Jump to content

Black or natural thread?


Vane

Recommended Posts

All modelship I do in the "Nelson navy series" have a mixture of black and white/natural rigging thread. So is there any basic rules to follow here on when and where to use the different colours?

Current builds: HMS Victory (Corel 1:98), HMS Snake (Caldercraft 1:64), HMBV Granado (Caldercraft 1:64), HMS Diana (Caldercraft 1:64), HMS Speedy (Vanguard Models 1:64) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Black for the static standing rigging, as it was tarred, and natural for running rigging. Most times, the ratlines were also tarred, but not always. I believe that Nelson's preference was to not have ratlines tarred, so the shrouds should be black, but ratlines natural rigging thread.

logo.jpg
Vanguard Models on Facebook

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, there is: the so-called standing rigging (the non-moving parts like stays and shrouds) used to be more heavily tarred, so are darker than the running rigging (anything that is used to handle sails and spars), which was not so heavily tarred, to keep the lines plyable.

 

Jan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bright white should be avoided. Not only does it look “too clean” it doesn’t resemble actual natural fiber rope at all. It’s possible to find modern sailing ships with rigging that is very white, but these are all manmade fiber ropes made of Dacron or nylon, materials unavailable before WWII.

  

Quote

 

 Niagara USS Constitution 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I run with the following scenario :

prior to 1860 and commercial petroleum, tar was obtained from conifers, with the Baltic region being the major supplier.

It is closer to dark walnut dye than  0,0,0 black.  A serious coat on standing rigging and a light coat on running rigging.

Hemp and later Manila hemp fibers are not white to begin with.

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here’s a photo of some pine tar out of a can. It’s very thick as can be seen and opaque. But the opacity is lessened when it’s painted onto a porous surface. It’s very sticky and very thick and viscous but it thins easily with turpentine. Painted onto some rope, it behaves enough like paint as to be brushablewith a brush or you can wipe it on with a rag. Asingle aplication to fiber rope will not render the rope black but successive coats eventually will. The successive coats eventually stop soaking into the rope and a crust is then formed and at that point it becomes opaque and nearly (but not 100%) black in color. The gloss only lasts until it dries after which point it loses it’s shine and can appear almost chalky after prolonged UV exposure. 

A2765A61-5AE1-4924-A831-705F97531EF6.jpeg

D15486EF-9A8B-4441-B658-8A19BF764CDC.jpegHere’s a shot taken on Niagara. Under the crew’s arm is a stay that’s been served with twine then given many coats of pine tar. The stay’s location low down on the Bowsprit means it’s often getting chafed by the sails and it’s a constant handhold for the crew. As a result it’s surface is scuffed and worn and it can not be said to be 100% Black in color, it’s a very dark brown or grayish-brown. It would only have appeared “very black” for a few weeks after its last aplication of tar. Aplying tar would happen fairly regularly as a daily chore on a sailing ship, but the tarring would be piecemeal not comprehensive. So most of the standing rig wouldn’t be black it would be this dark color.

Edited by JerseyCity Frankie

  

Quote

 

 Niagara USS Constitution 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Frankie! A picture's worth a thousand words. I really don't know why there's so much error, confusion, and controversy among modelers when it comes to cordage colors.  Could it be that many have never actually spent any time around sailing ships?

 

(P.S.: Just to avoid further confusion, the "white" or gray running rigging in the picture is apparently modern Dacron. Pre-synthetic cordage would have been of lightly tarred hemp and thus dark brown.)  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

And one further precaution: if using the pine tar/natural fibers, etc. - make sure the NO SMOKING LAMP is lit!!!:Whew:

Construction Underway:

Entering Builder's Yard - USS STODDARD (DD-566) 1967-68 Configuration (Revell 1:144 FLETCHER - bashed)

In Development - T2 or T3 Fleet Oil Tanker (1:144 Scratch Build Model) - 1950s era

Currently - 3D Design/Printed 1/48 scale various U.S.N. Gun Mounts/Turrets and GFCS Directors (Mk. 34, 37, 38, 54)


Completed:
Armed Virginia Sloop (1768)
Royal Caroline (1748)
Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) (Scratchbuilt)

USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 1967-69 Configuration (Trumpeter 1:200 bashed MISSOURI)

Member:
NRG
NCMM Beaufort -CSMA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...