Similar to the guy who took extra long strides to save his $20 shoes and split his $40 pants.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Somehow this entire topic of unorthodox wiring reminds me of a guy I knew, an O scale traction modeler, who by economic necessity was a very frugal guy always looking for the cheapest way to do things. And because he was a truck driver he had access to dumpsters that most of us would not have. At one place he found a large supply of foil covered foam sheathing that was being discarded, asked permission, and took home a large supply of the stuff which he used to cover his bench work.
I suspect it was more or less like this material: http://www.jm.com/insulation/building_insulation/products/bid0022_ap_foil-faced.pdf
It was when he pushed in his metal overhead wire poles, installed the overhead wire and his Nachod signal system, laid his track with metal spikes, and tried to run some trolley cars with no results whatever other than short circuits, that he suddenly rememberd -- the foil! Not a good conductor of electricity, perhaps, but a conductor nonetheless ...
Dave Nelson
Sure hope the OP lives next to a Fire Dept.
Anyone that tries to save some $ I can understand and appreciate, but electrifying steel coat hangers?
Do yourself a favor and follow these guys suggestions for there has been a lot of electrical experience in model railroading here.
Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.
As I was reading this I could not help but think that those cot hangers would need a little something...like fish caps....
Actually one could go to any surplus store and find all kinds of wire for really low prices ... and they actually work a lot better!!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Jerry!
Right to the point and very concise!
Sorry to the OP, we are not trying to pick on you but some ideas just don't work.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Another excellent idea
What is that saying?, yanking your chain
Just the other day I bought 250 foot roll of 14/2 for $48. A 100 foot roll was $34. Cut price is higher yet.
Been a while since I bought my last spool (because I bought more than I thought I would need - si I didn;t run out, and haven;t yet), but most sizes they have in 20, 100 and 500 foot spools. The 500 foot spool was only double the price of the 100 foot spool - for 5x the wire! Very sill NOT to buy the bigger spool unless you really are only doing a very small layout. 20 feet is almost never enough, even for a 4x8 layout, but the 100 foot spool is not 5x the cost of the 20 foot spool, so if you end up needing more than a couple 20 foot rolls, you're better off getting the 100 up ftont and having some left over.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
In most of the big box stores pre-cut/packaged lengths will be cheaper then cut lengths. Get more then you think is needed. Most of us wind up using more then measured. This is especially true with wire. If you think it's 35 feet get the 50 foot package. There's a good chance you will actually use 36 - 38 feet.
Martin Myers
Almost all of my coat hangers are painted and I can't imagine the problems associated with trying to use anything like that. I buy 12/14 gauge wire from Lowe's by the foot and also seen it sold by the roll. I have never done a price comparison between buying Romex as opposed to buying single conductor bulk wire but maybe there are some savings.
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
If you try to harvest some leftovers or scrap wire from construction sites definitely ask the superintendent for permission. Copper scrap is a premium. I use the money from old copper to pay for a new pair of Redwings. Most electricians pick up their cuts and take them for the same reason.
Instead of a coat hanger why not try an automobile fender?
Jerry
Jim Thorpe, PA
I use a wire coat hanger quite frequently when I'm doing electrical work on the layout. It's great for fishing drops (and other dangling wires) out to the edge-of-the-table terminal blocks.
A lot of my wiring is being done with #24 2-wire phone cable. Since I salvaged it out of a dumpster (with permission) the price was right. In case anyone thinks that's too light, I run a twisted pair in lieu of a single #22 wire. Same capacity and resistance.
If the object is to get inexpensive wire, avoid hobby shops and the Walthers catalog. Check out hardware and home improvement stores, and serious electrical/electronic supply houses. And, always, keep an eye open for places where communications systems are being upgraded. Usually, the old wiring goes straight to recycling - or the dumpster.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with scrounged wire)
I have to repeat Dave's question about why you are trying to use methods that are so inconvenient and hard to work with.
Flex track is really not flexible enough to make it convenient for wiring, and it will be hard to hide.
As has already been implied, metal coat hangers will be a nightmare to solder reliable connections to, and they are so stiff that routing them will be difficult at best.
If you are really bent on doing this for as little cost as possible, visit some local house construction sites when the wiring is being done and do some dumpster diving. You are well advised to approach the site foreman for permission to harvest some of the waste wire. If you don't bother to ask for permission your only concern is being arrested for trespassing. That will pay for a lot of wire!
Seriously, I think you are dwelling on things that are simply a distraction from getting on with the construction of your module. The pennies you might save will not compensate you for the difficulties you will encounter.
Lion should reconsider his choice of night time beverage.
Something that does not contain the word "Diet" would be better.
http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html
MisterBeasleyThe first remains the explosion of microbrews on tap at better drinking establishments.
We have Diet Pepsi on tap. (Along with Pepsi, Root Bear, 7 Up and Diet Dew.)
LION has bracket attached to bed, holds a liter of Diet Pepsi. Him has long straw so him not have to get up at night to drink Diet Pepsi.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
BroadwayLionLIONS do not go into bars. Here in North Dakota all of the bars are now smoke free. Smoking is permitted in no public buildings whatsoever
To me, this is the second best thing to ever happen to bars. The first remains the explosion of microbrews on tap at better drinking establishments.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Most hardware stores sell 12 or 14 ga wire and lighter, by the foot. I would suggest buying a couple of feet of two different colors and using that. Much safer than and having an embarrassing, if not a damaging, problem.
Good luck,
Richard
I prefer hanging my coats on wood hangers; they do well towards keeping the coats in shape.
Do birds sit on LION's wires?
Johnny
zstripeNow,,If the ''LION'' can only figure out,how to get outside the,''BARS'',,,,,,Look out!!!
LIONS do not go into bars. Here in North Dakota all of the bars are now smoke free. Smoking is permitted in no public buildings whatsoever.
And the last building to go smoke free was..... The Legislature!
Go Figure.
Phoebe Vet Looks good. I am never surprised to find the Lion outside the box. That seems to be where he is most comfortable.
Looks good.
I am never surprised to find the Lion outside the box. That seems to be where he is most comfortable.
Now,,If the ''LION'' can only figure out,how to get outside the,''BARS'',,,,,,Look out!!!
Cheers,
Frank
Phoebe VetIf you want to do something REALLY outside the box, run your wires on poles like they do in the real world.
LION has done that! Him stripped open a regular zip cord and used a single strand for each conductor. All they had to light up was 3 LEDS so I figured I could get away with it. I drilled itty bitty holes in the poles and inserted a steel sewing pin threaded through a seed bead to look like an insulator. The guy wires brought the current up from under the table to the poles.
The Legs of the LEDs became the brackets that held the lamps, one horizontal the other up at an angle. A resistor was also mounted on the poles and painted black to look like the transformer. The lamp shades were fashioned from modeling clay and painted green.
Here they give light to the crews as they uncouple the cars, it also tells the big oaf at the controls where the magnets are.
If someone touched the two wires together it threw a nice prototypical arc.
Here they stand for your approval: ROAR
I explored my walk in closet. I don't think my coat hangers would work. Plastic really doesn't conduct electricity all that well.
Wire is cheap. Why are you so focused on doing something outside the box?
If you want to do something REALLY outside the box, run your wires on poles like they do in the real world.
How about using some brass flex track
Coat hangers are steel - not a very good conductor and are not easy to solder to. Get yourself some new or old or used house wiring. It is copper, solders easily and is the best conductor available.
Regular 14/2 house wire has two conductors plus a ground, so you can get three wires out of each length. You can easily strip the plastic coating off long runs with a sharp knife held at an angle to the wire.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
I previously mentioned in my earlier post about running flex track for wiring lights, however, what about using a coat hanger instead? I don't think they have a coating on them so electricity will flow.