steel tow cables

[woodcutter]

can anyone tell me what the 1/35 cable that is available in the aftermarket business really is? is it made up especially for model builders or is this stuff used for other purposes that can be had in bulk for less $. Five bucks for about 10" is a bit rough.

 

[G Cooper]

Hiya Woodcutter.

There are a couple of diffrent ways to go for tow cables.

This is one alternative from Tiger Models. I use these sets, and I can say that they are absolutley awsome, and simple to use.

http://www.tigermodels.com/Shop/picserve.cgi?picserve=German/10004Full.jpg

You can order them here if you want. They are the very first item at the top of the page.

http://www.tigermodels.com/Shop/agora.cgi?cart_id=442.24790&product=Tigermodels&user4=German&xm=on

It has enough collars for 8 cables (16 ends) and 5 feet (not scale, but actual feet)of the line for $6.50. But I suggest if this is for you, to stock up as Tiger Models as it is now is going out of business. But they are going to return in a diffrent form. I don't really know what that means, except that some of their items I think are going to dissapear. And right now, there is no way to know what will go, and what will carry over to the new company that comes out of this.


Also another possibility that I have used before is something that I have seen in more than one hardware store. It is plain cabled copper wire found in the electrical dept that comes packaged in 10 foot lenghts for use as pull cords on light fixtures. It is cheap and just the right size to glue on to the ends of the kit supplied cable ends.

And the one I was using over 25 years ago and is super super cheap, is speaker wire. It is also available at most hardware stores for pennies per foot. The only down side to this alternative is that you have to strip the insulation, but that is quite simple and quick.


Gary B)

 

[woodcutter]

thanks guys I knew there had to be a different way than what I was doing. I had been using picture hanging wire but I'm not happy with the way it looks. Recently I bought some cable stock from barrel depot and is good stuff but it is pricey. The vinyl cable parts in the ZVEZDA KV are not that good and I wanted something better.

 

[Ozzie Jo]

I use copper wire for mine and it is maleable and up to the task. Better still it is free if you want to spend the time to strip down some old unwanted electrical wiring. Headphones,powercord,anything will do.

To get a nice even pattern going on attatch both ends to pencils or whatever and twist them both while applying pressure to keep the wire straight. Looks a little neater than from one end only ... or at least that is my ascertation after trying several ways.

The thinner guage copper wire is also very good if you want to make your own barbed wire.