How do you make your own rudder pintles and gudgeons?

[DesertWolf]

My AL San Francisco II comes with a piece of brass wire and some brass strips to make the pintles and gudgeons of the rudder’s hinging mechanism.  No matter how hard I try, once the brass strip is crimped around a piece of wire to make the pintle the whole thing just becomes too big.  The pintle sticks out a mile behind the rudder – you can fit a bus in-between the rudder and the transom.

 

Any advice on how to make my own pintles and gudgeons (on a 1:96 scale) will be appreciated (method, tips, tricks, jigs, special tools… anything).

 

And out of curiosity, did the way the rudder was hinged vary much over the centuries? 

 

 

[Modeler12]

At the scale you are working, I would take a 'short cut' and make the parts out of card stock or an old photograph. The latter cuts nice and smooth to the same width for each piece. 

Below is how I did it on my Connie at 1:76 scale. 

 

[4whelr]

Going to sit back and watch this one. I am having the same problems Wolf. I used up all the brass strips that came with the kit and had to get some more. Hope some one will throw out a Life Jacket to you and we both can learn something!

Eddie

 

ETA - Thanks Jay, you are tad faster than me.

Edited July 2, 2013 by 4whelr

[jre8655]

I ran into a similar problem on my 1:100 scale Bluenose.  The instructions called for the rudder to be butt glued to the keel and then cutting the brass strips to lay on the outside of the hull and rudder.  I didn't like the look of it so I did the following:

 

I cut two pieces of 1/32^nd inch piano wire, drilled the rudder, and inserted the wires into the holes.  I formed the copper strips (hinges) around the rudder and around the keel.  The hinges that would conceal the wires were notched so the wires would fit between the two hinges.

 

The rudder was lined up to the keel and holes drilled in the keel to accept the wires.

 

The hinges were glued to the keel and rudder then the rudder wires were inserted into the keel and glued with epoxy.

 

The overall affect is that the rudder is spaced from the keel by about 1mm.  This gives a more realistic look to the assembly.

[4whelr]

Thank you Jack. What a really neat way to solve the problem and I don't even have to solder (which I am unbelievably horrible at). Looks like I now know how I will handle attaching the rudder to my Elsie!!

Eddie

[jre8655]

Eddie,

 

Make sure you notch the copper (or brass) strips that fit next to the wires.  This will allow the strips to conceal the wires.

[4whelr]

Gotcha! Thanks again!

[DesertWolf]

Thank you Jack.  That is a very neat solution to the problem, giving hinges that looks superb!

 

My rudder has notches in it where the pintles & gudgeons should sit and I think this will hinder me from using your approach (since the hinge mechanism is "sunk" into the rudder, one will be able to see the piano wire running between the rudder and transom) Am I missing something?

 

 

[jre8655]

Wolf,

 

If the rudder butts up against the transom you can still install two wires at the points where they contact.  Even if you have metal straps attached to the rudder and transom, just notch the straps enough to allow the wire to go through them and allow them to touch.

[DesertWolf]

Thanks Jack.  Your solution will also make the whole rudder fitting sturdier... I was always worried that prying little hands will play with it one day and break it off!