Cargo Boom Diameter

[Feathermerchant]

I have started the restoration of the 1914 Dutch built, steel, passenger/freighter "Insulande" and have run into a problem with scale. The drawings are 1:96 or 1/8" = 1'. The model is a "folk art" build at roughly the same scale. The problem is: the cargo booms look to large in diameter for the scale. Measured the cargo booms are 1/4" dia, which at 1:96 is 24" diameter. The drawing shows the booms at 1/16" which is 6" dia.

With all the books in my library, only one deals with steel ships (American Merchant Seamans Manual). It shows pictures of the cargo booms but does not show the boom size. From the pictures I estimate the booms should be 3/32" - 1/8" or 9" - 12" dia. 

Anybody have a more definitive reference source that would provide boom dia?

Thanks....................feathermerchant

 

[Jim Lad]

Mate, that's almost like asking, "How long is a piece of string?"   The diameter of the derrick will depend on its safe working load (SWL), length and the thickness of the steel used in its construction.

 

For an average sort of cargo derrick of 5 ton SWL, a diameter of 8 or 9 inches won't be too far out.

 

John

[JerseyCity Frankie]

You bring up an interesting topic concerning restoration of a model one has not built themselves. If your tasked with restoring it, to what degree do you make corrections when you find the original builder had included inaccuracies? I just finished two weeks of work restoring damage and cleaning grime off a well made and otherwise accurate square rigged ship model that apparently never had backstays or lifts rigged. Tempted as I was to put them on, they were not part of the model to begin with and thus I decided it was not for me to put the stamp of my personality on the model. It made the job somewhat less satisfying but on the other hand I could imagine the ghost of the original builder nodding approval that I hadn't changed what he had done.

[Feathermerchant]

Model was built, as far as I can tell, by either someone who sailed on her or worked on her, when she was the "Insulinde" (1914 - 1918). She sits in a drydock when complete. I would classify her as "folk art" rather then an accurate model of the original ship. She was bought at a antique dealer in Atlanta in the early 80's and restored (cleaned and painted) then sat on a desk top before a north facing window. Owner passed 2012 and in the ligudation of his ship models was sold to the new owner who would like the model restored to a more accurate depiction of the original ship.

 

I agree with you on restoration on a model staying with in a family and have done many of those. This is a new owner with no ties to the original builder so he gets to set the restoration standards. As far as the cargod posts and booms, it appears that the ration is cargo booms are 1/2 the size of the posts. So the new posts will be 1/4" and the cargo booms will be 1/8". Thanks for the input. Back to cleaning decks.