Hi Folks,
I am looking to add telephone lines to my Lionel telephone polls. What materials have you used which appear realistic?
Thanks for your help.
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I'm watching for advice too. Every time I've tried it I fail. The droop is hard to get right. Sewing thread tends to collect fuzzy stuff out of the air and wire is too stiff.
let's see what the experts say.
I remember a post about this some time ago. There is a company that sells model cable and such. In addition there was something you could use from Michael's.
I think if you do a search for the post you might be able to find it and get the details.
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful with the details. My memory seems to have kicked into low gear these days.
Ed
There is a company that I saw at a train show called lights4models that sell an elastic telephone line. I just looked it up and a roll of line is $10.00.There web site even showed a video of the string being stretched and bouncing back. I have not tried this product yet because I am not that far along but it looks like it should work.
My sister was with me at York when I purchased some of the elastic telephone line. She thought I was crazy paying that much. She told me that it was the same line you can buy at Walmart or a good craft store for making necklaces. She told me that it could also be bought in different colors.
Good luck.
Zac
In the past I used to build dioramas. I used very thin beading wire available at Wal-Mart in the crafts section. It doesn't cost much and it will last a long time. As I recall, several widths are available. It gets the sag just right, and a touch of CA and you are done. 
Telephone lines for some reason turn invisible right before you are working on your layout.
AG.
friend of mine had a material for telephone lines.
after installation, you could put your hands on it
and push it to the deck and the poles would stay upright
and the lines would not break. it was a stretchy material.
don't know what or where to find it, but it was fabulous.
I get my from scenic express it called EZ Line it come's in white ,black ,green ,rope & rust it is $10.99 a 100 ft.roll it will stretch and not pull over the polls .
Guy
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I have some of Berkshire Junction's wire. It's good stuff, and believe, me, you want the elesticity, otherwise its disaster . . .
http://www.berkshirejunction.com/
I used a product from JoAnn Fabric that someone suggested here on this forum about 2 years ago. I don't have great images to show it but I can show a few. The project is (sorry, can't remember now but I'll come back and say) knitting string or something like it. NOT YARN
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I checked: the product is called Crochet Thread. Mine is brand "Aunt Lydia" and is the "10 weight". It comes in a ball-shaped roll. There are various colors and weights (thicknesses), including black.
The shots shown here held up perfectly over a 5 month period.
- walt
Gentleman thanks for your help and multiple product choices.
Frank
EZ-Line from Scenic Express
Frank,
I have a big roll of dark brown sewing thread I use. I also use it for barbed wire. When I paint it with silver paint, it fuses up and looks like barbs.
Alan Graziano
I used to use thread, too. One problem is that it often won't hang right, but you can wet it with paint thinner/paint mixture and run your fingers along it both to "de-fuzz" it if you don't want that barbed wire look, and to smooth it out so it hangs realistically, once wet, then it dries nicely.
But, after rigging nine poles with power transformers and cutouts all realistics, one day I just didn't see one of the lines and snagged it while working on the layout. It pulled all the poles out and wrecked everything: looked like a tornado had hit.
Now I use only the elastic stuff. When you snag it you might bend a single pole of something, but . . . my eyes are getting too old for just thread alone
On my old layout I used fishing line
I like this elastic stuff, originally from Berkshire. It comes in several colors and looks good. You can get it at Scenic Express...100 ft for $11.
| ELASTIC TELEGRAPH AND UTILITY WIRE By Berkshire Junction! HEAVY Rust/Cooper (.006) elastic polymer line. Great for O-Scale phone lines. Other uses would be for HO trunk lines, high tension lines, guard rail lines, tie down load straps or simulated crane cables. Also available in 3 other color tones. Colors Available: Black/Charcoal, (EZ1006), Rust/Copper (EZ2006), Green (Old Copper) (EZ3006) and Natural White (EZ4006). Also available finer gauge line (.003) for N or HO phone lines or small ship rigging, simulated model truck hoses, crane cables, etc. also available. (See items EZ1003, EZ2003, EZ3003, EZ4003). |
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GVDobler posted:I'm watching for advice too. Every time I've tried it I fail. The droop is hard to get right. Sewing thread tends to collect fuzzy stuff out of the air and wire is too stiff.
let's see what the experts say.
Believe it or not I use ordinary thread. Thin for telephone lines, slightly thicker for power lines to small structures, and still thicker for power lines on poles and into larger structures. Even if black, paint it. the weight of the paint makes it slack beautifully. Break, and it's easily replaceable. Silver/gray for power lines.
My telephone lines are embroidery thread. Cheap, flexible, color choices, and available at any materiel/sewing store. For high tension lines I use the same but thicker and in silver.
The stretchy stuff is certainly safer. Just don't be tempted to pull it taut, at least not unless you are modeling rural Wisconsin in late January when it is 30 below.
this was posted a while back
I have used a product called Stretch Magic for wires. Any craft store that has beading products should carry it. It does come in different thicknesses. It's proper use is for stringing necklaces and bracelets, but makes great wire and is stretchy so is forgiving
I've eliminated the need for that kind of wire, the town on my layout has underground wiring
Bill
I'm with Matt, the elastic stuff is great. I have used thread before and you will hit it and pull down poles. Believe me you will do that. Don
I have used the stretch beading string for jewelry also. It is stretchy and forgiving. It comes in two diameters, so the thinner line can be used for power lines and the thicker lines for the telephone cable. Here are home made power poles, transformer, and the jewelry string. The string can be bought in the jewelry department at any craft store.
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EZ line is the way to go. The elasticity works so that when you invariably bump into it, it will not break or pull on the poles and you can get the proper drape. With a little dab of CA glue, it will adhere to the poles easily.
How do you hook it to the simulated glass insulators? Do you wrap it around them and glue them or not glue them. Is there a special way to wrap the string around the insulators so they stay in place?
Bill, I glued them. I used a cyanoacrylate. I brushed a tiny about of accelerator on the "insulators"..which are small jewelry beads bought at the same craft store, then strung the line and put a tiny drop of glue on the insulator. The line held fast right away. I needed to put a bit more slack in my lines to make them more realistic.
Rick
