2mm bendable wire for modeling?

[steveo3002]

i need to make something quiet tricky from 2mm (ish) wire

obiviously ive got coat hanger wire and fencing wire kicking about and while i can bend it by hand its not really what id call workable as its pretty stiff

is there something avail thats nicer to work with?

p.s can be any material that looks like 2mm bar

[DieselGriff]

Solder - comes in a variety of thickness's, quite easily shaped, retains shape (usually) and is cheap.

[steveo3002]

yeah id thought of that thanks , needs to be a little more solid than solder

thanks anyway

[Piersman2]

Wire coat hanger? That must be near 2mm.

[Meoricin]

steveo3002 said:

i need to make something quiet tricky from 2mm (ish) wire

obiviously ive got coat hanger wire and fencing wire kicking about and while i can bend it by hand its not really what id call workable as its pretty stiff

is there something avail thats nicer to work with?

p.s can be any material that looks like 2mm bar

Have you considered plastic? Styrene rods come in all sorts of sizes.

You'll find bending your current wire easier if you heat it first, though you'll obviously need a clamp and pliers (or two sets of pliers).

[steveo3002]

ive got some others bits of styrene and it doesnt seem to bend easily with any kind of control

its a complex thing im trying to bend , possibly beyond my skills lol

see the tube/mesh frame that zig zags above the wheel area and goes over the roof , thats what im having a go at

[DieselGriff]

If solder is too pliable then the next best alternative to my mind would be copper wire. Slightly harder to bend but not as bad as coat hanger and holds it's shape.

[steveo3002]

right , where do i get copper wire ?

[DieselGriff]

steveo3002 said:

right , where do i get copper wire ?

Whenever I've used it it has come from stripping electrical cable so that could be a start, your local DIY place may do it without the insulation.

[Mr Pointy]

Maybe try florist's wire? They use it to hold flower arrangements in shape & it's very easy to work with. I'm not sure if it goes as big as 2mm though.

[Meoricin]

steveo3002 said:

ive got some others bits of styrene and it doesnt seem to bend easily with any kind of control

its a complex thing im trying to bend , possibly beyond my skills lol

see the tube/mesh frame that zig zags above the wheel area and goes over the roof , thats what im having a go at

Are you heating the material you're using? If you heat it enough to soften it you should be able to bend styrene or metal freely, and then let it cool to shape.

[steveo3002]

tried the styrene and yes it bends but with no control

what im saying i can bend coat hanger wire etc , but not to level of acuracy i need

will look at copper wire , ive got some old wire in the shed but was hoping i could buy nice straight bits

[5705]

16SWG wire is 1.6mm so I'd imagine that 14SWG must be about 2mm diameter?

Look here: http://www.rapidonline.com/Cables-Connectors/Equip...

There's doubtless a way of making it straight...

[DieselGriff]

I don't think getting it straight will be an issue - secured at one end it can be pulled straight - although any kinks in the wire are going to be a PITA.

[steveo3002]

right ebay has lots of aluminium hobby wire , anyone used that ?

not seeing much copper

[5705]

steveo3002 said:

right ebay has lots of aluminium hobby wire , anyone used that ?

not seeing much copper

Rapid has copper (clear enamel covered and intended for creating wound electronic components). The stuff I linked to above is copper and solder-tinned.

One other option I just remembered: very thin brass rod is used to make hinges in stained glass boxes.

[dr_gn]

Hobbycraft sell all types of wire. Personally I'd go for copper from twin and earth, anneal it by getting it red hot and air cooling then just bend it to shape. This is what I did for the water pipes on my XJR9. No problems:



2mm styrene rod is also easily bendable - just warm it over a candle before bending, or if you can. bend it to shape and then warm it slightly to stop it springing over time. The white pipes here are styrene, grey ones copper:

[steveo3002]

whats the idea with heating the wire ? what does that do

[dr_gn]

steveo3002 said:

whats the idea with heating the wire ? what does that do

Makes it easier to bend to shape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jSz11lz8MA