"Piping" on Seats

[popeye]

(Admin note: I moved these first three posts from another thread because this is a helpful topic for interior work. Check it out! This is how popeye goes about installing the "piping" on seats in a scale model.)

I used thin solder wire, strung it between two nails on a block of wood (about a foot long) so i could paint it, once dry i just dab a tiny bit of cyno to hold one end to the seat and gragually work round the seams to be piped, it bends easy and hold it's shape as long as your very gental with it, it also polishes up well for chrome effect, but when polishing it dont rub back a forth, gentally rub one way and same for buffing witha clean cloth back and forth results in it folding up!
chrome cleaner such as "autosol" is good, way i did it was a small sheet of plastic (food wrapper/sanwich bag etc)place the solder wire on it, hold one end with ya finget and stroke the wire with a cloth and polish on the other finger, you can sort of "roll" the wire between strokes so you polish all round it,
i've also used solder wire for door handles. window winders and plug HT leads,

[monaro]

I have also noticed that in craft and bead shops that you can get thin anodised colour wire to do this as well.

[popeye]

Aye mate i did see some a while ago and bought some red and gold for plug leads, i fould the lead solder wire seems to "lay" in place better, (also breaks much easier too) you could always polish it and paint with some clear color i guess

[olskoolrodder]

That's an AWESOME tip,my friend,simple and not expensive ta boot!

[bobcrozier]

What a cool tip - being an elec tech guy I have some skinny solder of this type at work - will have to give it a try.

Bob

[popeye]

i found it much easier to use then the copper or alloy wire you can buy, bends and stays put much better, only prob is it's very easy to break it