As my wife will readily testify it's amazing the uses a modeller can find for just about any household object material or substance. The cooker bears the scars of a thousand attempts to push mold plasticard and, since I discovered its usefulness as acrylic varnish, there's never a drop of Johnsons Clear to be found. She knows who sawed three inches off the top of the broom handle, but why? Amongst the most versatile materials in this respect is the humble roll of fuse wire.
You can if you wish use those little cards from 'Acme Hardware and Video Rental' next to the fish shop on the high street. You know the kind of thing; about six inches each of three different values, only one of which is actually any use. But that's expensive and not very satisfactory, far better to find an Electricians supply store and buy it on the roll. There'll be one in your area if you trouble to look. I have four such rolls of different thicknesses which together cost less than £10 ($16:00) and which should last for years.
Uses
The different thicknesses of the various values of fuse wire will dictate the uses to which it can be put. The thickest that I use is 30amp; gun-rings, exhaust systems, engine tubing of different kinds are just some of the uses. Lately a friend has introduced me to Anglers lead wire, which anglers use in making fishing
weights , which is of similar diametre to 30 amp and can be employed for the same modelling purposes. For lesser values, 2-15 amp, the most common use is rigging wires and for this some preparation is necessary.
Roll With It
First select the thickness most suited to the application and cut a six inch length. In 1/48 scale 15 amp is best for the longer rigging wires, whilst the shorter incidence and control wires can be replicated with 10 or even 5 amp. To take the springiness out of the wire, ensuring that it will stay straight and toning down the brightness of the nickel coating, it must next be anealed. Quickly run the wire through a candle flame and then wipe off the soot and grease with a tissue. Remember this stuff is supposed to break when subjected to heat, so don't hang about. Place the piece on a flat hard surface (glass is ideal) then with another piece of glass or the back of a steel rule roll it back and forth until straight. Cut to size and glue in place with Kristal Klear or PVA. It can be be picked up either with tweazers or a damp paint brush. The same damp paint brush can be used to guide it gently into place and remove the excess glue. Tackle double flying wires by gluing two peices together and leaving to set before placing them on the model. In 1/72 the smaller sizes can be used for all applications, but fuse wire is not really suitable for all but the smallest subject in larger scales such as 1/32. It can still be used for the shorter lengths, but for the main rigging check out steel handrail wire as used by the model railway fraternity
Lacing
Many WW1 aircraft displayed prominent fabric lacing, particularly on fuselage sides, and this can be a problem when scratch building or is often absent or over done in plastic kits. My method of replicating this feature works well in 1/48 or 1/32, but is not appropriate to 1/72 where it would be over scale. In any case such a level of detail is over egging the pudding in smaller scales. Anything over 1/32 requires a more detailed approach, but this might be a good place to start. For this we need the 5 amp wire (which need not be anealed or perfectly straight for this application), a threaded bolt of similar pitch to our fabric lacing, and some sticky tape. Tape the wire, top and bottom, along the length of the bolt. I have to wear my reading glasses for the next bit. Push the wire into each screw thread with the thumb nail, forming a series of indented vees. Incorragable nail biters may use a plastic picnic knife. Cut to length and attach to the model with two or three coats of varnish. When the model is painted the lacing can highlighted by dry brushing, or lightly sanding until the primer is exposed.
Other uses for fuse wire are legeon and include undercarriage bungees, harness fastenings, and instrument bezels. I do hope that someone out there in cyberspace finds some of this useful. Coming down the pike...my own take on scratch building wings and a Nieuport 16 conversion combining Eduard and Smer kits.
