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Was thinking of doing so light modification to a figure of mine. I've seen Electric Guitar strings used as power hoses, but are they small enough to be used on power armor? Saw someone on here use green stuff for power hoses, but that is beyond my skill to use green stuff. Any help or suggestions much appreciated.

You can get varying sizes of guitar string. The real problem is, it's really hard to manipulate the strings so that you can get the shape you desire. I've tried it but I could never figure out how, the strings are just way too inflexible.

I recommend trying with green stuff even if you aren't comfortable with it. It's a lot easier and you'll surprise yourself with how easy it is, compared to how hard it looks to execute.

Well, you may not be able to get an E string, but they go pretty thin. Maybe a D string? Guitar strings are extremely cheap and can be clipped a hundred times into smaller pieces and bought individually. I would imagine a lot easier than trying to mold tiny GS hoses.

 Far Seer wrote:
You can get varying sizes of guitar string. The real problem is, it's really hard to manipulate the strings so that you can get the shape you desire. I've tried it but I could never figure out how, the strings are just way too inflexible.

Spring steel has a pretty strong memory, but it can be overridden. Keep bending well beyond your intended angle and let the string snap back - bit by bit, keep working the bend until you get it to rest where you want it. Also, remember that leverage is your friend. Guitar strings are cheap enough (per inch, at least, since one goes a long way on 28mm models) that it's well worth saving some effort by bending the middle of a longer section and clipping the ends off afterward. Working around a mandrel can also take some of the stress off of your fingertips, as well as giving you a more even radius to curves.

That said, it'll never be as easy to work as a GS cable. Investing in one of the tube-making tools (forget who makes them) isn't a bad idea, if you'll be making them frequently enough. They'll be properly ribbed, too, instead of wound, for the detail freaks. I know some companies also make flexible lead or white metal cast cable sections that can be bent into shape. Not the cheapest method, but another way to avoid a potential headache.

As usual, Oadie has some great advice. I use needle nose pliers to bend, but do so in small increments to get a smooth curve. They take some working to get right but work great. I just went to a local shop and got a set of all strings. Most are wrapped, but some are smooth wire. I like using different combinations of texture and size to make it more interesting.

There are also some acrylic/plastic plates with grooves of different sizes and shapes that make great GS hoses, tails, handles, wires, cables, etc. There are two companies, and in my highly detailed contribution I cannot remember the name of them. They're popular enough that I'm sure someone will.

http://greenstuffindustries.blogspot.ca/2011/12/tentacle-maker-saw-01-is-now-available.html

I use one of these to make my cables,tentacles and any other tube like thing you could ever want

^ Bam. That's it.

I used to use 0.42 guitar string but its stiff and not the easiest thing to work with on a small scale. Now I use a saw toothed mould/plate from Green stuff industries and its like a little slice of Magic, I can't praise it high enough. It's very simple to use and gives great results ever time.

I use bass strings (they tend to be thicker) and bronze wound, not steel wound (ONLY the core is spring steel - the wrapping is softer and easier to bend).

Two pairs of pliers and a bit of work gets you curves that STAY bent. It's not difficult, but it does take a modicum of effort. About as much effort as mixing GS and manipulating it into some other contrivance to make a simulacrum of a guitar string.

Also, a common comb can also be used for the texture if you are using GS.

I have used what I think is called floral wire for some of my wires/tubes/hoses etc. It probably isn't as professional looking as greenstuff or even guitar cable (but you can approximate guitar cable by wrapping a bit of wire with another bit of wire) but it has lots of uses in general.

This is what i'm talking about, more or less.
Good news about the guitar cables and repeated bending though! I bought some months ago and found it somewhat pesky to work with, so I put it aside. Now my tech marine may need a re-visit.

The guy over at dragonforge sells pewter "power cables" that might be what you are looking for.

I play guitar and have had to change out my strings a couple of times, and judging by my experience, they'd probably be a bit too springy for modeling purposes, unless there's some reason why you would want that.

 EmbracetheChaos wrote:
Well, you may not be able to get an E string, but they go pretty thin. Maybe a D string? Guitar strings are extremely cheap and can be clipped a hundred times into smaller pieces and bought individually. I would imagine a lot easier than trying to mold tiny GS hoses.

It's bending them that's tricky.

You want the masq-mini tube tool and some green stuff. Takes a bit of practice but the resulting hoses can be bent to fit much easier. It is the path of less swearing and frustration and chance of being blinded by flying wire pieces.

 AesSedai wrote:
The guy over at dragonforge sells pewter "power cables" that might be what you are looking for.

Really? That is just, um - wow. I am underwhelmed, this guy is making casts of a section of guitar string. You can clearly see the angle of the wraps. I would just use guitar strings or the greenstuff tool, as I have guitar strings and would use the tool in order to avoid the wrapped look.

Seems a bit spendy.

If you go to your local guitar store, or know a musician you can ask for old strings and probably get them for free. The shops buy strings in bulk to restring display instruments and probably have some used one laying around.

Maybe this will help as an alternative to gs and guitar strings.its my tutorial video on how I make cables from scratch.

Wow, thanks for the suggestions everyone. Didn't realize there were so many options to make power cables.