Hello,
First question on the Planet.
I want to make a little scene reproducing this famous picture at 1:35 scale:



The most challenging thing is how to put the soldier "on air". How to hold the figure's boot on a scaled barbed wire. Copper wire used in modelling is malleable but not strong enough. It seems that sgrength and malleability are at odds.
Is there a thin wire extra strong but malleable or am I dreaming?.
Thanks in advance.

I use .030 diameter aluminum wire, alloy is ER5356, bought for outdoor use, for things like this. I think it might be strong enough to support a 1/35 scale figure in this pose, though I might take some artistic license in setting it up. That is, instead of depicting the single strand below his boot, as in the photo, I might bunch a couple of strands together. That could provide additional strength but retain the look of the photo.
It is a great idea for a vignette!
Prost!
Brad

Have had some luck with piano wire (I had to find a store and feel the wires to get the right combination of qualities as I do not "speak piano wire"). Also small gauge steel wire found at hardware stores in USA may do the trick for supporting your figure. I have used it for biplane rigging. It can be wrapped around a dowel rod of appropriate diameter to get the barb wire coil effect. Maybe inter-tangle some scale wire for realism (https://www.hobbylinc.com/pegasus-barbed-wire-29-plastic-model-military-diorama-6520 )
As I recall when that incident in the photo happened, the guard tossed away his sub machinegun at the last moment so he could not be accused of stealing government property.

Take a look at guitar strings they came in carious gauges. You probably want the G or B strings high E may thin and D, A and low E are wound and won't look like barb wire

I don't think strength is going to be an issue, balance and stability will though. If you use a standard spread hoop pattern for the barbed wire with strands at the top and bottom going horizontally, there will be a lot more support to work with. Trying a tangle like that would look cool, but I suspect it will just keep falling over or twisting out of place every time someone in the next room breathes.

Kimmo

Thank you guys for the quick responses.
Indeed, the stability of the figure is an issue. It is very easy that on such a thin element, the figure rotates and falls, even if the wire supports roperly the weight. I want to sculpt the figure, so average weight will be higher than in a plastic one.
One of the ideas I want to try is the use of neodymium magnets usually used by the wargamers to transport figures. They are very powerful (N45) and from 0.5mm size. As an idea, it can be installed in the soldier's boot with a proper installation on the wire.

This wil not work without any horizontal fastening that will not work, if the stanchion wire...





Cheers

Thank you chaps. I have no idea of the miniature showed by Martin. is it yours? or a souvenir?. Anyway I also managed the idea of making a showing box with a hided horizontal fastening.
At the moment, performing trials with a sample figure. Neodymium magnets seem to work. Anyway an improvement is needed: hide them into de boot's sole. But "prototype" seems to work: micro magnets glued with Araldit glued to cooper wire. The figure stands quite well. Vertical bolt is to fix the sample figure into a base. The bolt plays any role in the balance of the sample figure.