Best spark plug wire size?

[V8tiger]

What is better, 28 or 26 AWG solid core wire for 1/24-1/25 scale spark plug wires? Thank you in advane....

[Bainford]

Assuming you are referring to electrical wire with an insulation on it, it is difficult to day. The gauge refers to the cross sectional area of the conducting material (the copper) in the wire, but we are interested in the overall diameter including insulation, and insulation can come in various thicknesses. For most applications you will probably want an overall thickness of .012" - .014". In many instances this will mean using 30-34 gauge insulated wire, depending on the size you need for your application (are you replicating 7 mm wire for a stock engine, 8 mm for a modified street engine, or 10 mm or larger for a race engine) and the insulation thickness.

For insulated wire, the sizes you mention would be a bit large. For uninsulated wire, 26 ga = .0160", and 28 ga = .0126". In this case, 26 ga. is a bit large but might be usable for a modern drag engine, and 28 ga. would be suitable for a street engine.

[peteski]

Setting aside the fact that there are multiple diameters of plug wires used in 1:1 cars, the wire's stated gauge does not reflect the outside diameter of the wire insulation.  For example in a typical Kynar 30AWG wire wrapping wire the 30AWG the conductor itself has a diameter of 0.010" while the OD of the insulation is around 0.020".  in 1:25 scale that scales out to 0.020 X 25 = 0.5" diameter in 1:1 or in 1:24 scale 0.020 X 24 = 0.48".  That would be a bit too thick for typical 1:1 plug wire, but close to some thicker high-performance plug wires.

I would say that both 26 and 28 AWG insulated wires would likely be too thick if you want the plug wires to look in-scale.

Detail Master makes some nice spark plug wires that will look in-scale in 1:24/25 kits.  Yes, that wire costs more than some random electrical wire, but they look "right".  It is one of many small details that either make or breaks model's realism.

EDIT: I was going from memory.  I corrected my post after reading Greg's post.

Edited August 3, 2022 by peteski

[NOBLNG]

This is what I use. It measures .020” which is 1/2” in scale. It looks right and that’s what counts. I see a lot of builds that look like they’ve used heater hose for plug wires.

[Force]

9 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

This is what I use. It measures .020” which is 1/2” in scale. It looks right and that’s what counts. I see a lot of builds that look like they’ve used heater hose for plug wires.

Anything thicker than that looks clumsy and not right.
But to be fair 0.020 = 0,5" is quite larger than ignition wires are on most cars as 0.5" is 12.7 mm, the MSD ignition wires om my Ford 390 based 445 stroker engine I just built and put in my 1963½ Galaxie are 8.5 mm wich equals 0.33" (0.014 in 1/24th scale), but some things looks better slightly overscale so it really doesn't matter...as long as it looks right by the eye it works.
I use Detail Master 0.016 wire for my scale ignition wires, what gauge that equals to I have no idea.

Edited August 3, 2022 by Force

[peteski]

4 minutes ago, Force said:

I use Detail Master 0.016 wire for my scale ignition wires, what gauge that equals to I have no idea.

That is also what I recommended.  They look "in-scale" because they are.  The actual gauge of the conductors inside the insulation really doesn't matter.  The only negative thing about those Detail Master wires is that the insulation is made from very slippery plastic (Teflon?) so glues do not hold it well.  I suppose if someone wanted to measure the gauge of the conductor, they could strip the insulation then use a caliper to measure the diameter.  There are charts online which cross reference diameter to gauge.

Actually Charlie (a member here) From ProTech Model Products also sells wire similar in diameter to the detail Master wire.

I was also told to look for tonearm wire for turntables (record players) on eBay.  That is supposedly also very fine wire, but I never really looked for it.

 

[Straightliner59]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

I was also told to look for tonearm wire for turntables (record players) on eBay.  That is supposedly also very fine wire, but I never really looked for it.

It's 36ga., but I am unsure of the O.D. I agree regarding the DM wires. I think they're probably Teflon, as well--and they're very difficult to glue!

[NOBLNG]

6 hours ago, Force said:

But to be fair 0.020 = 0,5" is quite larger than ignition wires are on most cars as 0.5" is 12.7 mm, the MSD ignition wires om my Ford 390 based 445 stroker engine I just built and put in my 1963½ Galaxie are 8.5 mm wich equals 0.33" (0.014 in 1/24th scale), but some things looks better slightly overscale so it really doesn't matter...as long as it looks right by the eye it works.

Your math is correct. The difference in 1/25 scale between my 1/2” wire and your proper 8.5mm wire is 0.0068” which is pretty much undetectable by the naked eye. Like you said…if it looks right, it works. Anything much larger looks cartoonish in my mind.

[Force]

18 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Your math is correct. The difference in 1/25 scale between my 1/2” wire and your proper 8.5mm wire is 0.0068” which is pretty much undetectable by the naked eye. Like you said…if it looks right, it works. Anything much larger looks cartoonish in my mind.

I agree.
And if the wires are to small it doesn't look good either.

Edited August 4, 2022 by Force

[peteski]

. . . and of course to state the obvious, if we consider scales other than 1:24/25, (like 1:43, 1:32, 1:16, 1:12, 1:8, or others) the wire used need be scaled appropriately.

[Jantrix]

On 8/2/2022 at 3:21 PM, NOBLNG said:

This is what I use. It measures .020” which is 1/2” in scale. It looks right and that’s what counts. I see a lot of builds that look like they’ve used heater hose for plug wires.

I use 30 AWG wrapping wire also. It looks right to me.

[Jack L]

I use Radio Shack 30awg wrapping wire it is .016 O.D. sum times you can find it on the bay . I bought 5 rolls there. life time supply

[Keef]

I use this, bought it off Amazon 

[peteski]

Those look a but thick to me, but if it works for you . . .

[deuces wild]

Is there a company that makes 32 gauge wire???...

[peteski]

13 minutes ago, deuces wild said:

Is there a company that makes 32 gauge wire???...

Sure, 32AWG and smaller. That is what Detail Master wires are.  The problem is that those companies are geared to deal with industries, not with individual sales.  So someone like Detail Master or ProTech figured out what companies make the wire then buy the wire in bulk, and repackage it in small lengths for hobbyists.

If you could find out the wire manufacturer's info and bought the wire in bulk (like 1000' at a time) then you would have the wire for much cheaper cost per foot than what the Detail Master charges. But then what would you do with a 1000' of single color wire?  Cut it up, package it and sell it to the hobbyists?  That takes time and money.

 

We should be glad that there are Detail Masters and ProTechs selling the fine wire in small quantities (for a reasonable price).  In the past I needed a larger quantity of the ProTech ignition wire to use for a model RR project (actually using the wire in its intended purpose to conduct electricity), and he was willing to sell me the wire in longer lengths  than what he normally sells for a slightly discounted price.

Edited August 6, 2022 by peteski

[deuces wild]

Ok, thank you!....

[4knflyin]

On 8/2/2022 at 2:32 PM, Bainford said:

Assuming you are referring to electrical wire with an insulation on it, it is difficult to day. The gauge refers to the cross sectional area of the conducting material (the copper) in the wire, but we are interested in the overall diameter including insulation, and insulation can come in various thicknesses. For most applications you will probably want an overall thickness of .012" - .014". In many instances this will mean using 30-34 gauge insulated wire, depending on the size you need for your application (aie you replicating 7 mm wire for a stock engine, 8 mm for a modified street engine, or 10 mm or larger for a race engine) and the insulation thickness.

For insulated wire, the sizes you mention would be a bit large. For uninsulated wire, 26 ga = .0160", and 28 ga = .0126". In this case, 26 ga. is a bit large but might be usable for a modern drag engine, and 28 ga. would be suitable for a street engine.

This is excellent info... thanks. I did a google search and this is where I landed (no surprise there). I was searching on the right size for "1:12 scale race cars."

I'm about to install the plug wires on the Lotus JPS. The kit came with 0.8 mm wire 45 years ago, and I think that's still pretty typical. It always looked clunky to me, so when Tamiya started offering 0.65, I bought some. I'm afraid I'm Baby Bear on this one, the 0.8 looks to big, and the 0.65 to small. Now that I know racing wires are in excess of a centimeter, I satisfied that 0.8 will suffice, even it by your writeup it's a bit small!

Here's a pic I took to see it it would help. The other wire is 1.0. One thing for sure is that the 1 mm wire looks like real plug wire in that it's got a rubbery, matt appearance. The others are too glossy.

Additional important question: best way to remove the paint on the Ford logo? I believe it's Humbrol silver enamel from 45 years ago. I have a hard time getting it off without leaving a trace. Ideas? (I painted it with a brush in an "I don't care" mood when I was very frustrated... bad idea.

Edited May 23, 2024 by 4knflyin

[bobss396]

I use between .016" to .018" wire. Mostly blue, red, yellow and orange. 

I just got some from Ron Coon Resins in orange. 

Ebay you have to be careful. I got 2 boxes of what was supposed to be wire wrap wire, but it was close to .040".

[FoMoCo66]

I use 30 awg off of Amazon. You get rolls of 5 colors for $13

Here's a link

[Bainford]

13 hours ago, 4knflyin said:

This is excellent info... thanks. I did a google search and this is where I landed (no surprise there). I was searching on the right size for "1:12 scale race cars."

I'm about to install the plug wires on the Lotus JPS. The kit came with 0.8 mm wire 45 years ago, and I think that's still pretty typical. It always looked clunky to me, so when Tamiya started offering 0.65, I bought some. I'm afraid I'm Baby Bear on this one, the 0.8 looks to big, and the 0.65 to small. Now that I know racing wires are in excess of a centimeter, I satisfied that 0.8 will suffice, even it by your writeup it's a bit small!

Here's a pic I took to see it it would help. The other wire is 1.0. One thing for sure is that the 1 mm wire looks like real plug wire in that it's got a rubbery, matt appearance. The others are too glossy.

Additional important question: best way to remove the paint on the Ford logo? I believe it's Humbrol silver enamel from 45 years ago. I have a hard time getting it off without leaving a trace. Ideas? (I painted it with a brush in an "I don't care" mood when I was very frustrated... bad idea.

My reference to race engines was generally for modern NASCAR, drag racing, etc, where wires can measure 10 mm or larger (in the case of Top Fuel cars, much larger). I don't know what size wires F1 cars were using in the 70s, but I would think wires on engines such as the DFV would be about 8 mm (someone please correct this if they know otherwise). If so, the proper scale wire size for a 1/12 engine would be 0.67 mm (plenty close to 0.65 mm). If the size was indeed 10 mm, the scale size would be 0.83 mm. The proper scale sizes may look small. Many builders seem to find a slightly larger wire looks better. Nothing wrong with that, though personally I find 'in scale' always looks best. The 1 mm in your photo clearly looks too large.

You bring up an excellent point regarding the surface finish on the wire. The vast majority of small wire sold today has a PVC or Teflon (PTFE) insulation which has a shiny surface and does not look right at all. The colours also often look somewhat translucent, and sometimes have a pearlescent effect to them which just looks wrong. The colours should be solid, with a slightly matt finish. Furthermore, this PVC or Teflon insulation is stiffer then the conventional vinyl insulation, which prevents it from draping in a natural way when installed. Lately, I have been finding it very difficult to find proper size wire (for 1/24 scale) in an acceptable colour and finish, and suitably supple.

As for removing the paint from the FORD letters; is the cam cover painted black or just molded black plastic? If just black plastic, you may have some luck with the local application of a stripper (Castrol Super Clean, Easy-Off HD oven cleaner, or Easy Lift Off) with a small brush or cotton swab, though that sounds like a recipe for a mess. Silver is also one of the more difficult paints to remove. You might get better results painting over it with black. You can then re-do the letters in silver if you wish. Others may have better advice.

[peteski]

One way to dull the shiny appearance is to roll the wire with your finger over 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper sheet.  It will  take a while since the fingertip area is not very large, but it should nicely dull the wire's surface.

[bobss396]

22 hours ago, FoMoCo66 said:

I use 30 awg off of Amazon. You get rolls of 5 colors for $13

Here's a link

What does it measure up as?

[Keef]

6 hours ago, bobss396 said:

What does it measure up as?

Inches and millimeters 

[Jiml0001]

Here is wire on EBay I use for standard plug wire.   It has an outside diameter of .28 mm which is almost exactly a quarter inch in 1/24 scale...Five dollars for 10 meters and many different colors available

 

 

ALMOST GONE

10 meter 7/0.05 ultra slim Dia. 0.28mm 0.011" super thin cable Wire orange/amber

New

$4.99

+ $2.49 shipping

59 sold

 

ALMOST GONE

10 meters 7/0.05 ultra slim Dia. 0.28mm 0.011" thin cable Wires Yellow

New

$4.99

+ $2.49 shipping

117 sold

 

ALMOST GONE

10 meter 7/0.05 ultra slim Dia. 0.28mm 0.011" super thin cable Wire Black

New

$4.99

+ $2.49 shipping

428 sold

 

 

Edited May 28, 2024 by Jiml0001