telephone polls

[Terry Toenges]

Okie -
To me the ones without wires in closeup shots like these don't look right. The one that is strung looks more realistic.

[mudzuks]

My 5 year old has dark brown hair to her bottom. I think I just discovered the perfect material to use. I just wonder what my wife  will say about the bald spot on her little head.


Jeff

[RAM]

Jeff, The Salvation Army will but you up.

[Jim Banner]

If some old, grey hair would work, I could send you a few strands of mine.  Actually, it might even work.  Or maybe we could get some red hair from the Bach-Man.  That would probably look more like copper.

Jim

[Yampa Bob]

How about using phosphor bronze wire? Made in .008, .010, .015 + sizes.  Resembles copper but you could paint it aluminum. It solders easily so you could run power to your accessories and stuff.

It comes perfectly straight in the tube, but by slightly compressing between poles, it makes a realistic parabolic sag. In fact, with poles spaced say, 1 foot apart, the  thin wire would probably sag naturally and might need a bit of tensioning.

For insulators use multiples of tiny clear or pale blue seed beads. The old glass insulators were threaded inside to screw onto wood uprights. I have a bunch of them from when the telephones here went from party lines to large underground cables. Anyone remember the old crank phones? Our "number" was long, short, long. Of course everyone on the party line picked up to eavesdrop.
http://www.fusionbeads.com/shop/productchart/1799/

I'm using PB to simulate high tensile fencing wire around our ranch scene, strung on 4 inch wood posts. PB wire is neat stuff, lots of uses besides just handrails and grabs.

36 feet for $15.
http://www.tichytraingroup.com/index.php?page=view_category.php&category=Wire&offset=0

[mf5117]

We are using the strands of wire in the Bachmann Extention Cord item # 44598 , that i cut the plugs off of to use on my turnout switches . and spraying a lite coat of black paint on them ..... my gf has started this and is working out well .