Where can I find metal wire?

[flying_dutchman2]

Hi, 

Where can I get metal wire and it cannot be shiny?

 

I am running out of my different types of wire. Such as 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 gauge steel wire. 

 

I use it mainly around my deadeyes, chain plates, preventer and some other uses. 

It needs to be easy to be d into shape and avain I hate shiny material. 

Any recommended websites or stores? 

 

Thank you in advance. 

Marcus 

[Jaager]

https://www.mcmaster.com/copper/shape~wire/

 

McMaster-Carr might be worth a look.

 

If you wish to be independent about this  - a fat wire and a jewelers draw plate with a series of hoes in your range of interest would allow for that.

But wire that is hard can be  difficult to pull.   Steel has the advantage of becoming soft if you heat it and allow it to cool slowly.  Then when it is the desired gauge it can be hardened.

Copper and brass cannot be hardened by heat and quench - the more you work it, the harder it gets.

[druxey]

Might I recommend not using steel or iron wire - it may rust. Use either brass or copper wire. To get rid of shine, either lightly sand with fine (400 grit) paper or, better, use a coloring agent such as the Jax range of chemical colorants:

 

https://jaxchemical.com/product-category/colorants/

[Laggard]

I naively tried to use piano wire.   It’s almost impossible to work with. Ugh. 

[wefalck]

Try molybdenum and you will love piano wire

 

However, the hard temper can be drawn out of piano wire by cautiously heating it up with a torch. The different oxidation colours will give you an indication of the hardness:

 

 

Try on samples until you get the hardness/springiness you want and then always heat to that temperature.

[bridgman]

Marcus:

Considering your location,I might suggest some place like Ace hardware or a local farmers supply store. Their stock of materials 

can be amazing, my local Ace even stocks K&S brass tubing. 

Bridghman Bob

[flying_dutchman2]

@Jaager

Thanks for the link and will take a look at. Sounds promising. 

 

@druxey

Thanks for the link and I have heard of that material. 

 

@Laggard

I don't have access to that and was never planning to use it. 

 

@wefalck

Thanks. Just for some wire your suggestion is pretty elaborate. 

 

@bridgman@bridgman Bob

Great idea. There is an Ace store a town over and a TSC (tractor supply co.) couple of miles from here. 

 

Never knew they sell K&S metals. Good to know. I know it is a Chicago company and in the past you could not order from them but I checked that recently and it seems that now you can. I always purchased that from Micromark and they are still the cheapest around. 

Marcus 

[mtaylor]

If you have a hobby shop near by, most (but not all) carry the K&S line.

[Roger Pellett]

Our local Ace has a K&S display and  a good wire selection.  My only gripe is that the overdo the “Helpful Hardware” business.  Whenever I go into the store, someone sticks to me like a leech.  If they’d just leave me alone they might be surprised what I might buy.

[allanyed]

I use Ace and HD and others but I find better pricing on line and one or two day delivery most of the time..   Copper is great for deadeye chains as it can be blackened with LoS in situ.

For me I prefer brass where the item has to be stiff such as a hook.

Allan

 

 

[flying_dutchman2]

@mtaylor

Thanks

 

@Roger Pellett

I'll check the Ace store for the wire and thanks for the heads up on the over done customer service.

 

@allanyed

"better prices online"? Are you willing to share your sources, websites? 

"blackened by LoS in situ". Please explaine. 

Thanks. 

 

I have bought wood from hobby Lobby but never saw any k&s metals. 

 

Marcus 

[Bob Cleek]

16 hours ago, Roger Pellett said:

Our local Ace has a K&S display and  a good wire selection.  My only gripe is that the overdo the “Helpful Hardware” business.  Whenever I go into the store, someone sticks to me like a leech.  If they’d just leave me alone they might be surprised what I might buy.

That's odd.  I'm always looking for a clerk to tell me where what I'm looking for is located. Try dressing like you were going to church and see if that helps. Definitely do not wear a hoodie! You may be the victim of "retail security profiling." Is it possible you're setting off the "shoplifter alarms" every time you walk into the store?     

Edited October 26, 2021 by Bob Cleek

[Bob Cleek]

Metal wire of many kinds can be found in stores that carry beading supplies. I suppose it may be a regional thing, but in my area there are a few "bead stores" that carry nothing but supplies for "hobby beaders." They have lots of types of wire and beads that can be useful for ship modeling.

 

Also, I've found some electrical parts are wound with salvageable copper wire, often in very fine gauges, which may be useful. You often have to clean off insulating coating, sometimes simply shellac, which is soluble in alcohol. The wire can be stripped by running it through a draw plate. 

[Jaager]

1 hour ago, flying_dutchman2 said:

Please explaine. 

I think what Allan is saying is that - he attaches the chain plates as raw copper.  He then paints it with Liver of Sulfur to blacken it. 

The copper would need to be absolutely clean after it was attached.  Doing it this way, none of the blackened coating would be lost vs if it had been blackened prior to attachment.

This suggests that LoS leaves a coating that is easily abraded back to raw copper.  

[mtaylor]

2 hours ago, Bob Cleek said:

That's odd.  I'm always looking for a clerk to tell me where what I'm looking for is located. Try dressing like you were going to church and see if that helps. Definitely do not wear a hoodie! You may be the victim of "retail security profiling." Is it possible you're setting off the "shoplifter alarms" every time you walk into the store?     

 

Well, then the hoodie would be a surefire way to get some assistance.

 

 

[Bob Cleek]

2 hours ago, mtaylor said:

 

Well, then the hoodie would be a surefire way to get some assistance.

 

 

You'd think so, but in my case, if they took one look at the white beard on this old phart, that would exclude me from the thug category.  

[Roger Pellett]

This guy pounces as soon as I come through the door.  It doesn’t matter what I’m wearing.

[Keith Black]

 Marcus, see the below link. This is great wire for stropping blocks. The only problem is that it only comes in 24 and 28 GA. 

 

https://www.dickblick.com/products/ook-dark-annealed-specialty-wire/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=33418-1024&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-4j26sbp8wIVJGpvBB2EXgJrEAQYAyABEgI9S_D_BwE

 

[allanyed]

Marcus

I usually just do an Amazon search for whatever I need, be it copper wire spools, sheet stock or ????   Thanks to Mr. Bezos, I pay less, get things fast, and have more time to be in the shop rather than burning gas and time going shopping.      I am a fan of McMaster Carr and Grainger for some things such as drill bits, fasteners, and a few other things where I want to be sure I am getting jobber quality, not junk. 

 

Yes the copper should be cleaned once you finish your soldering.    I like to file or steel wool off the excess solder, then just give it a soak in acetone to get off any residue.  Pickling is also a favorite depending on the situation.   I know it is not good to handle the parts with bare hands, but I find it is easy to dip my finger tips in acetone and wipe clean with a paper towel immediately before setting the parts in place.   RARELY  have I had a problem since doing it this way.    Rubber finger cots are a great alternative and probably better for your skin though.

 

Allan

 

[flying_dutchman2]

@Jaager

Thank you for the explanation. 

 

@Keith Black

Thanks for the link and it looks promising. 

 

@allanyed

Thank you for the method of making it black. 

 

Everyone else, the comments made me laugh. 

 

Marcus 

[Canute]

You might look into a hobby shop carrying Tichy phosphor bronze wire. They market several sizes: https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/ho_wire/Default.aspx

I have not tried to blacken it, but I have painted it.

[reklein]

Try a company called Clover House. They specialize in wire and sheet metal products for the modeler along with dry transfer sets for Model Railroaders. Oh and chain,they also have fine chain. Check online.

[Keith Black]

3 hours ago, reklein said:

they also have fine chain

 

 Bill, it seems the finest chain size they carry is 20 LPI part number 4385, they don't have part numbers 4383 or 4384.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Keith Black

[TOM G]

go here for wire.    https://modelexpo-online.com/search.asp?keyword=wire  

[Mike Dowling]

Maybe I'm a peasant but I have managed to buy wire of various gauges in copper and steel from ebay with no problem at all, other than the fact that it all comes from China like everything else!

[Dave_E]

22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32  gauge darkened annealed wire available at Blue Jacket Shipcrafters. 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Dave_E