How to make 1/24 zip ties?

[ianc911]

Hi folks,

Title is self-explanatory: anyone got a good method for making realistic 1/24 scale zip ties used for securing cable bundles, brake lines, etc?

Have racked my brains and done a little searching, but can't seem to come up with anything...

Any clever suggestions? TIA,

ianc

[SmokeyR67]

G'day Ianc,

I haven't tried it, but what about some very fine solder, flattened under a rolling pin?

Shane

[MerlinPro]

Chartpac drafting tape. .002 or .003" wide.

[GirchyGirchy]

Small pieces of thin white wire?

[SmokeyR67]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

Chartpac drafting tape. .002 or .003" wide.

Thats a better idea than mine

[MerlinPro]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

Chartpac drafting tape. .002 or .003" wide.

[ianc911]

Looks good Merlin, I guess I'd be looking for white 1/32". Does the tape stick by itself in this kind of application, or did you need to glue it? Thanks for the tip!

ianc

[MerlinPro]

Originally Posted by ianc911

Looks good Merlin, I guess I'd be looking for white 1/32". Does the tape stick by itself in this kind of application, or did you need to glue it? Thanks for the tip!

ianc

As long as you find fresh tape it adheres very well. Keep the edges from picking-up dust or fuzz from your table-I work on waxed paper. Tweezers are your friend.
When in place, you can wick on a bit of CA on the edge. Paint the zips black or white-the most common types.
The ones on my 935 above went on in 1989.

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by ianc911

Looks good Merlin, I guess I'd be looking for white 1/32".

Hang on a moment-

Do you know how wide 1/32" is in 1/24 scale? I'll save you some math- It's 3/4".

How wide is a 1/1 zip tie? I'm going to say about 1/8". So a little bit more math, and 1/32" tape is perfect for a zip tie in 1/4 scale. It is way, WAY too big for 1/24.

The smallest I can find Chartpac tape is 1/64"- which would work great for 1/8 scale.

If you want something that is properly in scale to represent a nylon zip tie that in real life is 1/8" wide, you are going to need something about 0.005" thick. Which happens to be about the thickness of a strand of sewing thread.

Tie it around your bundle of cables with an overhand knot, secure it with a drop of CA glue. Like zip ties, you can find thread in just about any color you want.

Something relatively wide like chartpac tape is great for simulating a 3/4" or 3/8" wide velcro cable strap- but it doesn't really work for a zip tie.

[modlman17]

I have always used sewing thread. Put it around what you need "tied", tie the thread in a small knot and use a drop of CA. It's a good scale size and the knot replicates the "lock" on the zip tie well. You can trim the loose thread off right at the knot and voila...zip tie. The key is to use a very small amount of CA on the knot. The thread will wick up the CA and too much CA will leave a lump instead of just sealing the knot.

You can see them in this photo. This is an old build before I trimmed the threads all of the way.


Rob

[da_ashman]

Sewing thread, easy, cheap & a roll will last you a life time!
Heres a pic of my "Zip ties". Black sewing thread tied with a knot & a blob of PVA glue to hold together.



Or I think Hobby Design do some cable ties in PE

[ianc911]

I agree the chartpak 1/32" tape is going to be too wide; I had thought of slicing it with a straightedge to try to get thinner strips...

I've tried thread before and didn't really like the result because the shape is wrong, and the look of the knot is not consistent with the appearance of a zip tie. Haven't tried wicking a little CA into the knot though... Maybe I should experiment some more?

ianc

[MerlinPro]

To be clear-a 14" long zip tie, commonly used to go around 3" roll bar padding or 1 1/2" roll cage tubing is 7/32" (.2188") wide in 1:1. 1/32" Chartpak is .031" wide (3/8" wide in 1:1) and visually approximates the correct look in 1/12. If you must split hairs, in 1/24, you can slice it in half (1/64") with a scalpel to get your exact dimension. But visually, it will work fine.
It's still the easiest way I've found to do it-plus it's flat.

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by MerlinPro

To be clear-a 14" long zip tie, commonly used to go around 3" roll bar padding or 1 1/2" roll cage tubing is 7/32" (.2188") wide in 1:1.

Could be- but I think the original question was about regular zip ties for cable bundles.

And it doesn't matter if it is flat or not. A zip tie isn't flat- it's rectangular. But if your eyes can see a difference between a 0.005 x 0.003" rectangular strip and a 0.004" round rod, your abilities might be wasted in modeling! (Personally, if I could see like that I might consider a career in counterfeiting...) Again, chartpac tape is a terrific option for a strap. But a zip tie in 1/24 is tiny enough that it should be nearly invisible. If you can see any detail on one at all, you're seeing it too much.



About color choice for thread zip ties- I would stay away from using white or black. Both of these colors are too stark and will stand out too much- I would use dark grey for a black tie, and off white or light grey for a white one.

It might seem that white is a good option- but 'white' nylon ties are semi-transparent. If used to tie up dark cables, they look darker than white.

[andybmw7272]

Sewing Thread.
Sewing Thread.
Sewing Thread.
Sewing Thread.
Sewing Thread.
Sewing Thread.
Sewing Thread.
Sewing Thread.
Sewing Thread.

Dave T uses it on his NASCAR builds and it is always spot on.
Merlinpro shows great pics above.
Modelman shows great pics above.
DaAshman shows great pics above..

If that doesn't work, try sewing thread.

Or have you tried sewing thread?