Question for you model vets

[Laggard]

Any parts you will buy now instead of building from scratch?  For instance, I will never again try to create a chain plate with deadeye.  
 

just curious. 

[allanyed]

Hi Laggard

Never say never😄   Deadeye sizes and style vary with scale, ship, which channel, etc.   I would be surprised if  there are enough aftermarket chain plate sizes and types to cover all situations.  

 

I have been buying rope and blocks, but I plan to make rope on my own for upcoming builds as I invested in a rope walk.    Blocks??? I am not so sure about that.   I have made my own blocks and have purchased them.  The same problem arises though when buying them.  On a full rigged ship, there are a lot of sizes and types of blocks and after market blocks seem to be limited to about a dozen sizes/types.  

 

I will be curious to see others' responses.   With the growth of 3D printing, a proper drawing is all that is needed to have custom made pieces so I see that as a big plus to sourcing some things such as gun barrels, and more, without sacrificing accuracy.   

 

Allan 

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by allanyed

[wefalck]

I gather it also depends on period and scale - for many periods and for not so common scales, you just can't find anything ready-made - or the stuff is just too crude ...

[kurtvd19]

I have scratch built turnbuckles but I found a source for very well made brass turnbuckles at a very reasonable price and will not scratch build another turnbuckle.  These are for more modern boats than steam riverboats where I will still have to scratch build them.

[Roger Pellett]

My objective when I build a model is to make everything myself except cordage and chain.  I have seven scratch built models and one in process. So far I have met my objective.  Foe me figuring out how how to make something new is half the fun.

 

Roger

[barkeater]

I do everything but cordage, chains and canons. I have molded canons in the past but what I can buy looks better and they are metal. Chains are just to small in 1/48 and I'd rather buy my cordage than spend the time making my own.

[mtaylor]

I tend to buy, rope, blocks, deadeyes, and cannon for my scratch ships.   I have a rope walk and intend on using it... someday.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

   'Found the finest chain I've ever seen by chance at a local craft store (already made into a multi-strand long necklace, but long enough that cut strands are useable for sheet chain in 1:96 scale), then bought what they had.  They are silver finish, but can be airbrushed dark with care.  I've also scrounged blocks and fittings from incomplete or partially built kits occasionally found at flea markets, train shows and the like ... if the price is right these kits can be a good source of planking wood, etc.  The idea is to always be on the lookout, never knowing when or where you might come across something usable.  Now there's an idea ... if an old beat-up (perhaps broken) model has OK chainplate, stropped blocks, etc. and can be had at a low enough price - instead of trying to do a 'restoration', it could be 'mined' for usable parts.

[Justin P.]

29 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

I tend to buy, rope, blocks, deadeyes, and cannon for my scratch ships.   I have a rope walk and intend on using it... someday.

Yep...   same.   Ive been thinking a lot about the cannon for my Triton project and opted to buy them.   I have every intention to make all the rope needed, but will admit that I bought some (just in case).  

[mtaylor]

27 minutes ago, Justin P. said:

Yep...   same.   Ive been thinking a lot about the cannon for my Triton project and opted to buy them.   I have every intention to make all the rope needed, but will admit that I bought some (just in case).  

I was turning cannon at one point and did for the Triton project among others like my Constellation.   More trouble than it's worth these days.

[Bob Cleek]

"I have scratch built turnbuckles but I found a source for very well made brass turnbuckles at a very reasonable price and will not scratch build another turnbuckle.  These are for more modern boats than steam riverboats where I will still have to scratch build them."

 

Did you forget to post the link to your source, or are you just trying to play hard to get?  

 

I've always had problems with turnbuckles. Reasonable facsimiles can be made, but I've never been able to replicate the working turnbuckles on a 4' long  live steam working 1900 steam yacht model I extensively restored years ago. The model was built in the early 1920's. Four inch-long open body turnbuckles with properly opposingly threaded forked arms supported the deck-stepped signals mast. I've looked all over for tiny reverse-thread taps and dies to no avail. Even regular tiny taps and dies are very hard to find and quite expensive. I expect the best that can be done is to have but one end threaded and the other a "dummy." On that model, the ability to loosen the turnbuckles and unhook the shrouds from the chainplates made it possible to remove the mast when transporting the model, a feature that came in very handy. If anybody knows where opposing-threaded micro-taps and dies can be found, I'm all ears.

 

(I wouldn't be a bit surprised if wefalck doesn't have a complete set of right and left-handed micro-taps and dies in his collection of watchmaking tools!  )

[druxey]

Search: 'miniature left hand thread taps and dies'

 

One result:

 

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/204960886/14-tap-die-set-no-07mm-to-2mm-taps-and?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_ca_en_ca_b-craft_supplies_and_tools-other&utm_custom1=_k_CjwKCAjwk6-LBhBZEiwAOUUDpxEIaD5B28Q7qqb-p0gWEGwFt6zgynsLWc3OKAnMrgGdG1AHY9PXShoC6DEQAvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_319629165_19444327605_75295112325_aud-310388264614:pla-106551294035_c__204960886enca_367792477&utm_custom2=319629165&gclid=CjwKCAjwk6-LBhBZEiwAOUUDpxEIaD5B28Q7qqb-p0gWEGwFt6zgynsLWc3OKAnMrgGdG1AHY9PXShoC6DEQAvD_BwE

 

Happy hunting!

[bruce d]

These are my go-to guys for taps in the UK (including LH/RH taps and dies).

 

https://www.tracytools.com/

 

 

[kurtvd19]

22 hours ago, Bob Cleek said:

"I have scratch built turnbuckles but I found a source for very well made brass turnbuckles at a very reasonable price and will not scratch build another turnbuckle.  These are for more modern boats than steam riverboats where I will still have to scratch build them."

 

Did you forget to post the link to your source, or are you just trying to play hard to get?  

No.  Just took me a bit to find my link to the company.  They are in Poland and ship quick and the shipping costs were very reasonable.  A lot of product can fit in a #10 envelope. 

Steve Wheeler and I purchased a lot of parts from this place.  We would pool our orders together - it gave us an excuse to get together.  Everything we got was of very good quality and they are quick to get the parts in the mail.

https://www.rbmodel.com 

[Bob Cleek]

1 hour ago, kurtvd19 said:

No.  Just took me a bit to find my link to the company.  They are in Poland and ship quick and the shipping costs were very reasonable.  A lot of product can fit in a #10 envelope. 

Steve Wheeler and I purchased a lot of parts from this place.  We would pool our orders together - it gave us an excuse to get together.  Everything we got was of very good quality and they are quick to get the parts in the mail.

https://www.rbmodel.com 

Wow! What a selection of "jewelry!" It looks reasonably priced, too. This one went right into my "Favorites - Modeling" file.

 

Thanks a million for sharing it, Kurt!

Edited October 18, 2021 by Bob Cleek

[RichardG]

I've bought belaying pins from them. Product and service were excellent.