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UKHello everyone, I was wondering..
i am planning on making a bird out of either mohair,synthetic or UV,ultrasuede or whichever i have in my stash that will be suitable.. now, i want to make the bird so it's wings can be open or bent into shape. so they need to be wired. the thing is. i've never wired anything before so what kind of wire do you use? would a pipe cleaner be good enough ?? it will only be a small bird. approx 4 inches, and it won't be jointed
so do you think a pipe cleaner hidden inside the wing along the length of it would suffice? and if not. what do you suggest?? It won't be going anywhere i will be keeping it so it's not like it needs to be mega sturdy or anything as i won't be playing with it. i just want it's wings out as if it were in flight so it needs something stiff to keep the wings out.. hey what about a hard piece of carbdorad? think that would be good enough ?? or would that be too weak ?? Hmmm..
helpppppp !!
Posts: 8,574I'm not sure the cardboard would holdup over time. since it is such a small bird could pipecleaners work? one for each segment of the wing, or even two? I have tons of scrap wire around here cuz I find it lying around the garage.....And then of course the hubs comes 'round saying, did you borow some wire?,.......what? who me? So have you any scraps of wire lying around....Timtex is pretty stiff, if you have any of that.....it's the stuff in basebal caps.....
I'm sorry.....not much help.
dilu
Pipa, for my armatures inside limbs I use plastic coated copper wire. You can buy it in many different diameters, from very thin and easy to bend, to much thicker and more difficult to bend -- that's what I use, because it's for a limb armature, for biggish bears.
You can also get either a twisted core made up of many smaller copper wires, or you can get a solid copper core; again, the solid core is harder to bend (generally.)
The plastic protects the wire from tangling in, or rusting, or corroding, your stuffing and mohair interior.
If you go to a local home improvement store you'll likely find many options, and in most of them -- here in the US, anyway -- you can buy it by the foot. So costs can be very, very low.
I agree with Dilu about not using cardboard. I've not done that myself, but intuitively, it seems like it would break down and become too floppy over time.
Donna's Duin BruinsPipa,
I would use pipecleaners or florist wire. You can also use the plastic that we use for making our permanent patterns. If you don't have any of the template plastic you can use a piece of plastic from a milk carton or drink bottle.
Donna
UKThanks girls for all the suggestions. i agree the cardboard probably won't last, It's my brothers 10 year death anniversary coming up in a few months time and i want to make a white dove (eek. this will be a challenge lol designing the pattern ) , so i want it's wings to be out. i will have a snoot aorund the house see what wire i have, actually i have some gardening wire which is coated in plastic i'm pretty positive that would be strong enough to hold the wing (it wont be very big or heavy and a few strands of it like dilu said in each section of the wing would make it strong enough i'm sure..
oooo i knew you girls would have some advice 
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
PijangibearsShelly, how do you do with the wire - do you put it in without fasten it to the joint?
Birgitte
Pandy Potter BearsI have come across some mini bear pattern pieces from 10 years ago. I had used the lids off formula baby milk, made from thin metal. You know the ring pull bit of the can at the top. I remember cutting it with old scissors as its very flexible. Could something like that do?
I learned how to do this from Kris Holmberg of RaspBearies.
She uses a "ring terminal" at the joints (hip and shoulder), placing her jointing bolt through the hole in it, before threading the disk onto the bolt, as a last step.
You just push the end of the plastic-coated wire -- the armature part -- into the receptacle in the ring terminal, and then crimp it closed. It holds the wire very tight. And also, takes a good amount of hand strength, and I use a special tool.
Somewhere this is posted, with photos I believe, but I can never remember how to hunt down and locate the old stuff. Anyone else remember where that is? I'll try to find it, in the meantime.
Apple Dumpling DesignsI was just reading about this the other day...here's a link to what Shelli is talking about...
http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=617
and another
http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=1091
If you scroll down you'll find photo's...
And...
http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=581 (about half way down #6 I think from Marie is a link to something Laura Lynn posted...not sure where that came from but it might help too.)
Shantell
Back Road BearsYou all are just a pluthera of knowledge! :hug:
So many options and great ideas! 
I have nothing to add! 
PijangibearsI thank you for your answers. :clap: :clap:
Birgitte
LuxembearsI too would use some ikind of coated wire. If I was going to use uncoated wire I would wrap it is strips of thin fabric batting. It will feel nicer as you pose the wings so you won't just feel raw wire.
Neat idea Shelli, about attaching the wire. You can also attach the wire to the end of a cotter pin then joint it as a cotter pin joint. Just another thought for the pot.
UKThanks everyone for the tips I've got some green (doesn't matter it's green you wont see it) plastic coated wire which i am going to insert along the length of the wing (perhaps more than 1 piece depends when the wing is finished) so will see how that goes ! i will also wrap some fabric or something around the end to stop it damaging the fabric and now i have the pattern sorted i just need the fabric to arrive and i can get started on the proper piece !! cannot wait.
LuxembearsBest of luck Pipa. Please show us your dove when you are finished. He sounds really nice!
UKi certainly will Judi , i've got some white floaty feathers which i am going to incorporate into his wings to make them look more real.. (hopefully).. i was also thinking about tying a red ribbon around his neck with a heart attatched so it's hanging from around his neck and maybe embroider my brothers name onto the heart.. but we will see..i'm gettin a bit ambitious with my ideas. hehehe !
Pipa, your dove will be so lovely and what a wonderful way of remembering your Brothers passing.
Best of luck and as Judi said, we would love to see a photo when you finish him.
Hugs
Carolyn
UKThanks soo much Carolyn, :hug: i will certainly post piccies when he's finished
