QUOTE (John Webb @ 15 Aug 2007, 11:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>(ii) if you do get a thin wire/thread it is difficult to tension;
This is very true. The same problem presents itself when modelling overhead wire equipment.
It is very difficult to get thin materials to hang nicely in smaller scales because they simply don't have the mass needed to create their own tension. Cotton type threads are particularly bad at this, and also give a 'hairy' appearance because of the nature of their construction.
Adding artificial tension simply by pulling on the ends gives far too straight a result. Hanging wires are always installed with extra length to allow for contraction in cold weather, and hence always form a catenary (or hyperbolic cosine) curve.
There are only two candidates I have found which come close in my opinion, having looked into this on and off myself intermittently over many years.
The first was a very thin elastic thread, which came on a reel - and I've no idea what I did with it! I'm pretty sure it came from a sewing shop or similar.
The second is so-called micro-wire or micro-braid, which is a very small diameter rope wire - usually made of stainless steel, and hence rather expensive.
This is very true. The same problem presents itself when modelling overhead wire equipment.
It is very difficult to get thin materials to hang nicely in smaller scales because they simply don't have the mass needed to create their own tension. Cotton type threads are particularly bad at this, and also give a 'hairy' appearance because of the nature of their construction.
Adding artificial tension simply by pulling on the ends gives far too straight a result. Hanging wires are always installed with extra length to allow for contraction in cold weather, and hence always form a catenary (or hyperbolic cosine) curve.
There are only two candidates I have found which come close in my opinion, having looked into this on and off myself intermittently over many years.
The first was a very thin elastic thread, which came on a reel - and I've no idea what I did with it! I'm pretty sure it came from a sewing shop or similar.
The second is so-called micro-wire or micro-braid, which is a very small diameter rope wire - usually made of stainless steel, and hence rather expensive.
