Snug Harbor Johnny

1:100 is a relatively small scale to work in (as it tests my skills) - and you are doing a GREAT job of it !!

Now that you've stained the strakes, Pavel's scarf joints mostly 'disappear'. The finish on everything looks great !

One can use 'natural', but I still think it seems vey light - and may 'read' nearly white in photographs. Brand new full-size rope starts out on the light side, but it doesn't take long under use to darken into a medium tan. Builders can used their own judgement, as the whole point is to please oneself with any build.

Siggi, I've received the steering board handle you sent me ... and now I see just how detailed many elements of your project are at 1:50 scale. I salute your skill and craftsmanship ! Johnny

Of course, it is white thread (the only kind I've seen), so the resultant scale rope will have to be dyed to the desired color. The classic linen fishing line was also white, but vintage examples are now slightly off-white. White rigging on model ships just doesn't look right anyway. Standing rigging should be either black or a very dark brown - that includes the lacing for the deadeyes and ratlines. Running rigging should be tan - but not too light or it looks "whitish" in photographs.

When using polyester thread, the scale rope made can have a tendency to unravel when cut. Baking (and note that this for a limited time at a moderate temperature 5 - 7 min at 300 deg. F ... to avoid melting) seems to 'set' the rope better and the raveling is far less. Cotton (or linen) scale rope can ravel also, but does not need heat setting. Cotton can weaken over decades, and that used on my Dad's clipper crumbled after 70 years. Heat, pollutants and UV exposure will affect this - as well as for many materials. No doubt, making scale rope from multiple cotton strands should be more durable - but linen is better a s natural material. The old-timers used linen fly fishing line (known as Old Cuttyhunk) and linen does stand the 'test of time' for rigging as well as sails. The indications are the Polyester scale rope will also hold up over the decades. BTW for either scale rope making or with full size rope (and I've demoed making some of that), one first spins the rope - and the trick is to balance the number of turns v/s counter turns in step one and step 2 of the process. If you've done that, the rope won't 'kink up' on itself. If nearly in balance, the rope will only kink slightly. The solution is to 'whip' the rope around so that it will get rid of any excess counter-twist. Then with one end fixed to something or restrained as convenient, you pull on the run (not too hard) to get the twist to meld to itself better. Stretching a few times will give a little more length and reduce the tendency to ravel when cut. The poly gets heat-set as noted above. Those who don't want to make their own can buy good scale rope from Syren or Ropes of Scale, as scale rope is far better than what is supplied in most kits. You'll notice that kit rope has a lot of 'fuzz' in close up shots. Poly has the least fuzz. Cotton rope will have some fuzz, but then what I've made from cotton has been QUICKLY passthrough a (relatively) low temp flame of an old-fashioned alcohol burner. This 'singes' off most of the fuzz, but if you don't move the scale rope fast enough - the line will catch fire and part. DON'T do this with polyester scale rope. Old linen fly fishing line doesn't have much fuzz because of the long fibers (cotton is short fibered), but it is VERY hard to find, since it was not made since the 1940s - and because some people collect spools of it, Old Cuttyhunk is very expensive. The rope size is also larger - for 1:48 scale models.

Your rig is similar to Syren's Rope Rocket - the videos on scale rope making on the Syren website are very instructive. The consensus is the Guterman poly sewing thread makes the best rope (oven 'set' 5 -7 minutes in a 300 degree F oven after winding and stretching), with Mettler a close second. I've used both, and the standard sewing thread has been available in sewing retailers (those that have not closed) or on line. Its best to buy in person to judge the color. The thread is aprox .006" in diameter, and using a single thread on the rig set up for three strand rope yields scale rope about .010 in diameter - that represents 1" rope at 1:100 scale (or thereabouts). Using 2 threads on each of the 3 strand setup (6 threads in all) yields scale rope about .020 in diameter. 3 treads on each of the 3 strands to wind (as I recall) yields closer to .030 scale rope. By experimenting (e.g. first making .010 rope and using THAT on each of a 3 strand set up - mind how the twist runs - can make thicker rope for larger scales). You get to control the product as needed.

Thats some deadrise on the Benjamin F. Packard ...

Glad to have you aboard, mate! Johnny

'Hope you didn't refund what was NOT the product you sent. If he contest this, you have a case for customer fraud/theft. Stunts like this were why my Admiral put a no return-no exchanges policy on her ETSY shop.

'Sounds like you had a rather warm spell, mate. The Hamburg vicinity is supposed to have an average daily high of 72 deg. F ? Below is the Sae Earn, a cobbled replica I rowed on in College - The ship's boat towed behind I built myself, named Herjan by the captain, Atli.

we have an antique drop-leaf table (mostly mahogany) with one piece on the frane is cherry stained mahogany - and it looks convincing. Note that it isw heartwood cherry - not sap wood.

'Lots to learn here. One tip from the home page - you can find MSW build logs (complete or not) for a specific ship (often from multiple kits brands) by hovering on Browse, then clicking forums, scrolling to and clicking the index of build logs (marked 'new') under Members Build Logs, then click the Quick Find indexes (the first listing). There you will find categories by year of launch of the ship you are looking for (you need to know the approximate year that ship was built). An alphabetical list will appear of the ship names, builder and kit supplier (if applicable). You can avoid many pitfalls by learning from those who have built these kits before.

Apparently things get a little complicated with paperwork and Canada's thresholds are different than those of the U.S. As far as Canada is concerned, they have what is referred to as CAD thresholds, which stands for "CAnadian Dollars" - so with the Canadian dollar now representing only about 73 U.S. cents, the CAD 150 threshold for Canadian duties would apply to courier shipments of a Model Expo kit exceeding $109.50 - and many kits are above that amount. However, "commercial" shipments are subject to a CAD 40, which is only $29.2 ... and it is not clear which limit may apply in the case of model Expo. But even goods now valued between the CAD 40 and CAD 150 points are STILL subject to: Goods and Services Tax (GST), Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), or Provincial Sales Tax (PST). Any kit now over $109.50 (CAD 150) is subject to BOTH duties, GST, HST and PST. 'Sound complicated? Trade deals are still in a state of flux, so it is no surprise that MANY companies are staying on the sidelines for now.

AN absolutely BRILLIANT idea for a builder who wants to make the detailed hull the star of the show ! Build her to the point pictured so far (or thereabouts) in your build and call her finished ! Such a model will be easier to case - or perhaps may not need a case ... just a little 'dust off' occasionally, and one can always have immediate access to the model. Transportation or moving won't be a problem, since the ship can be laid on its side over padding/bubblewrap in a box - and can even be safely shipped.