Sails making process

[allanyed]

The smaller the scale, the more I cringe as well, BUT, if you get hold of a copy Ships in Miniature by Lloyd McCaffery there is information on everything about building and rigging ships in scales even  smaller than 1:100 that you may find useful.  This includes method for making blocks for scales half the size you are working  which may still be applicable for your scale. 

Allan

[wefalck]

McCaffery was/is my bible for miniature ships, but his method of block-making is really only applicable to his rigid twisted metal-wire rigging.

 

He basically punches out oval paper discs with custom-made hollow punches and then sticks these on both sides of the crossing between wires or he builds up tackles by glueing strands of twisted wire to discs.

 

One could think of adapting the method by substituting thread for wire. It would probably work for simple tackles with single-blocks. Not sure how one would do with double blocks.

 

I have tried to go (partially) down that route, but found it difficult to align the discs to each other with sufficient precision. Rather than punching the block cheeks, I cut them with my laser-cutter.

 

So far, I managed to produce blocks down to 1.5 mm with miniaturised traditional methods, but will have to face making 1 mm blocks in the near future.

[Roger Pellett]

For those looking to rig models originally rigged with steel wire cable, McCaffery  twists his own from nichrome wire.  I recently checked on Amazon and this stuff is available down to .001in diameter.  Metric experts correct me if i’m wrong, but I believe that’s .012mm!

 

Roger

[wefalck]

NiCr-wire is used in heating elements e.g. for toasters, so it is available in a wide variety of diameters, but it is very tough to cut. 0.001" are actually 0.0254 mm - still very thin.

 

McCaffery uses the twisted NiCr-wire for all his rigging, regardless, whether it was hemp or iron/steel. He also seems to paint all the rigging black, regardless, whether it is running or standing rigging. Personally, I don't quite like this idea, as suitable beige paints are available.

[EricWilliamMarshall]

Thanks everyone for such an informative thread!