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Author Topic: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?  (Read 2018 times)

Offline italwars

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Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« on: June 14, 2020, 04:29:08 PM »
Hello
After having read from years on the web the suggestion to use florist wire to make miniatures spears/lances I placed an order from UK (cannot find it in my country)..but when I tested it I found the gauge too small both for 28mm and for 1:72 minis ..Then I realized that they are different gauges to choose from ..I also tried with broom bristles but they are to thin ..so please which width/gauge could you suggest me both for 28mm and 1:72 minis?
Thanks in advance

Online fred

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2020, 07:25:11 PM »
I just bought spears from North Star.

They are long enough to work as pikes for 28mm figures, and can be cut down for spears. They are pretty slender, close to the pikes with Perry plastics, but much thiner than the spears with Gripping Beast plastics

Offline AKULA

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2020, 08:09:21 PM »
I just bought spears from North Star.

They are long enough to work as pikes for 28mm figures, and can be cut down for spears. They are pretty slender, close to the pikes with Perry plastics, but much thiner than the spears with Gripping Beast plastics

North Star spears every time...as a matter of fact my latest order has a bunch in it as I was getting low

 8)


Offline Bugsda

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2020, 11:56:13 PM »
Yeah North Star, florist wire's bendy and almost useless, hammering your own out of piano wire is a pain.
Well I've lead an evil life, so they say, but I'll outrun the Devil on judgement day.

Offline italwars

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2020, 12:00:38 AM »
Thanks but in fact I would have  loved to do it By myself..I was very curious about florist wire right gauge that somebody could already had used both for 28mm and for 1:72...but if you say that is useless..
« Last Edit: June 15, 2020, 12:03:47 AM by italwars »

Offline Bugsda

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2020, 01:09:39 PM »
If you want to make them yourself get some steel wire. You'll need a club hammer to use as an anvil and an ordinary claw hammer. Hammer one end flat and grind it to a point with a carborundum disc in a mini drill.

Offline Billchuck

  • Scientist
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    • Velociengineer.net
Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2020, 01:38:45 PM »
If you want to make them yourself get some steel wire. You'll need a club hammer to use as an anvil and an ordinary claw hammer. Hammer one end flat and grind it to a point with a carborundum disc in a mini drill.

It may be called piano wire or music wire or spring wire.

Offline SteveBurt

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2020, 02:10:43 PM »
I would avoid steel wire. Florist's wire is too bendy. Piano wire is too hard. Get brass rod; available in many sizes, cheap, and easy to flatten the end with a hammer

Offline italwars

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2020, 03:24:59 PM »
I would avoid steel wire. Florist's wire is too bendy. Piano wire is too hard. Get brass rod; available in many sizes, cheap, and easy to flatten the end with a hammer
thanks to everybody for the answers
please Steve..as you suggested i just found some cheap brass rods from China and i want to have a try...please which diameter do you suggest 1mm; 1,4mm  or 2mm?
« Last Edit: June 16, 2020, 03:28:16 PM by italwars »

Offline jeffreythancock

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2020, 11:48:29 PM »
I bought brass rod in a variety pack of different sizes to help determine the best size for different uses. 

I've also bought sewing pins and cut off the flat head to use as spears and pikes.  Different diameters available, but lengths are set by industry.

Offline Golgotha

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    • BMC Miniatures - All things wargame related.
Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2020, 12:46:39 AM »
Use brush bristles they are cheap and strong and can bend. Also come in a variety colours and sizes - for 28mm for instance I use a garden broom's bristles.

One can also use steel rod the sort that model railway chaps seem to stock.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2020, 01:10:19 AM by Golgotha »

Offline SteveBurt

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2020, 04:40:26 PM »
thanks to everybody for the answers
please Steve..as you suggested i just found some cheap brass rods from China and i want to have a try...please which diameter do you suggest 1mm; 1,4mm  or 2mm?
<rummages in modelling drawer>
1.2mm for spears/lances
0.8mm for javelins
I get mine from Precision metals in the UK. Pretty cheap, and a pack of 9 x 12" lengths lasts ages

Offline Grimmnar

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Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2020, 01:34:27 AM »
Be aware, for thise loving North Star I recall he making comment that his supply is dwindling. As well as he only has the one size now.
I doht recall all the specifics. Check with Nick.

As for broom bristle spears, this is my fav video.
https://youtu.be/KWYAGyj01vE

Grimm

Offline Captain Gars

  • Assistant
  • Posts: 35
Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2020, 06:19:54 AM »
I recently bought a spool of brass wire (at Hobby Lobby in the US) and I chose 18 gauge for use with 25/28mm figures.  On the spool it shows 18 gauge as equal to  .04 inches or 1 mm . It should work very well for pikes, spears or javelins.

Offline italwars

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  • Posts: 1118
Re: Florist wire spears your suggestion ?
« Reply #14 on: June 23, 2020, 06:25:49 AM »
Thanks to everybody for the dedicated answers ..about the broom bristles (I saw your interesting tutorial of course) I still cannot find in my country a broom with sufficiently thick bristles.

 

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