Wire source

[petrov27]

Hi All - does anyone have a source in the USA for fine gauge straight lengths of stainless wire suitable for rigging purposes in 1/32? I had bought some from Sprue Brothers ages ago from a company called Minimeca but they dont seem to offer it anymore.

Thanks!

[Chuckt5]

I'm not sure what sizes you need, but Albion Alloys has an excellent selection of rod and tube in various sizes.

[eclarson]

I buy mine from Small Parts, Inc. which is now part of the Amazon family.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/16310091/ref=16310091?

I've purchased all kinds of fine tubing and wire from them over the years, most recently some Nitinol wire for rigging experiments.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003R5028K/ref=biss_dp_sa2

First time shoppers may find the the size searching confusing and also note that prices are all over the place.  Shop carefully and you'll usually find plenty of what you want at a good price.  Sometimes it's better to buy one really long piece vs. several shorter ones, but it can also work the other way around.

HTH,

Eric

[petrov27]

Excellent - thanks - I will give them a shot!

I buy mine from Small Parts, Inc. which is now part of the Amazon family.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/16310091/ref=16310091?

I've purchased all kinds of fine tubing and wire from them over the years, most recently some Nitinol wire for rigging experiments.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003R5028K/ref=biss_dp_sa2

First time shoppers may find the the size searching confusing and also note that prices are all over the place.  Shop carefully and you'll usually find plenty of what you want at a good price.  Sometimes it's better to buy one really long piece vs. several shorter ones, but it can also work the other way around.

HTH,

Eric

[Chuckt5]

Thanks for the link's Eric. One question though, how do you navigate amizons search when looking for small diameter tube from industrial scientific?

I've entered in.3 mm aluminum tube and aluminum tube and it shows everyhting BUT what I'm looking for!

Any hints on how to find what I want?

[eclarson]

Thanks for the link's Eric. One question though, how do you navigate amizons search when looking for small diameter tube from industrial scientific?

I've entered in.3 mm aluminum tube and aluminum tube and it shows everyhting BUT what I'm looking for!

Any hints on how to find what I want?

It takes some fiddling.  I started by searching for "aluminum tubing" and got here

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D383597011&field-keywords=aluminum+tubing

Scrolling down, for example,  pick Aluminum 3003 Seamless Round Tubing.  That will take you to the page where you can see available sizes.
Unfortunately, I don't see any as fine as you desire.  By .3mm (0.012"), are you talking inside or outside diameter?  I don't know if aluminum tubing is made that small.

Is there a reason you need aluminum?  I usually buy stainless hypodermic tubing but also like Polyimide tubing which is a type of nylon and can be found in very small diameters.  I use the latter for 1/48 turnbuckle bodies as it's much easier to cut than metal.

Eric

Eric

[Chuckt5]

I want .3mm external diameter alum tube for making some tiny drain valves. I have some tubing that small in brass, but its tough on my drill bits! I'm hoping alum will be easier to drill through.

I was able to find some .3mm diameter alum tube on another website. Albion alloys offers tube this small but they are kind of hard to get a hold of. I ordered thier product from another website.

Thanks again, Chuck.

[eclarson]

I want .3mm external diameter alum tube for making some tiny drain valves. I have some tubing that small in brass, but its tough on my drill bits! I'm hoping alum will be easier to drill through.

I was able to find some .3mm diameter alum tube on another website. Albion alloys offers tube this small but they are kind of hard to get a hold of. I ordered thier product from another website.

Thanks again, Chuck.

Glad to hear you found some.  Good luck with your valves!

You're welcome.  I wish I could have been of more help.

Eric

[Chuckt5]

It will probably be a good source of items in the future, so you were a help thanks!

I have ordered from them (before they were on amazon) but couldnt find them anymore, so its good to know where to find them now.

Merry Christmas to you and your family, Chuck.

[Dicecaller]

Greetings,

If you are looking for fine gauge wire; I highly recomend  http://stores.ebay.com/Jacobs-Online  He offers NiCr Resistance wire in several gauges and multiple lengths (including 10ft 'trial' size).

The 38 Gauge is 0.1mm and very easy to work with.

I hope this helps.
Shane

[Chris Johnson]

I'll second Shanes's recommendation. I've dealt with them several times for different diameter wire and when buying it in spools, it's excellent value.

Cheers,

Chris

[petrov27]

I am curious about the nitinol wire - how did your rigging experiment with that go?

Thanks!

I buy mine from Small Parts, Inc. which is now part of the Amazon family.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/16310091/ref=16310091?

I've purchased all kinds of fine tubing and wire from them over the years, most recently some Nitinol wire for rigging experiments.

Eric

[eclarson]

I am curious about the nitinol wire - how did your rigging experiment with that go?

Thanks!

I buy mine from Small Parts, Inc. which is now part of the Amazon family.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/16310091/ref=16310091?

I've purchased all kinds of fine tubing and wire from them over the years, most recently some Nitinol wire for rigging experiments.

Eric

I wish I could tell you but I haven't had a chance to use it yet!  It does appear to be very promising though.  The .005" is so fine it's almost invisible.
My thoughts are to use it in short lengths for internal bracing and control cables.   .006 to .008" would be good sizes for 1/32.

Eric

[petrov27]

I wish I could tell you but I haven't had a chance to use it yet!  It does appear to be very promising though.  The .005" is so fine it's almost invisible.
My thoughts are to use it in short lengths for internal bracing and control cables.   .006 to .008" would be good sizes for 1/32.

Eric

Ahh - no worries - I went ahead and ordered a bit of it to try it out myself. Thanks again!

[miamiangler]

I just got my order of micro tubing from JBModel.EU.It was here in less then a week shipping was 5.44 for 28g but it was the only place I found that carried tubing in 0.3,0.4 ,0.6 mm .I would check the site out .