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Author Topic: What material for 15mm chariot reins?  (Read 1087 times)

Online Pattus Magnus

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What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« on: March 20, 2023, 11:35:26 PM »
So, this is probably slightly mad, but I want to add reins on some 15mm chariots. What material do you recommend for the job? I was thinking thread stiffened with glue once they’re in place might work. Alternatively, very fine wire, along the lines of fuse wire some folks use for 28mm bow strings. Are there other possibilities that might be superior?

(Disclaimer: the army will only have a few chariot bases, so while reins may be a little out there, it’s not completely bonkers. If it were a New Kingdom Egyptian force, or one of their playmates, I wouldn’t even consider it…)
« Last Edit: March 21, 2023, 04:18:24 PM by Pattus Magnus »

Offline Tarnegol

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 175
    • My Biblical Wargaming blog.
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2023, 06:24:39 AM »
"One who puts on his armour should not boast like one who takes it off."

Ahab, King of Israel; 1 Kings 20:11

Offline carlos marighela

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Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2023, 08:26:48 AM »
Leaving aside the obvious candidate of epoxy putty/ green stuff,  I've used the frames to brass PE sets for straps etc. It's thin enough to cut fairly easily, bends nicely but keeps its shape.

Heavy duty aluminium foil, the sort you get in disposable baking trays also works for things like that and doubling it over adds rigidity.
Em dezembro de '81
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Ficou marcado na história
E no Rio năo tem outro igual
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E agora seu povo
Pede o mundo de novo

Offline Shahbahraz

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1425
    • A Lead Odyssey
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2023, 10:53:40 AM »
I used flat dental floss. Easy to work with and becomes pretty rigid when painted. It has the 'strap' effect rather than being round in cross section.
Wargaming since the dark ages...

---https://aleadodyssey.blogspot.com/---

Offline BeneathALeadMountain

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 681
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2023, 03:27:51 PM »
I would recommend either rigging thread for small model ships (available in incredibly fine diameters) or pulled sprue. For robustness I would go with the sprue method.

# Find a nice piece of excess sprue (if you don’t have these then I believe some people here may be able to help!). Cut about 5cm.

# Go outside (ventilation is important) and use a match/lighter to heat the middle of your piece (it’ll only take a couple of seconds), grip the non softened opposing ends and pull them apart. Pull them to the thickness you want and hold them for a few seconds to set. This takes a little practice but is very easy. Once it’s cooled you can store it and use when needed if you make too much.

# hold up your sprue against where it needs to span and trim it to length. Always double-check in the old “measure twice, cut once” philosophy. If the models plastic attach with tiny drops of plastic glue or cyanoacrylate for metal.

# The “reins” can then be sprayed if the model isn’t already base-coated or hand painted if it is.

# Ta da!

I’ve used this method for bow strings on 28mm, cables in 15mm and ships lines in 1/1200 and in my opinion provides the best solution.

Good luck

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain
Beneath A Lead Mountain - my blog of hobby procrastination and sometimes even some progress
https://beneathaleadmountain.blogspot.com/

Online Pattus Magnus

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2000
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2023, 04:25:48 PM »
Thanks for the suggestions, they’ve given me some options to consider. I’ll post some updates once I have decided which method to try!

Offline jcspqr

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 180
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2023, 05:29:28 PM »
I use flat dental floss for reins in 28mm. 

Online Cat

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1242
  • All Purpose Neko-Sensei
    • Goblinhall
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2023, 05:52:58 PM »
I've unravelled 1 thread from embroidery floss for reins.

Online Pattus Magnus

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2000
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2023, 06:26:20 PM »
Those chariots look brilliant! That’s the kind of effect I am hoping for. It should be a bit simpler with only two horses per chariot.

Offline bluewillow

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2280
  • Bluewillow- Matthew Williamson
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2023, 09:05:59 PM »
Electrical tape our cotton wiped in white glue to stiffen.

Cheers
Matt

Offline DivisMal

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 3216
  • Ghazkull‘s Favorite Brainboy
Re: What material for 15mm chariot reins?
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2023, 10:00:21 PM »
I haven’t done this, yet, but did some rigging on Napoleonics ships from Warlord Games where I had very good results with thin yarn. Make a loop, place it around the horse’s head, fix it with some super glue, then either wrap it around the hands of the driver or do the loop trick again, fix it with superglue. If you want the strings tight, you can use superglue, here, too.

Cut off any yarn with small scissors.

I’m really no pro, but this was my second or third attempt. I used the very thin nylon yarn in the Black Seas box sold by Warlord Games which was my Xmas present some years ago.

 

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