DU-Bro RC E/Z Bender question

[MKULTRA]

So I've come to the conclusion that I'm just gonna have to start making my own stab wires since they are impossible to come by.  I've seen the lister video but he was making Costar stabs.  I've read that Costar stabs are thinner in diameter than Cherry wires.  Do the stabilizer wires have a specified diameter?  The reason I ask is that there are two models of this bender, for wire 1/16 or thicker I have to buy a different one.  I've also seen that this wire bender has terrible reviews on Amazon, can anyone on here speak to the quality of the tool?

Thanks guys.

[metalliqaz]

That wire bender will not work for making Cherry stabilizers.  Stab wires must be made from hardened wire so that they will keep their shape.  That lightweight tool explicitly says that it is not for hardened wire at Cherry thickness.  I have forgotten which thickness of wire but from memory, I think it was about 1/16" diameter.

I make them with pliers, a hammer, and a bench vise.  Also necessary is a heavy-duty cutting tool (again, hardened wire)

The costar wires are indeed thinner, but you still need hardened wire.

[MKULTRA]

That wire bender will not work for making Cherry stabilizers.  Stab wires must be made from hardened wire so that they will keep their shape.  That lightweight tool explicitly says that it is not for hardened wire at Cherry thickness.  I have forgotten which thickness of wire but from memory, I think it was about 1/16" diameter.

I make them with pliers, a hammer, and a bench vise.  Also necessary is a heavy-duty cutting tool (again, hardened wire)

The costar wires are indeed thinner, but you still need hardened wire.

What kind of wire do you use?

[metalliqaz]

What kind of wire do you use?

Music wire

[CPTBadAss]

FWIW, lister states the diameter and wire he uses for the Costar stabilizers in his video:

Check out Litster's video. I know it says Costar but Cherry is just the two bends on the ends instead of the 4 bends total.

Description:

"How to make a Costar spacebar stabilizer bar by hand. You need a Du-Bro E/Z Bender (0-90 degrees and Z bend). Wire need to be 3/64 inch music wire that you can find at hobby shops. I found the ones I use at Hobby Town USA. It is called K&S Precision Metals Stock # 502 0.047 Music Wire (1.19mm)."

[metalliqaz]

I just checked and I do indeed use Music Wire 36",.062,1/16" for my Cherry stabs.

You can very probably get away with thinner wire, which would be the smaller tool, which does not have the note forbidding using hardened wire.

[metalliqaz]

Thanks CPT, if Ivan has tried it, I'm sure it will work.  Thinner wire is less likely to bind up in the stabilizers which is a common problem for homemade wires.

[MKULTRA]

Hmmm now I have to decide whether or not I should buy this thing...  Where does Ivan say he uses this thing?

[CPTBadAss]

Ask for it as a Christmas present!

[MKULTRA]

Ask for it as a Christmas present!

Money ain't the problem I just don't know if its gonna work for my use, seeing as Cherry stabs are 1/16 in diameter.

[metalliqaz]

The 1/16" is harder to bend than you might think.  I've never used that tool so I can't comment, but I'm pretty sure someone around here must have experience.

[jdcarpe]

I just use two pairs of pliers for bending, and normal diagonal cutters to cut. Never had a problem yet!

[Glod]

I have one of these benders and wire from hobbytown and was after like 10 tries finally able to produce a barely passable costar space bar stab wire, i seriously do not have a patience required to get it right. I haven't tried pliers yet because i don't have a proper vise/grip.

considering nobody admitted to doing it, i did try and use the costar thickness music wire on cherry stabs, it doesn't stay in place so you have to pinch the plastic on cherry that holds the wire to keep the wire in. It kind of works--there is still flex in the space-bar but not as much as without it, maybe if you needed a temporary solution (though if you had a plate, you cant really do a "temporary solution" without having to desolder everything).