How I "paint" rigging wire

[Beychevelle]

Rigging...one of the things that caused me some headaches. The rigging itself, but also the material.
 
Always used fishing line (monofilament) for this, but it always looks like...what it is...a fishing line
 
So there's Ez line, but even before I used it...it lost it's strenght. When I pulled it just a bit...the stuff fell apart.
I don't dare to use this...besides...I don't like the flatness of it.
 
Tried Albion Alloys thin steel wire, but I'm too clumsy to make that look good.
 
So...back to where I came from...fishing line.
 
This morning, after some coffee I had a brain wave....try pigments!
 
To make it adhere better...I pulled the line over a fine sanding stick a few times.
Dipped my thumb and index finger in a mixture of smoke black and dark steel pigment powder...a drop of liquid plastic cement (I used Revell) on each finger. Pulled the line between both fingers a few times.
 
And this is the result....

 

it's a 0.12mm thick line. The line on top is after...on the bottom is before.

 

Pretty happy with the result and it was 5 minutes work. Cleaning my fingers took much longer

[wackyracer]

Great tip thanks.

 

you could also try Uschi rigging material. 3 sizes and works a treat.

[Beychevelle]

Thanks,

 

I must have a spool of the Ushi wire somewhere, but no clue where I put it...can't find it. It will pop up again I guess

 

...but isn't that basicly Ez line? The crumbling (original) Ez line scared me. does the stuff dry out over time?

 

Not looking forward to have to redo the rigging of finished models sooner or later

 

[JeroenPeters]

Thnx for the tip!

[RalphSarc]

Oh very cool!! I use strip styrene in sizes ranging from .010 to .035 as rigging. It's easily cut and installed using small drops of CA. It's also easily painted and with brass paint applied to each end to simulate brass turnbuckles looks very realisitic in my opinion!

[wackyracer]

Thanks,

 

I must have a spool of the Ushi wire somewhere, but no clue where I put it...can't find it. It will pop up again I guess

 

...but isn't that basicly Ez line? The crumbling (original) Ez line scared me. does the stuff dry out over time?

 

Not looking forward to have to redo the rigging of finished models sooner or later

 

No its different to Ez and its not flat either. Alex doesn't claim it to be completely round but its very close. He was chatting to a guy at scalemodel world about the exact subject.

[Beychevelle]

Ah, ok, thanks a lot. I'll use it for my completely rediculous stash of 1/48 WWI biplanes.

 

...when I can find it

[TeWika]

I must try your method- thanks!

[Beychevelle]

Oh darn! I shoulda kept my mouth shut and started a small after market business

 

Feels a bit like the laminated wooden prop painting tool I invented a few years ago...post it somewhere and someone starts to sell it soon after

 

Ah well, such is life