brake lines and detail tubing

[Gil Riley]

im looking for places to buy small diameter vinyl or rubber tubing for model detail,any suggestions appreciated.

[BK9300]

Check out Teds Modeling Marketplace, under "Lines and Fittings"

https://www.tedsmodelingmarketplace.com/

[Ace-Garageguy]

Depending on the scale you're working in, small diameter insulated wire is usually much easier to find and work with than tubing, and once installed, nobody ever knows it's not tubing.

[TarheelRick]

Rummage through the Jewelry aisle of Hobby Lobby, they have quite a selection of different styles and sizes of wire and some tubing.

[Bainford]

I second Bill's suggestion; use insulated wire whenever you can. Single core wire is best. It holds it's shape and can be formed to drape well. And baring a couple mm of copper at the end of the wire provides the pin needed to attach the 'tube'.

[Gil Riley]

i should have mentioned i am building 1/16 scale funny cars and dragsters and need the tubing for fuel lines and such

[NOBLNG]

I got this at Micheals. It would be just over 1/2” diameter in 1/16 scale.

Edited December 12, 2024 by NOBLNG

[Straightliner59]

You'll do yourself a favor, if you start yourself a collection of wire. If you see something that looks like it might be useful--acquire it. Whether it's by purchase, or by found luck. You can never have too much, or too many types/sizes of wire. Insulated and bare both have their uses! The multi-colored packages are Detail Master, and old MSC wiring.

[johnyrotten]

Any old cords, scraps of wire ( both solid and braided) ect. Basically free if it's lying around. Not sure offhand what sizes work at 1/16 scale, I build 1/24-25. Home depot and the like will have thin fairly stiff wire for mending up fences and the like, word to the wise if go this route, anything that is galvanized emits nasty fumes when heated, so choose wisely. Perhaps old "coax" cable wire could be of some use to you. 

[Russell C]

My wire scrap ... in classic kit boxes. Came from everywhere over the years, mostly dead electronic devices. Other folks through out dead DVD players & computer printers, I disassemble 'em because I see model car parts in 'em.  Don't remember what the brake lines came from in my "Snoopy Steals the Red Baron" - second photo here - but it was the combo of right diameter and soft enough for easy bending but stiff enough to hold its shape. However, the TJ Models insulation wire I bought eons ago turned out to be perfect for the spark plug wires, a neat shade of red. So, commercial-bought wire is fine, too.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I can do pretty much anything that needs doing with a few different sizes of silver, single strand, insulated wire.

 

A set of 30 AWG wrapping wire in various colors is a good place to start.

30 AWG is usually a pretty good match for battery cables, various vacuum lines, etc, and when you strip the insulation, the single strand inside is pretty much perfect for fuel lines, brake lines, etc.

From there, a couple of smaller gauges will work well for plug wires, and smaller for miscellaneous firewall, fender well, and engine wiring.

Some of these smaller wires are a little more difficult to find, (usually come from China) but you can generally find them on eBay.

Something in the neighborhood of 32 AWG is about perfect for plug wires, and 36 AWG is good for most other small wires.

The smaller strands contained within these wires can be used to make items such as carburetor return springs by wrapping them around a thin rod or another piece of wire.

I don't remember the exact sizes for heater hoses or radiator hoses, as I haven't bought any for a long time, but I'm guessing around 28 or 26 for heater hose, and probably 16 or 14 for radiator hose?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve