Dziadeczek

You have to explore the possibilities that are offered by people who are into archery. Namely, they use the so called "bow string server" which travels along the served line while serving it at the same time. Please google "bow string server" and select "images" and you'll see many potential solutions. They typically serve the line for a bow, which is a bit thicker then most of your miniature ropes for shipmodeling, so, if you want to obtain a commercially available gadget, you have to choose a possibly smaller one typically available for archery. Or, make one by yourself from parts which are typically available around your house/workshop. The solutions are endless... The beauty of such a server is that it requires no, or very little attention, while serving your lines. It hungs suspended from your rope and its weight and tension controlled by the screw (next to a spool with thread), controls how tight is your serving. (Initial setup is therefore required) . Once you start your serving process, you can literally make yourself a cup of coffee and drink it while observing the action of serving (provided that your serving machine is mechanically powered (electric DC motor) and you are serving a long enough piece of a rope). The server, while serving your rope, WILL AUTOMATICALLY MOVE ALONG THE ROPE without your intervention whatsoever. You can even install a device that will shut off the power to the motor when the serving reaches the end of the rope, so that you don't have to watch the process. Many years ago I made a simple device for serving - see attachments. It works perfectly for most of my ropes. Bigger (thicker) ropes will require a bigger server, naturally.

What adhesive do you use to joint parts together? I imagine, you first bake the sheet with all parts on it, and then you put them together into a chair... With what glue? A CA adhesive? Epoxy...?

Hi Doris, If I may ask you another question. How did you make your figurehead from the modeling clay? I understand completely the theory behind these flat reliefs, which you executed so perfectly (rolling thin slivers on the wax paper and shaping them with a small brush + tweezers). But when it comes to a 3D, free standing pieces, obviously you cannot place them on a paper. Did you fashion a skeleton for your horse-mounted king from a wire - an armature, before you started to build up his body from clay? Can you bake the initial body and subsequently add to it more fine details (like arms, details of clothing and armaments) and then you bake the whole thing again, or you have to make the entire figure at once and bake it in the oven? Thanks in advance for your answer.

Un-freaking-believable!!! Hats off!!! Could you tell us what book is in the pics, placed in front of your model?

I use these blades for my Exacto knife, after predrilling holes in the corners of the gunports. It works. https://www.amazon.com/Zona-39-925-Replacement-Blades-5-Pack/dp/B000MDLFNQ/ref=pd_bxgy_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000MDLFNQ&pd_rd_r=d4c28335-f423-11e8-a9a4-91dd53fb1641&pd_rd_w=VKgNQ&pd_rd_wg=U6dmQ&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=6725dbd6-9917-451d-beba-16af7874e407&pf_rd_r=DQ15ED6JRRFJZ9NNNZ6B&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=DQ15ED6JRRFJZ9NNNZ6B

Frank, If you own a mini table saw, like the Proxxon FKS, Microlux or Byrnes one, or similar, you can cut these triangles freehand. First mark a pencil line diagonally across the rectangle, remove a fence from your table saw, place your rectangle on the saw's table and carefully and slowly feed it into the teeth of your saw blade, making sure that the cut follows your pencil line. I don't need to caution you to watch your fingers while cutting, do I? :- Any minor irregularities, waviness in the cut should be subsequently evened out with sanding. Hope this helps, Thomas

Awesome!

Here is how I shape (spill) my planks. First, build yourself a simple jig - see a pic below. A- base from plywood clamped to table B- rectangle from ~ 1/8 in. plywood, glued to base A C and D - another identical rectangle, but cut diagonally into two triangles: C - glued to A, and D - loose between B and C E - small plane for shaving the planks F- plank locked between B and D After carefully ticking off points of plank widths corresponding for each frame/bulkhead (a distance [taken with proportional dividers or a strip of paper] between two battens on your hull), and transfering them onto your plank, place TWO identical planks in the jig between B and D and clamp them tightly in the jig. (each plank will be for each side of the hull - after shaving them TOGETHER to the required shape, they should be identical - which you want them like that, since both sides of the planked hull should be identical) and besides, you want to make your work faster and simpler, don't you? Connect the above mentioned points into a curve on your plank, using a spilling curve, a French curve (best made from metal, like aluminium). Clamp both planks in the jig in such a way, that the plank with marked pencil line is facing you, and start shaving them carefully with the plane E - almost to the pencil line, but not quite so. When you are almost there, finish shaping the pair od planks exactly with sandpaper glued to a paint mixing stick or similar, but sand each plank under certain angle rather than 90 degs. The plank facing you - sand it with a bevel towards you, the other one - in the opposite direction. This will allow you to mount each plank on the hull very neatly and tightly next to the neighbouring plank and without ugly fissures in between. Repeat the above for the next pair of planks and continue so. Plank each bulwark with one plank and then go to the other side (bulwark) with the second plank, rather than planking straight ahead the entire bulwark and then continuing with the opposite side. This will prevent undesireable warping of the hull during drying off the moist planks (after you wet bent them). I built this simple jig many years ago, following advice from the now defunct Seaways List, and to this day the jig still serves me well, saves lots of time and makes my planks very exact. Greetings, Thomas PS: In addition to the above mentioned (excellent) sources of info on planking, I also wholeheartedly recommend a brochure by the late Jim Roberts "Planking the Built-up Ship Model", which is a bit more advanced than the book by Mastini, but explains clearly all problems a modeler might encounter during his/her build. The brochure, to my knowledge, is still available from Model Expo.

Gorgeous ropes, all of them! I wonder, did you try to twist any left handed ones as well from your threads? Fantastic looking ropewalk!

Doris, I would like very much to see your sculpting tools. A couple of pics, please, if possible?

ALL ropes look fantastic to me!

THANKS!!!

Dan, May I ask what type of paper do you use for printing the designs? Regular, extra thick, matte, glossy photo paper...?

Many years ago, when the SIS magazine was still owned by Clay Feldman, there was an article there about wood bending method by a German modeler Gebhard Kammerlander. He used a special gun with a crescent shaped head (he used to sell it). He would first soak the strips of wood in LUKE WARM water for a few minutes and with a medium heat applied, he would bend it like a pretzel. No need for a hot kettle, a curling iron, a hot lightbulb and such... Everything was easy and quick. You could add more to your bending or lessen it by bending in reverse direction. See the video here: Rather than buying this device from Gebhard, I modified my old soldering gun (80 W, 110 Volt Weller) by replacing its tip with a home made head - see pic. That way, I ended up with two tools - a wood bending tool and a soldering iron. The only thing I had to fashion, was a heat controlling device, since the heat for wood bending is about 1/3 less than for soldering, otherwise you will burn your wood. I made it (following the advice from a stain glass class I once took) from an ordinary, cheap household dimmer available from house building centers and/or electrical supplies stores. I wholeheartedly recommend trying this method! See if it works for you.

Aren't you supposed to allow one end of yout ropewalk to slide on the table (perhaps weighted with a ballast?) to allow your rope to shrink somewhat? Twisted rope is typically shorter than individual strands for about 25%. Perhaps that's the reason you broke your first rope...

J. Boudriot in his "74 gun ship" details the cabins there, including the captain's cabin. Drawings and descriptions are given.

If however you'd have decided to do it yourself and your models are in display cases, here is what I once did with my Billing's "Norske Loeve" (this was recommended once by someone from the old "Seaways" list). I obtained a large bag od styrofoam "popcorns" and simply gently filled out an entire case with them (built with plastic sheets, not glass, BTW. Lexan, to be precise) WITH the model inside, , making sure styrofoam fell into all crannies and corners in between the model and the case. Then, I carefully taped the case with a blue painters tape and placed everything in the trunk of my car (station wagon), laying it flat on soft blankets, and drove it to the new place. It was however not nearly as far as yours, just a few miles, but, to my astonishement, absolutely nothing happened to the model, after complete removal of the 'popcorns'. And the roads were not as smooth as one could imagine! You can obtain these styrofoam 'popcorns' in large bags from places like post offices or office supplies stores, like Staples or Office Depot. Something to consider, besides professionals...

I have a handful of pics of the Constitution's carronades. Maybe they'll help?

Mc Kay gives 18 inches for both lower deadeyes, and Longridge says 3/8 inch (0.95 cm) in your scale (1:48), which is about right.

I have this illustration:

Ed, Are you going to blacken the copper parts? And if so, how, without bleeding the blackening agent into the wood?

Perhaps L. Petersson "Rigging fore and aft craft" would be helpful?

Watchmaker's workmanship!

It probabaly would be easier to build a ropewalk from scratch, rather than modify a pencil sharpener, I think. You need a central axis with a bigger gear (either hand cranked or motorized, and on the periphery of this larger gear you need to mount three (or four) smaller gears which engage the "teeth" of the larger gear. So that everything rotates together and in the same direction when you start spinning this central axis. I suggest, you pay a visit to a local junk (scrap metal) store where they have bits and pieces of old machinery, and start looking for appropriate gears. This is the most difficult task (to find those gears) because buying them new online may be quite expensive, after that everyting is much easier. It is then just a matter of finding some time to assemble everything. I built my ropewalk many years ago and it still serves me well. Here is one pic of this gadget. Regards, Thomas

I took a liberty of translating these Polish instructions for you (page 1 of your scans). Hopefully, this will be of help for you in building your model. Regards, Thomas SMS „Helgoland” entered the service in Autumn 1914, stationed in the Sebenico base. Her active duty ensued with the bombardment of Italian Coast and continued throughout the entire war time; till its end she was conducting very intensive activities, having both, successes (e.g. sinking an Italian destroyer “Turbine”, raming a French submarine “Monge”, sinking five and damaging three luggers in the Otranto narrows, participating in sinking several other warships and civilian ships. She also had suffered from enemy artillery and airplane bombs but overall she was rather a lucky ship and had survived till the end of the war in a pretty good shape. In between 1st through 3rd of February 1918 the crew rebelled and together with crews from other ships anchored in the Cattaro Bay, tried to begin an uprising. The control on the “Helgoland” was eventually regained, and the leaders of the mutiny were shot. After the war, according to the peace treaty, the ship was acquired by the Italians. After a major rebuild and rearming, she became an auxillary ship. During the Abyssinian conflict, she was securing the Adriatic Sea from the Yugoslavian fleet joining the war efforts on the British side. In March 1937 she was struck from the fleet list and soon after, scrapped. Technical/tactical Data: Length: 130.6 m Width: 12.77 m Draught: 4.55 m Displacement: 3500 t Engines: 29.000 KM Speed: 27 knots Armor: 60 mm bulwarks; 20 mm decks Armament: 9x100 mm; 1x70 mm; 3x2 torpedo tubes Crew: 340 General notes: The model is easy to build and is suitable for medium advanced modelers. They can do away with rails and simplify masting and rigging, if desired. In the model instructions additional symbols were utilized: *-glue onto a 0.5 mm cardboard ** - glue onto a 1 mm cardboard W – cut (scissors symbol) – cut through L; P – left part, right part Descriptions of the construction Following the pic. (rys.1), assemble and glue the hull skeleton with decks. As indicated by the symbols, all parts of the skeleton and decks have to be thickened by gluing them earlier onto 1 mm cardboard. Before cutting them out, pierce or drill holes for the stanchions of the railings, cranes, masts, flagstaffs, and so on. Finished skeleton should be then covered with bottom planking, using joining strips – parts 1 thru 9. Glue elements W4a and D3a in the indicated places. Now glue bulwark strips: first at the bow and stern, later on the middle one, which is deliberately longer (reserve). From the inner side, glue part 12a. Thicken and glue bulwark armors, parts 13 and 13a. I advise to retouch edges with water paints before gluing them. Along the hatched lines glue to the keel antiheeling (?) elements K. Due to the risk of damaging the rudder and drive shafts at this time, I advise to postpone their assembly until later. The hull is now completed, it is time to begin assembly of deck equipment. Begin with smokestack bases, parts 14-17 Glue stacks, following drawing (Rys.) 2, from parts 18 and 19 + wire I. Next to the last smokestack glue two columns with gangplanks and stairs, part 20 (see drawing 3). Complete with elements 21a, 21b the superstructures of boilerhouse ventilation 21 and glue them onto the deck. Glue in the indicated place on the fore deck ventilation shaft 22. Following drawing 4 glue deckhouse with ventilation shaft, part 23, and acc. to drawing 5 deckhouse with skylights p. 24-25. Notice: glue deck 24a 3 mm below the edge of the wall and paint over visible inner surface of the wall. Skylights, p. 26, 27, 29, 30, 35 and 37 glue onto the deck in the indicated places. Glue two stern lifts with p. 28 (drawing 6) and attach (glue) them on the deck. Details p. 31 and 36 glue in the indicated places, part 32 acc. to drawing 5. Assemble and glue stern deckhouse p. 38. In the decks make an opening for a mast. On the deck there is an indicated (with a line) place to attach stairs. Acc. to drawing 7, assemble a main (commander’s) deckhouse from parts 39-42 and mount it on the deck. Support the gangways with columns made from wire. Glue in the indicated places parts 43, 44, 46 breakwater p. 45. From p. 47 make and mount two anchor hoists, similar with part 48. Part 49 (pic.8) glue on the bow. Acc. to pic 9 assemble the barrels of main artillery cannons cal. 100mm and place them on the deck. Glue 3 double torpedo tubes with or without torpedoes from parts 51 and place them on the deck (pic. 10) Following pic. 11 assemble from part 52 and a pin, a gun cal. 70 mm and glue it on the stern. Acc. to pic. 13 assemble three reflectors from part 53 and glue them in shown places. From part 54 assemble two drums for firehoses and glue them to the smokestacks bases, p. 14 and 15. Subsequently assemble and glue the following: from p. 55 ventilators (to the deck); from p. 56 drums (to the deckhouse 24 – see pic 5 and to the wall W4a. Details 57 and 58 glue onto the main deck and deckhouses’ decks – see pic. 7 and a general pic. Glue into them pins with grey heads. In indicated places glue on the deck subsequent elements: 59, 60 and 61. Gangplanks 62 glue acc. to general pic, suspending them by a thread on wire zurawiki. IV. Assemble and glue from p. 63 davitts for lifeboats wrapped around a wire II and III (Smaller for hanging boats). From parts 64-70 assemble 8 lifeboats and motorboats acc. to pic. 12, 13 and 14 (assembled together in similar fashion) and glue them on their bases or suspend them by a thread on the davitts (see general pic) Anchors p. 71 and 72 glue to the bulwarks. Now from p. 73, 74 and 75 and wire or wooden dowel assemble and glue a rudder (pattern VI) and two propulsion shafts with propellers. What remains now is gluing stairs leading from the foredeck onto the maindeck p. 76 and modeling the masting/rigging. A flag p.77 should be glued to the flagstaff V on the bow. Acc. to the drawings, make a mainmast and mizenmast from wire or dowels and mount them acc. to the general drawing. Glue a gangplank 78, a top 80 and flags 79 and 80. Make remaining elements from dowels, wire and threads, specifically rigging, rails, suports for propellers (pattern VII) an arm of a crane (pattern VIII). Lastly make liferings p. 82 and mount them on the rails acc. to general pic. The entire model finally should be carefully retouched with water paints.