Amati Loom-a-line worth using? (edited by admin)

[bluenose2]

Hello Les here. I jusr purchased the Amati Loom-a-line rigging jig. Seemed a good idea at the time. Has anyone used this thing and is it any good. I don't want to start using up my Syren rigging and find out it's, meh!

[mtaylor]

Les,

 

There's more here that you probably don't want to know...  http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/materials_and_tools/ToolsNotToBotherWith.pdf

 

The article database is here and filled with useful info:  http://modelshipworldforum.com/ship-modeling-articles-and-downloads.php

[bluenose2]

Rats!! Thought it would be great. Well another tool for the crap archive.

[bluenose2]

Hello Les back. Here's a lesson learned the hard way. Ask first buy later.

[mtaylor]

Sorry Les.  I think it's a lesson we've all had to learn...  search first, then ask before buying.  Painful at times.

[Bill Tuttle]

Les,

 

We have all made these mistakes and now fortunately we have a group to run it past before making these mistakes.  I still have some crap I bought that I leave on my shelf to remind me of these errors. Don't think twice about it, just don't be afraid to ask in the future.    

[GeorgeBaxter]

Hi Bluenose2

 

If you have already got the Loomaline then it is probably worth giving it a go. I also have one, and used it with reasonable results.

 

I would not simply take the plan's looming recommendations. I have seen them with recommendations such as use the horizontal pins A, B, D, F  and vertical 8 but that will always be dodgy. 

 

I found that making a scale paper template of ratlines works for me. Then use pins A, C, E , etc and then adjust the vertical pin number to get the desired angles. 

 

You can either make the ratlines as one single continuous, up and down around the pins. Alternatively, you can tie off the individual lines to the lower pins, and tie the bundle to the top pin. The second method is harder as you will get variations in the tension but it may be necessary for special cases.

 

As you can see from the picture, I put white paper to cover the bulk of the jig. I found the black frame hard for contrast. Having a simple white background helped, and I could put guiding lines there too, to help alignment and show the starting position.

 

I am sure that others have their own favourite methods, with their own jigs, and maybe other tips too.

[allanyed]

Les,

The shrouds are usually in pairs that go around the mast, not individual lines.  If there are an odd number of shrouds the foremost is cut spliced to  make a port and starboard shroud.  It is served its entire length.  This would go on first, then the pairs would follow starting with the port pair. The section of each shroud pair that goes around the mast is served at the upper portion as well.  Volume IV of David Antscher's TFFM series explains this in great detail and would really serve you well in the rigging of your Syren.  I concur with most of those above, the loom is useless. 

Allan

[GeorgeBaxter]

I accept that Allan does have far more experience and what he is saying it true for the larger craft. I am speaking from my experience on building a rather smaller and fiddlier scale ship. That was Sergal Thermopylae, scale 1:124 

 

The shrouds are 10 mm apart at the widest, and taper down to 2 mm at the top. The rate lines are 5 mm apart. An additional difficulty ( for me ) was that there are some secondary shrouds near the top. The main shrouds seem to be fixed below the crosstrees and the secondary shrouds fixed to the crosstrees. The crosstrees are 30 mm across and 20 mm deep. 

 

I really could not see anyway of making the shrouds in situ and then put the ratlines.

 

I did find the loom useful as I could make the shrouds all the same size and tension, and fix the ratlines and secondary shrouds in a reasonable way. I did have to augment the loom with an additional wooden block, to tie the secondary shrouds.

 

I do accept that the loom does not have any real value for larger, and more accessible scales, of ships as the methods for construct the shrouds is fundamentally different. For the scales that I was working it did provide some real use.

 

[James H]

The Amati loom-a-line is fantastic! Fantastic as a wedge to keep your workshop door open.

[sined37]

Youre all right about the amati loom-a-line rigging  kits, nicely made and interesting but hardly practical and no help in spacing the rat lines.

 

As some have said, another unwise purchase!

[wade13]

Yep, suckre number 2,013, here... just bought one, an age trying to use it, useless to create proper spacing of the shrouds let alone ratlines.... DOH!

[allanyed]

P.T. Barnum had a valid point, even as far back as circa 1850..

Allan