Old School- using thread for crane cable

[DKS]

I will not be re-stringing this thing. Can we stay on topic? What ideas do you have for stiffening the thread?

I don't think I can wax it after the fact, it's too delicate for my big hands already. I do think the soldering iron or my mini torch can eliminate most if not all of the fray.

I like @narrowminded 's idea to use thinned ELMERS. I think the thread is cotton and as such a water element might doo good to actually shrink the line, like a cotton shirt in the dryer.

Sorry. Been down this road myself, and had to re-string it, because nothing really completely de-fuzzed the thread. But... good luck.

[CRL]

As a kid, I used black shoe polish paste. Then hit it with hot hair dryer. Seemed to work ok.

[Lemosteam]

As a kid, I used black shoe polish paste. Then hit it with hot hair dryer. Seemed to work ok.

Now this I got handy. Hmm.

Going to do some testing I guess.

Thanks for everyone's input!

[peteski]

Pardon  me for asking John, but the photo shows that the model is unpainted.  If you are no planning on restringing the "cable", how will you keep it from being painted with whatever paint you will use on the model?

[robert3985]

I will not be re-stringing this thing. Can we stay on topic? What ideas do you have for stiffening the thread?

You will note that there are at least two others commenting in this thread who have not yet strung their cranes.  Suggestions about what to use instead of untreated fuzzy thread will benefit them greatly as they won't be up against your problem, so comments on what to use instead of fuzzy thread will benefit others who read this who are doing something similar to your project.

Personally, when I built my first plastic sailing ship when I was a kid, I learned that waxing the thread and using linen line instead of bad-quality cotton, then waxing it with beeswax was what museum quality modelers did made me cut all of the rigging off and start over with much better results.

Oh well.  Good luck!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[nkalanaga]

"The weight of the boom is not heavy enough to make the thread taut."

Is the boom fixed in place, or is it still free to move up and down?  If it is free, can it be fixed in place, or do you need it moveable?

If it can be fixed, one way to tighten the thread would be to make sure the crane body can't move,  hang a large weight on the boom, and allow that to tighten the thread.  Once it's tight, and everything looks good, glue the boom in place.

[wvgca]

you might try that 'stretchy' thread, i know it doesn't have any where near the 'fuzz' of ordinary thread ... don't know if the boom is free if there's enough weight ?

[Lemosteam]

Pardon  me for asking John, but the photo shows that the model is unpainted.  If you are no planning on restringing the "cable", how will you keep it from being painted with whatever paint you will use on the model?

Simple silly, I will hand paint it, you know, with a brush?    Old School, remember?

[Lemosteam]

You will note that there are at least two others commenting in this thread who have not yet strung their cranes.  Suggestions about what to use instead of untreated fuzzy thread will benefit them greatly as they won't be up against your problem, so comments on what to use instead of fuzzy thread will benefit others who read this who are doing something similar to your project.

Personally, when I built my first plastic sailing ship when I was a kid, I learned that waxing the thread and using linen line instead of bad-quality cotton, then waxing it with beeswax was what museum quality modelers did made me cut all of the rigging off and start over with much better results.

Oh well.  Good luck!



Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Fair enough but I did ask a specific question.  You could tag those who do care about other materials specifically.  And you can see there were others wo did respond to the specific question.

No worries.  I make my own luck and I have no way right now of obtaining any of the suggested materials so I am stuck with the thread (no pun intended).

[peteski]

Simple silly, I will hand paint it, you know, with a brush?    Old School, remember?

I guess I'm so used to airbrushing everything, I don't think of actually brush-paining something.     Good luck with your crane!

[OldEastRR]

Thanks for the warnings and pitfalls. I think I'll use brass wire soldered to the brass boom on the crane I build. Superglue the ends to the cab. No fuzz, no wax, no heated discussions. 

[randgust]

OK, so I've done probably 4 major crane projects, the Stewart American 25-ton, a Bachmann wrecker, a burro crane, and this Bucyrus-Erie 30B.  Thread on the 25-ton and the Bachman, and wire on the Burro and BE.   Wire wins, hands down, for appearance, ease of assembly, and keeping clean from dust.   Never looks slack.





Just sayin'.   Thread always seems like the natural choice, but not always.    If you have some way of holding it taut..well... but if it's really light boom, I think wire is much better.

[Lemosteam]

Those look really nice Randy!

Thanks for sharing.

As it turns out, the CA worked great, and I was able to use the soldering iron to remove any fibers easily, but unfortunately my fat hands bumped it the wrong way and all that work snapped in a millisecond.  the thread is sill straight as an arrow.

[davefoxx]

As it turns out, the CA worked great, and I was able to use the soldering iron to remove any fibers easily, but unfortunately my fat hands bumped it the wrong way and all that work snapped in a millisecond.  the thread is sill straight as an arrow.

Just tie that thread in a knot, and you're back in business. 

DFF

[Lemosteam]

Just tie that thread in a knot, and you're back in business. 

DFF

@davefoxx this ain't HO mister!