Finishing a Revell Gato -class and the Musachi, interested in suggestions on material people use for rigging and antenna wires (the ones that stretch from the bow to the bridge for example).
Looked into very thin stainless steel wire for sale at Smallparts.com, but shipping is expensive for the very small order I would make - so I'm looking for a more 'cheap' solution.
I'm currently stripping insulation from wire from an old phone cord - what a pain!

Any suggestions?

Ahoy Peter.

You can use tippet line from your sporting goods store. You can find where the fly fishing gear is. Personally, I've use the small wire out of a set of ear buds from a walkman. It is a pain, but it's the thinest stuff I've found for ships. I got about 90' for a buck (once stripped and spooled). It wasn't too bad to strip it. I did it while watching tv.

Gator,
Thats a great idea, think I'll do that.

It's the best rigging outside of my wife's hair for rigging 1/700 scale I've found. Oh, by the way, the hair came from her brush, not her head.

Gator,

LOL! I thought that was a great idea and my wife said yuck.....

I've used three things...now I don't do tiny old 700 scale so this does't apply. I used the ultra light gauge 1st string (E) from an electric guitar....something you can buy at a music store for around 50 cents for 3 to 4 feet. It's ok, I've used thin black thread....not so good, and I've used real thin stretched sprue just recently on my 350 scale Yamato. I liked the way the sprue came out. I've heard about using fishing line, never looked into it. Sprue is free, and you can get that stuff real fine with some practice. Plus you have an almost endless supply if you continue building models. It also goes on real easy. Just glue one end down wait a bit then pull the other end taut and lay it in position. drop of glue hold it for around a minute and let go and it should hold. plus you can have plenty of overlap as you just trim it with clippersand if it doesn't look right, it is easy to remove and replace

We have Lycra rigging material available in 5-meter lengths. This stuff is extremely fine and is perfect for 1/350 scale rigging as it comes. You can, however, unravel it further and use the individual strands for 1/700 rigging, 1/350 signal halyards, etc. Order item Z 01.

Thanks John!

This is somethign I have experimented with but not (yet) used): EZine.

It's stretchy and made for HO scale RRR, can stretch to 7x (advertsisded, but I was happier with 4x). It glues easily with CA.

http://www.bobeshobbyhouse.com/ezl.html

There may be others who sell it, I found it locally in OZ, but I did buymy sample piece from Bobes and they were extremely kind and helpful.

Advantages: clean (no hairs like thread), easy to glue (unlike anything else), and not too much tesnion required (no kinks like wire or monofilament). Comes in 2 thicknesses and charcoal or white. I am pretty convinced I'll use it on my VIIC.

Hope this helps.