NEEDED: little springs and things

Astro-Man · Post by **Astro-Man** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 1:50 pm

I was wondering if anybody out there that has built an SF3D (now known as Ma.K. 3000) model kit and has used the kit supplied coiled springs for the power hoses knows where I can find more of these great little coiled springs. I plan on building the AMT/Ertl Imperial Speeder bike kit and the segmented hoses they give you for the underside are horrible, with thick mold lines and ejector pin marks on them they pretty lame. I want to replace them but wish I knew were to get those long, hose-like springs Nitto uses in their kits. Any body know?

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 2:18 pm

Like these? Or these?

Maybe SSM could carry them.

Astro-Man · Post by **Astro-Man** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 2:31 pm

Yes, thats the ticket! Those would work very nicely for replacing the power hoses in my Imp. Speeder biker! It seems on my copy of the Speeder bike model a lot of the little detail parts suffer from some bad castings and heavey flash, its Ertl so I guess it is to be expected I mean how old is that kit? Vintage 1983, but thanks for the tip, Kylwell! Those would make excellent addtions to the wonderful SSM Store and come to think of it, Wave's sci-fi detail parts would be right at home here. OneZero, you gettin' all this?

Scott Hasty · Post by **Scott Hasty** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:06 pm

Or, go to your local music shop and get a set of guitar strings....

Scottie

Bomech1 · Post by **Bomech1** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:28 pm

If your really strapped form cash ck out the local brake shop. they replace wheel seals every time they repack or replace wheel bearings. The wheel seals have various size springs in them. a little brakekleen and you have all the springs you need in different sizes for free.
Brian

Kekker · Post by **Kekker** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:41 pm

You could do what I've done for my Mercury - take one flexible wire (I'm using solder) and wrap it around and around with brass bead wire. The scale you need would drive the size of the wires. Both come in various sizes, and the bead wire also comes in a nice shiny silver. With the solder core, it's nice and flexible and you can pose it as needed.

Also works for airhoses in plane cockpits.

Kev

eeun · Post by **eeun** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 1:06 pm

Check out dollar stores and jewellery displays. I found a treasure-trove of bracelets made from coiled springs, just like the ones supplied with Ma.K/Dorvack models.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 1:09 pm

As a side note, I've also taken soft solder and rolled it across a large file to make textured tubing.

Astro-Man · Post by **Astro-Man** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 1:40 pm

Hey, thanks guys! These are some great tips on finding some good replacment parts for my speeder bike underside. I can only imagine how interesting and expensive the Imperial Speeder bike and for that matter all SW vehicles had Nitto Ltd. been tapped to do the SW kits. One thing is for sure, they'd all come with little tubes, springs, wires, pins, and photo etched parts for much sharper details. But, you'd still have to find resin replacement figures for the starfighter cockpits!!

Again, thanks everyone! Nice to know I'm in good company here at SSM!

big-dog · Post by **big-dog** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:48 pm

Check this out, using electric guiater strings, as mentioned:

http://www.spacemodelmania.com/models/g ... _sbike.htm

For larger diameters bass strings could be used. WalMart sell's 'em too, don't know how good they sound, but for this application who cares? And they're cheap as chips.

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 9:14 pm

For those of us who are NOT guitar people, here's some inflamation.

As big-dog suggested I went to Wally World and bought a set of CHEAP gittar strings for $3.50 US.

Sizes?

Bare steel (antennas!) - you get .012 and .016 inch diameter plain steel wire.

Phosphor Bronze wrapped wire (hozes! Cables!) - comes in .025, .032, .042, and .053 inch diameter wires - steel core wire wrapped with phosphor bronze wire so it's ribbed.

Length? A bit over 3 feet. Lotsa cabling goodness for a few bucks.

These are "FirstAct brand - Acoustic Guitar Strings - Phosphor Bronze RoundWound - Light Gauge for extra punch and light string tension". They have fancier cables... er strings... but why bother? Unless the 'heavy gague' are even thicker! READ the back of the package!

Or, mug your local guitar picker for his used strings....

But do it nicely, O.K.?