So - I was walking by a garbage bin at work and saw where our sysadmin had thrown away a bunch of keyboards and mice from some old computers. I thought to myself (as I usaually do) - Self - there is diorama material in there and you need to find it. So I went dumpster diving and pulled out a mouse and keyboard.
I just pealed away the protective insulation on the wire for the mouse (a general two button mouse from a compac machine - the microsoft ivory bar kind). The copper wire inside is GREAT. Lots of it and it is as fine as human hair (ok maybe a micron or two off). A couple of things jumped out
Mouse wire = Antenna
Mouse wire = tall grass
Mouse wire = braided and you get tow cable.
Mouse wire = small scale barbed wire
Mouse wire = ????

Emailing the IT guy here at work right now to tell him my mouse has been acting up, probably needs to be replaced...

LOL!!!

Gee - my mouse is acting up here at work too...

Gunnie

Keenan - ROTFL. Love it.

Update - keyboard wire will do too

S#@!!! I've got a wireless mouse...
Ciao

scoccia - check out your keyboard!!! That'll work too! I think I see a stuck key on your home row. Better call IT and have it replaced

Good sight Scott I can spot that faulty key as well! Unfortunately my IT manager (that is me 'cause I'm a self-employed consultant now; gosh if I think that one day I used manage 29 countries for Sales, Marketing, Ops and IT for a multinational English company and I signed scraps for hundred thousands bucks per year) never wants to spend money on mice, keybs and other peripherials. He only seems to be glad spend in... scale models!!! Anyway I'll try to tell him that's time to change the keyboard and I'll eventually wait for his auth to buy one... Anyway I can reinforce my request showing him that even in the States they recognized that's faulty!
Ciao

I've found that Telephone wire works well too!! THe type that goes from the wall jack to the phone. If you cut the exterior cover you'll find 4 wires with colored (usually red, black, ,yellow, green ) insulation. inside that is real fine wires.

If you leave the insulation on it is about 2 to 3 inches in 1/35 scale. remove it and twist it you can create wire rope, thick rope, etc.

This is what I used to depicted the various TOW cables on my M966. One my 4.2 inch mortar to represent the carrying rope on the base plate. etc.

Crap, my mouse is acting up...guess its time for a new one. :-)

Hmm... I must have a couple of old keyboards around here somewhere... I will have our IT manager make sure he cuts off the cords for any keyboards/mice he throws away...

Kool

Hey guys!
I just found a keyb and a couple of mice here...
Hehehehe! It was good idea to keep it around even if it´s with some badfunctions!!!!
Cheers and thanks for the tip

I think I might go into my CEO's office and grab his mouse. He doesn't need it does he?

DEATH TO ALL MICE IN THE NAME OF MODEL BUILDING!!!!!!! #:-) #:-)

Hmmmm..... A good usable material. Don't tell us that we'll be breaking our mouse just for those small parts. Just a joke. Pretty useful if you have broken mouse. Why not try other appliances? You could also get some from oven toasters etc.

"Everything has a use"

Thanks for the advice Slod!!!

Take it easy!!

~Chip

I went into the storage room and there were two old dead keyboards and an ancient mouse... they all lost their tails... hehehe

Then I ripped the keyboards apart and brought home the bottoms... lots of nice, heavy duty resin-like plastic there... in various shapes...

Hey, maybe this could be a way of recycling old computers!

Can't live without my mouse, but there are a few keys on my keyboard I never use much - so let's see... If I can just pry the edge a bit with my screwdriverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I gues I'm luckiest of all. I happen to be the Electricians Branch Chief Petty Officer of the Avionics/Armament Division here at AIMD. It just so happens that one of my shops is the wire and cable harness shop that rebuilds everything from P-3 Engine harnesses to wire bundles inside "Black Boxes" and another shop is the Mini/Micro component repair shop. They fix micro circuits and circuit boards. I got access to every conceivable size and guage of wire and solder immaginable and didn't realise it until I read this thread. Also electrical connector repair kits have connector pins, both male and female, think of the options...Gun barrels for any scale and caliber, pitot tubes for aircraft, exhaust stubs etc. etc....Ain't the Navy great?

I better stop reading this post, cause I'm starting to drool Chief!! I had a dream the other night I was rummaging through a bunch of electrical cords, to find thin strands for ship railing... now I know where to look...

Someone suggested hair here too. That is definitely thin, should work too!!!!

Glad that I'm a pack rat. I have a hard time throwing anything out. Now I have a supply of thin wire.. Thanks for the info

HEHE It pays to be a pack rat!!!!!!! Hey IT guys....... Try the old Ribbon Cables from inside the computer!!!!!