Hi! I have been trying to find a suitable string to use as cables for various model detail applications. I saw an M26 Dragon Wagon elsewhere on this site where the builder used woven line wiped with graphite to produce a super realistic cable. It was so exact looking it blew me away.

My Dad ran a radio and appliance repair service on Long Island, NY many, many years ago. He used a woven 300 lb test fishing line to replace the dial string in radios he repaired. It immediately came to mind as being perfect. I couldn't find it anywhere local because nothing quite that big swims around here, well nothing non-human anyway. I had a brother who still lives on the Island check to see if he could find it. The string is still available but now runs almost $200.00 for a spool these days. Too rich for my blood!

Locally, all I can find at sporting goods stores are various colors and strengths of monofilament nylon (synthetic) line which is OK for some detail work, but not cables. (the biggest I could find was 40 lb test) The string I can find at hardware stores is either too fuzzy, too coarse, or impregnated with wax or something that would make applying any finish difficult at best. I have looked on the internet but I am not familiar with the materials and names of the various types / brands of line sold to make an educated choice.

Can someone provide me with a brand, type, source, etc. for a suitable woven string to use as 1/35 armor tow cables and also a size for heavier cabling such as would be used on an M88 main winch (I think it was 2 1/2" or 3" realworld sized) and other recovery vehicle winches that had 1" - 5/8" cables? I really like the graphite coating and likely that's what I would do. Help appreciated as always.

Jim, I've used picture hanging wire in the past. You have to take apart the strands as the original piece is too thick. I put a few strands together, chucked one end in an electric drill, and spun it until it was tightly wound. You have to experiment with how many strands to use to get the right diameter. The good thing about it is that it is real steel cable and there are no fuzzies on it like are found when using string.

Hi! I hadn't even thought of using actual wire and being an electronics tech you would think I would have considering I use individual copper wire strands to make springs, wires, fuel lines, linkages, etc. for my race car model builds. I think using the picture hanging cable would be perfect for tow cables and the like but I don't think it would be well behaved wound on a winch drum as with the Dragon Wagon build I mentioned. I think I have some of it around the house I will hunt up. Maybe I'll check some vintage electronics supply sites to see if maybe shorter lengths of something suitable is obtainable there. I have a FAMO with trailer, an M123 Dragon Wagon tractor, an M26 recovery truck, an M26 Dragon Wagon with trailer, an M578 recovery vehicle, 2 M88s, an M543A2 5 ton wrecker, and a Bergenpanzer all with fully exposed or partially exposed winches on the build pile so I hope more suggestions come. I saw the OSHKOSH M1070 HET is due to be released soon if not already out, so I will have one of those to add in as well. Tomorrow I start stripping wire and experimenting.

hey,

Ive had very good results using this.very easy to work with,and paint.
,the silver cord that i used to run the rigging ,I've also used for tow cables,it's made by a company,named Westrim Crafts ,style 179,,75 yds. ,,2 Ply Lame Silver,reverse side of label is also writen,, 179-PE-003. it's made in Taiwan,and appears to be distrib by Westrim Crafts,Van Nuys,Calif. 91406. UPC code is 48492 03386.I buy it at Michael's Arts&Craft .







hope this helps.
Joe

Hi Joe. Yes it does. We have a Hobby lobby here that I think i will go visit. Thank you for your help. BTW: is that a recovery conversion kit in your pictures or was that from a "complete" recovery kit?

hey Jim,

hope that cord,work for you,when painting it,I use a slightly ,thinned out dark steel,with a touch of Rust mixed in.

As for as the M32 goes,Italeri makes the M32 TRV,which is based on the M4A1 hull(which makes it a M32B1),concerns have been,if the Large Hatched A1;s where used,for the M32,I dont know,but it's still a fun model to build,but as you can tell,this one is on a M4A3 hull(which makes this one a M32B3),it was a matter of acquiring two Italeri models,the M32 and their M4A3 with Calliope(rocket Launcher),and took all of the recovery parts from their M32 ,and used them on their M4A3,because the engine deck is different,the side tool boxes where left off,and I had to scratch build the brackets that mount the "A" boom.





had a spare set of DML suspension and indy tracks ,this is a on going build for the SHERMAN'S campaign,their are two of us building a M32,both are slightly different,if you go to the campaign's forum and find the Sherman's thread,you can follow are builds,along with other Sherman builds.

Joe

Looks nice, but your tracks are on backwards. And what's up with the color of the spare return rollers mounted on either side of the rear deck? They look a bit funky.

Rob

Why would anyone want to find string for tow cables when they are extraordinarily good products from specialized companies such as Karaya or a whole range of new cables from SKP?

Avoiding the mighty peso JIm! More power to 'em...
I'll add my piece by saying that some picture frame wire is dead-on for size and strand number. I also remember 'acquiring' some from a classroom drawing board. The clear- plastic covered wire that connected the clips holding the T square to the board was a perfect scale (once you sliced off the covering with a sharp #11... )

I'll second that! A few feet of ordinary two-core cable should supply enough wire for dozens of kits and will cost shirt-buttons. The way I did it was to spend about sixty quid every few years on a new lawnmower and save the cable from the old one. See - really cheap!

perhaps because not everybody is aware of such products and the companies that make them? maybe cost? maybe for the simple pleasure of creating something? anybody can BUY a premade cable; not everybody can CREATE a realistic looking one. my main need is still winding the cable on winch drums which will require longer lengths and something malleable enough to be wound.

Went to Karaya's site. I found the cable listing but any attempt at looking at the catalog got a 404 page not found error. Went to SKP and they have some nice cables, at least the few i saw images of. From the looks of it they are buying bulk variously sized metal wire and cutting to length. throw in a couple cable ends and they've got a kit.

Oh, I believe everybody could create one, just takes a small amount of effort.

and someone to give a hint as to what to use?