Are you guys using any special tools to make accurate bends in hard wire?

[Monty]

Every once in a while I come across a build that has incredibly well done hard lines (I assume beading wire) for things like fuel injection, and I'm curious if there are tools I can buy to get similar results, as opposed to winging it and ending up with a less than authentic appearance. 

Links would be appreciated if you have them. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

You really don't need "hard" wire for the length of runs you'll use on a model.

Softer wire, not even as stiff as paper clip wire, is entirely acceptable.

It's stiff enough to support itself, but soft enough to be easily formed around anything of a suitable radius.

What is important though, is to use the right diameter wire to accurately represent 3 or 4 AN (brake lines), 6AN and 8AN (fuel lines), 10AN (large fuel and most oil lines), and 12AN (larger oil lines).

Edited November 11, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[NOBLNG]

Michaels has various sized round nosed pliers in the jewelry making dept. You can get smooth bends of different radius’s depending how far up the jaws you go.

Edited November 11, 2022 by NOBLNG

[OldNYJim]

Haha, @NOBLNG beat me whilst I was looking for a link…but I got an set of these at Michaels a while back, and for a cheap set of tools they work pretty well!  

The white handled ones are radiused so you can make consistent round bends, and I use them all the time on brass or thin steel rod.

There’s probably better out there…but I’ve been using mine for a couple of years and they do just what I need and haven’t given me any reason to try any others… 

 

[LL3 Model Worx]

Somewhere in my heap that I call a model room I have a jig I made several years ago for a camaro I was working on...

It's basically a small piece of maple with various sizes of nails driven into it from 2D-60D and it worked pretty good for duplicating bends that needed to be consistent. I've used it with lots of different wire... From solder wore to guitar strings and lots in between.

If I could find it I'd show a picture, but its easy enough to imagine.

 

[dragstk]

You could go to Hobby Lobby and soft beading wire. It comes in several diameters and it takes rebending real well. Just make sure you get the soft wire, not the memory wire

[customline]

On 11/10/2022 at 10:20 PM, Monty said:

Every once in a while I come across a build that has incredibly well done hard lines (I assume beading wire) for things like fuel injection, and I'm curious if there are tools I can buy to get similar results, as opposed to winging it and ending up with a less than authentic appearance. 

Links would be appreciated if you have them. 

Micro-Mark has a pretty good selection of tools. You will find this one pictured below on their website (I can't paste the link with my browser) I have used it mostly on brass rod and wire, mainly for making hinges. It works quite well for that. Gives you a nice sharp bend with little distortion.