Strings, weights, and Walther Models

[JPD]

OK, here is a problem I keep running into with some Walther Models. This issue has come up with the short sanding tower, the wooden water tower, and the coaling tower. The problem is that little plastic weights have to be attached to strings, then run through pullies, and then connected to spouts or chutes. These weights are too light and do not pull the strings down. This ends up with unrealistic looking strings on the model with the weights not pulling the strings tight and straight. The weights hang unrealistically on the string. Is there a way to make the strings looking like they are being pulled down straight by the weights? Is it possible to substitute metal weights, like small lead weights? Any suggestions would be welcomed.

[maxman]

Here's an idea you might wish to experiment with. Get a spare piece of similar string.

Tie it off to something sturdy at one end.  Pull the string taut with one hand and drip some CA on with the other hand (the string, not your hand).  Seems to work better with the string in a vertical direction.

Hold the string taut until the CA soaks through the string, sets, and dries.

I tried this when I was making a hold down cable for a car load and it seemed to work well. 

[rrebell]

String, I toss that and use blackened chain. You can dip it in rustall if you like or other mixtures for a used look.

[richhotrain]

If you Google 'scratch built coaling tower', you will come across several images including a modern concrete coaling tower. The modeler used brass wire and surgical wire to achieve excellent effect.

Rich

[BATMAN]

Here I used the paperclip to keep the string taught and applied several coats of glue of some sort. It dried looking taught.

 

 

[doctorwayne]

Kits which come with string or thread are often to accommodate moving parts, but in many cases, it doesn't look all that prototypical.  I usually replace it with reasonably fine chain (40 links per inch).

(Photos will enlarge if clicked upon)

Here's Walthers smaller "concrete" coaling tower, with a lot of the Walthers' details replaced with ones either from Tichy or scratchbuilt......

...and a look at a railway employee filling the loco's sandbox, using a moveable sand spout...

In this view, a fireman is putting coal into the tender...

The two photos shown below, are of two Atlas water towers, with moveable spouts and in each photo, the loco's fireman is doing the work...

This is Tichy's 400 ton coaling tower...

...all of the coal chutes and all of the sand pipes are moveable, just like the spouts on the water towers.  However, pretty-well all of them have to be carefully re-positioned after the photos are taken.
To do that without causing damage, I use various types of tweezers to lift the spouts by their respective chains, and then, also with tweezers, put the excess chain back into its at-rest position.

Below, there's no string, thread, or chain in use, but since I made the wing plows of this Walthers Jordan spreader as moveable parts, I figured it was worth a few photos...

Wayne

[JPD]

I asked my wife, the retired nurse, where to get surgical wire and she did not know. But she suggested I get some very thin wire used to string beads. This led me to think that small metal beads might make the perfect weights. I will go off to Michaels today in search of wire and beads to give this a try. Online I see Micheals offers small round metal beads that are 3mm.

By the way, I did use chains on the water tower and they look OK, but it was difficult to get them through the small holes.

If I do end up using string, then I think I will try pulling it tight and applying glue to it.

I will report back when I try the bead thing.

[richhotrain]

Just Google 'surgical wire'. Lots of sources.

Rich

[rrebell]

JPD

I asked my wife, the retired nurse, where to get surgical wire and she did not know. But she suggested I get some very thin wire used to string beads. This led me to think that small metal beads might make the perfect weights. I will go off to Michaels today in search of wire and beads to give this a try. Online I see Micheals offers small round metal beads that are 3mm.

By the way, I did use chains on the water tower and they look OK, but it was difficult to get them through the small holes.

If I do end up using string, then I think I will try pulling it tight and applying glue to it.

I will report back when I try the bead thing.

 

On the Campbell ones I always have to drill the holes out a little.

[JPD]

Just a quick update. I was unable to find suitable metal beads at Michaels, but I did find black glass beads that are the right size and look like weights. I also found tiny crimp tubes. I did a test with three small beads, crimped them to some heavier black tread, and then hit them with some black spray paint. I left enough thread after the crimp so I could attach a small clamp and pull the string straight as it dried. I then remove the excess string after the paint dries.  This looks pretty good. I plan on giving it a try and if necessary, I will use the coating the string with glue trick.

[richhotrain]

JPD

Just a quick update. I was unable to find suitable metal beads at Michaels, but I did find black glass beads that are the right size and look like weights. I also found tiny crimp tubes. I did a test with three small beads, crimped them to some heavier black tread, and then hit them with some black spray paint. I left enough thread after the crimp so I could attach a small clamp and pull the string straight as it dried. I then remove the excess string after the paint dries.  This looks pretty good. I plan on giving it a try and if necessary, I will use the coating the string with glue trick.

Doggone it, I was hoping that you might try surgical wire and report back to us on the results. I have never tried it, but some of the photos on Google Images look terrific.

Rich

[tstage]

Like Wayne, I replace the string with fine chain.  I used A-Line black 40 links per inch brass chain for my Walthers wood water tower:

https://ppw-aline.com/collections/miniature-brass-chain

Tom