromise between the two: softer than piano wire, stiffer than copper wire. I’m a big fan of brass wire for ship modeling. It can be obtained in quite a variety of sizes from hobby shops that cater to model railroaders. (Take a look at the range offered by Detail Associates.) It’s generally sold in straight lengths, rather than spools. If a piece of copper wire is too stiff for your purposes, try holding it over a candle flame till it turns red. Then let it cool. The brass will now be just about as soft as copper wire of the same diameter.
Hope that helps a little. Good luck.
Thanks for commenting, everyone! That helped a lot!
Cheers,
Jeff