springs and fuel lines

[noname]

I was wondering if anybody knew what diameter/gauge craft wire I would need for replicating fuel lines and brake lines. Also, has anybody ever figured out what would be the proper size wire to use for making 1/25 scale coil springs. I was in Micheal's today but I really wasn't sure what to get.  Any help would be good, thanks.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Measure the diameter of the real fuel or brake line.

Divide by 25.

[plastic-mechanic]

[noname]

Thanks guys.  I've used spark plug wire for fuel lines before and it seems that this is about right. Fuel lines can be different sizes of course but 1/2" seems to be about right (or there about).  Brake lines (I Googled it) are usually 3/16 to 1/4". So if you were going to run brake lines along the chassis of a 1/25 car it looks like around .25mm would be about right.  Seems small to me but...

I couldn't crawl under my car but I could get a measurement of the spring diameter and this was 5/8".  So I'm thinking .6mm craft wire would work well.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thanks guys.  I've used spark plug wire for fuel lines before and it seems that this is about right. Fuel lines can be different sizes of course but 1/2" seems to be about right (or there about).  Brake lines (I Googled it) are usually 3/16 to 1/4". So if you were going to run brake lines along the chassis of a 1/25 car it looks like around .25mm would be about right.  Seems small to me but...

I couldn't crawl under my car but I could get a measurement of the spring diameter and this was 5/8".  So I'm thinking .6mm craft wire would work well.

Excellent.

The numbers don't lie. Even though .25 mm may "look small", it's very close to perfectly scale-correct in 1/25 to represent a 1/4 inch line. When installed, it will look right when you compare it to a photograph of the underside of a real car. Brake lines when new are either bright silver colored or a medium olivish green these days.

Many modelers seem to err on the large side, particularly on plug wires that look like garden hose. Though 3/8 to 1/2 inch is about right for street fuel lines, maybe 5/8" OD for something with really high horsepower, 1/2 inch diameter plug wires are way too big. 

On your springs, if you're going to wind them around something to actually represent springs, you'll obviously need VERY small diameter wire to start with.

Again, many models seem to end up with throttle return springs that would be appropriate for hood hinges.  

[BigTallDad]

For the coil springs, wrap the wire around a bolt, keeping the wire in the valleys of the threads...that makes for nice, even spacing.

Edited October 3, 2016 by BigTallDad

[noname]

Thanks guys. I picked up some wire for making bracelets today. One is around  .5 mm which is handy for fuel line. The other is .6 -.7 mm which I think may work for coil springs.  But I didn't see anything that is . 25 for brake lines. Nothing stiff and flexible that is.  Just thread type material that won't hold a bend. I think the .5 mm wire may work for brake lines even though it is technically too big. I looks small in person. But then again it may look odd having fuel and brake lines the same size.

[noname]

Quick question.  When I measure the wire with my caliper I get different reading.  I wonder if I am making it tighten more one measurement to the other, or if the wire is not consistent in size?  Anybody experience this and know the answer or remedy?

Never mind I just figured out that the wire is not consistent. Or at least it appears this way. I held the caliper in the same spot and took the same measurement over again and it was within .01 each time. Then I moved along the wire and got different measurements. Ya learn something new everyday.

Edited October 3, 2016 by noname

[Harry P.]

Or maybe your caliper is loose or worn.

[noname]

No, can't be worn.  This caliper has hardly any miles on it.  I tried my analog calipers and I get the same thing. Of course you can get a slight difference of about .01 mm if you squeeze the caliper harder as the wire is soft.  But the difference from one area to another is a bit more than that. I'm thinking the wire is not consistent in diameter.  Or maybe it is slightly flat in some areas where I measure.

[Art Anderson]

Here's a chart of American Wire Gauge sizes, in decimals of an inch.  Bear in mind that all wire is made by drawing the metal through a cutter (die) that is the size the wire will be--they start with fairly large copper bar stock, and draw that metal through succeedingly smaller dies until the desired diameter is reached.  Rather then use dial or digital calipers to determine the diameter in inches or millimeters (or fractions of either one) simply go with the size indicated on the spool.  (in addition, if you must put calipers on the wire, use the flat area of the calipers, rather than the sharper, keen edges--as those can crush into soft copper very easily, which will give incorrect readings pretty much every time.

AWG chart:  http://www.rapidtables.com/calc/wire/wire-gauge-chart.htm

Art

[noname]

Some of the wire you get in the craft stores basically just say "#2" for example or "22 gauge" which I don't get. But thanks for the tip with the caliper, Art.  That may explain my issue. And I will also check out the chart. Thanks again.

[Art Anderson]

Some of the wire you get in the craft stores basically just say "#2" for example or "22 gauge" which I don't get. But thanks for the tip with the caliper, Art.  That may explain my issue. And I will also check out the chart. Thanks again.

Every spool of copper "beading wire" I have (and I see at either Michael's of Hobby Lobby)  is labeled with its AWG size.  In addition, that's perhaps the least expensive model detailing material I ever buy.

Art

[noname]

Okay I see one of the packages has in very small point the size of the wire in the corner. I buy the silver stuff.  It was like $5 a package but will last a long time.