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By the way, what gauge wire do people generally use for grab handels, I guess I could just look at it against the plastic ones and see if ti looks right but I thought I'd ask.
I found a braid of copper wire, and thought I'd undwind it and use the single pieces to make grab handels, and whatever else I can find.
And I know I'm getting into tiny details but, could I also strip a chord - from anything - and use the single wires to replicate fuel/washer fluid/elctrical lines, both for armor and auto engines?
Hi Jaredt. For the right wire diameter you should look you reference pics, not the plastic parts. Handles made in plastic are always to thick to be realistic and that's the reason why you should substitute them to improve your models.
They are different kind of wire which you should use.
You can use for exemple the inner metallic part of telephonic cables
Is very easy to bend and cheaper than the copper and the brass wires.
During my hobby career I've collected a lot of them which i keep in a big box.
You can utilize also the guitar cord. Is a little bit more expensive solution, but guitar strings are made in spring steel so they are very thin but strong. They are perfect if you would that your handles are perfectly straight . Guitar string are also ideal to reproduce antennas and thiny wire mesh frames.
You can reproduce in a very convincing way the motor cables using the thiny copper wires that you can find in electric motors (the correct term is "solenoid")
Obviously you shouldn't buy an electric motor
...just try to find a wrecked one. Otherwise you can find very thiny wires also in common electric cables
To bend the cables I advise you to keep a good needle nose plier (a smooth jaw one could be very adequate for your needs)
You can find the best pliers in the electronic device shops or in the best hobby stores. You can use it also to bend the smaller PE parts
To cut the wire you shouldn'use the cutter. The best way to cut metal wires...is another plier, a cut plier
Is very similar to the tool which you use to separate the kit parts from the sprue.
But be very careful. Don't use the same plier for both the operations because cutting metal wires dammage the cut plier blades.
I hope this will be helpful for you
cheers
