we have so many cars needing chains for loads that buying chain detail parts would be way too expensive and need to know about possibly using sewing thread for things like chains and ropes
if there is a better and easy way to make chain and rope details cheap then would help to know
i do know about the possibility of buying pre made chain as detail parts but that is way too expensive for the number of cars we have - 1 or 2 cars would be ok but we have hundreds so need to make this detail as cheap as we can
I don’t see what the harm would be to try some painted thread. Hit the local fabric store and take a look at the different types and see what would work for you. Another thing I have seen is using black tape cut in to strips to look like tie down straps over pipe loads.
Micheal’s craft stores has small, junk jewelry chains in their beading and jewelry making section. They come on a roll and are pretty inexpensive, I haven’t bought any yet but I did see some there as I was also looking for chains for my trains. They have some that would be good for N or HO scale.
You are going to need small(really small ) chain, model ship builders use bundles of it, contact a ship model company, most junk jewelry is far too large, also try linen thread from a fabric store, and contact jewelry hobby stores, tons of neat stuff there.
i do not have access to june 2005 if that is the year you say for 05
as for the junk jewelry chain - it seems to be about the same price as the detail parts chain you buy out of walthers if you figure the price per foot
i tried some thread i had laying around and it seems to be looking ok - it is dark blue and almost black but i have seen painted chain in places as a coating against rust so this looks like a good thing
just trying to stay away from the detail parts stuff and would add up to serious money if you multiply the not much by hundreds of cars
i can get thread at 50 cents a spool so i think that is the way to go
bobes hobby site tries to say about fraying and stretching but i see no point in needing to stretch since you should just keep your hands off that spot no matter what you use and thread is cheap enough just change it if have to
My wife does jewelry and had me soak the cheap chain from Michaels in liver of sulphur which turns it black/antiqued and more realistic than shiny chain.
BTW, in an earlier thread about modeling chains, I ended up doing some measurements on the finest sized Michaels-brought chain I had, and the size was really meaty for HO scale - 3-4" links IIRC. So be aware on that front.
Ah, it was here
I came across a site that had 60 and 80 links per inch somewhere but unfortunately I either didn’t mark it or lost the link, but I know they exist. I’ll keep looking.
