Bending grab iron wire?

[Southwest Chief]

In many articles on super detailing HO locomotives, bending wire is mentioned.

I have some 0.015" wire that was suggested in a magazine article to use for cab awning railings. 

But I'm wondering how is this done?  Are there special tools to aid in bending small wire?

MicroMark has a tool, but I noticed it only work down to 0.050" wire.

 

[wedudler]

Usually you use a jig, often attached to the kit.

My jig is made of a piece of brass bar. One hole, wide enough for the wire, is from one end just the length of the grab iron.

I put on end of the wire into this hole, bend it to the end of the brass bar and bend it again over this end. Then I cut the wire.Next one.

Wolfgang

[locoi1sa]

  I use a simple pair of needle nose pliers or two. ( I have about 15 pairs in various shapes and sizes) I measure and mark the wire with a sharpie or for critical measurements I mark with a scribe. For consistent lengths of grabs a piece of masking tape at the right width on one jaw as a stop. Measure twice and bend once. If you mess up a bend get another piece and start over. Always make extra grabs as you will need them when your tweezers shoot them into the nether regions of the universe.

          Pete

[Ibflattop]

Like What Pete uses I also use a Needle nose pilers.  As I use the same method to bend the leads to Resisters and caps that I solder into electronic boards. I take the pliers and slide then up until the pinches are in the spot that they best fit  in the area of the holes that the grab fit into. Then I take my wire and put it at the spot where the holes line up across the pliers. I pinch the wire with the pliers and take my fingers and push the wire down and you have a bent grab iron with no fancy smanchie jig. Just a Homemade jig that I learn t from the U.S.Army and the Gov.

                                                  Kevin

[Southwest Chief]

Needle nose and a jig.

Great advice.  Doesn't sound all that hard to do now.

 

Thanks.

[modelmaker51]

I don't bother bending standard straight or drop grabs, (I have better things to do with my time). Detail Associates, Tichy and A-Line make them cheap enough, however I do bend just about everything else, including handrails.

I do recommend getting a decent set of small smooth-jaw needlenose pliers, spring loaded with foam padded handles. Micromark has a good selection to choose from. I also have a pair of Xuron's narrow fine tip pliers which I find very useful in certain situations.

I also recomend Tichy's phosfor bronze (PB) wire. It's stiffer (more durable) than brass, but not as hard as "piano" (steel) wire. You only get a chance or two to get the bend right with steel wire before it breaks, PB you can bend and rebend several times until you do get it right. Tichy's and A-Line's pre-made grabs are PB. DA's are silver plated brass. By the way, do not use wire cutters like the Xurons (meant for brass, PB and other soft wire) to cut steel piano wire, it'll nick the jaws and quickly make them useless.

If you do decide to bend your own wire, the following are some sizes you should have on hand (for HO):

.010-.012"  - grabs

.015" - scale handrails, some air lines

.019-.020" - Athearn handrails, air lines, other plumbing, traction cables