Points and point control for a beginner

[andy1878]

Any advice , please, on how to finish the piano wire and the none point end ?

Many ways, depends on what you want. For Mini slide switches: bend wire at 90deg and poke into hole drilled in slider handle.
Fasten to Door Knob style turnings. Link to a lever frame.
Even bend up at 90 deg and try not to spike your finger on the end, don't ask how I know.

[Robert Kilby]

I think people have had fun and shown great ingenuity with the knobs at the 'people' end. I've seen small cabinet handles being used.

I am getting a bit closer ( but not very close) to having to settle on this issue. Where would I buy small cabinet handles like this...and how does the wire stay in one ?1

[Graeme Dunbar]

I am getting a bit closer ( but not very close) to having to settle on this issue. Where would I buy small cabinet handles like this...and how does the wire stay in one ?

Homebase, B&Q and Screwfix should have them. You are likely to find smaller ones on eBay and Etsy.

For fixing the wire it depends how robust you want them. The simplest would be to drill a hole and Araldite the wire in. For a more positive 'action' I might bore a larger hole and glue some dowel in and have the dowel slide in a longer hole, perhaps even through a couple of pieces of wood like an axle in a toy car might and then I might arrange some sort of limit stops so the plunger cannot move too far. There could even be a keyway or spline to stop the user twisting the knob and the wire attached to it.  For attaching the actuating wire to the dowel I might do it the way traditional model aircraft balsa pushrods are made. The wires at the ends of the rod have a right angle bent in them that pokes into a hole through the push rod and the wire runs along the pushrod for a bit and it bound or laced to it and secured with glue, a bit like a traditional Lancashire potato peeler.

[andy1878]

Purposed designed ones https://ngtrains.com/shop/product/blue-point-flex-link-clamps-screws/ but he's OoS, you might find them else where.

I recovered as many as I could from an old chest of drawers. The wood went into many things!

For the 'stock' ones from B&Q etc. Araldite should do. I'd start by threading the ends of the coat hanger tp give some bite.

HTH

[Giles Perkins]

Here's my solution for the two points on the Himalayan pizza - wooden knobs with the wire fed through and epoxied.

There's a bit of detail in this thought. The knob has the sleeve within it so the wire is easier to glue and, importantly - the operating end of the knob is drilled out far wider so there's no risk of the whole lot getting gummed up when gluing.

Hope this helps?