Is it worth it to make your own deadeyes

[Benjamin sullivan]

Hello I was wondering if anyone thinks it's worth it to make deadeyes or just to buy them

thanks

[Keith Black]

 Ben, I bought mine. Too many and too small to make with my meager talents. It's what you the builder are trying to accomplish with your build. 

[Roger Pellett]

If you want to say that it’s a scratch built model with everything built by you then it’s worth it.

[Benjamin sullivan]

yea i was thinking about making them, would you use a wood lathe?

[dvm27]

I made my own and they were fun to make. I suppose you could make them without a lathe but it would be a lot more work. But, if using a lathe, the order of operations is critical. As well you'll need a mill with a rotary table or drill press with a holding jig for the deadeye holes. Or, you could use CNC if you have the equipment https://modelshipworld.com/topic/19253-le-gros-ventre-by-marsalv-148-pof/page/15/#comments.

 

If you have none of the above and need only a few then I would buy them from Syren as theirs are the best commercially available and pennies apiece. Otherwise the investment in equipment would be hundreds of dollars!

[Roger Pellett]

The last time that I made my own deadeyes I bought a Plug Cutter and chucked it in my drill press.  I used this to cut 3/8in dia blanks.  This method orients the grain correctly;  across the diameter of the blank, instead of along the axis of the cylinder.  I used a block of pear wood.  The particular plug cutter that I found was able to cut a cylinder about 1-1/2 in long.

 

I then chucked the blank in my lathe and turned individual deadeye blanks to the correct diameter and shape.  You should be able to find examples of homemade fixtures for drilling holes on the Forum.  Ed Tosti’s Young America posts come to mind.

 

Photo of plug cutter:

 

[Benjamin sullivan]

thank you i think i will buy them this time, but i'm hoping to sell the ship i am working on and i plan to get a mini wood lathe with the money .

thanks.

[flying_dutchman2]

As a frugal Dutchman, I have been making them for the last couple of years (I make almost everything myself, about 95%).

I take a round dowel, clamp it, on a drill press put in 3 holes in a triangle. 

Use my crude home made lathe and put the dowel in the chuck from the drill and use an abrassive cord to make the groove. 

Cut off the deadeye a bit wider and sand both sides a bit round.

As someone already said, if you only need a few, you can purchase them from any online store.

 

Marcus

[Jaager]

2 hours ago, Benjamin sullivan said:

but i'm hoping to sell the ship i am working on and i plan to get a mini wood lathe with the money

You may wish to explore what is realistic as far as what is the compensation for a ship model built from a kit.

The impression that I get is that they sell for about what is retail for the original kit.

It is possibly different for a scratch built model of a unique subject built by someone with an existing reputation as an artist,

Even then, based on a dollars per hour,  it is unlikely to match what a skilled senior professional in the trades would receive.  

For a kit, red state minimum wage is probably a dream.

[Benjamin sullivan]

well this ship is scratch built, but another existing problem is i'm only 14 so i have literally next to no income so even if I sell it for 100$ I can start save up to get better tools.

even if it dosen't sell for much there are like 6 in our house so i'm running out of room to keep them.

[Roger Pellett]

What size deadeyes do you need?  I’ve got lots of store bought ones in my stash.

 

Roger

[Benjamin sullivan]

the sizes i need are 5mm and 2mm .

(40) 5mm and (20) 2mm ,the ship i'm building is the 1977 USS Essex frigate ,I have made it three Essex's so far and I am quite happy with the improvements just adding a few things each time as I get better to make it better and this time i'm hoping to add deadeyes and blocks.

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Benjamin sullivan

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Ahoy, Ben !  You didn't mention what scale your model is.  2mm is really tiny, and likely difficult to make.  I ordered a group of deadeyes & blocks to go with either Cutty Sark or Thermopylae in 1:96 scale (e.g. the Revels kits) and they were not cheap, and the two deadeye sizes supplied were 3.5mm and 2.5mm  nominal (possibly a bit out of scale, but I can't see manipulating any deadeyes that are smaller.  I've got some 3mm deadeyes to use as an intermediate step for the backstay deadeyes, and use the 2.5mm ones aloft.

  

  The smallest single blocks are a mere 2mm ! ... and I don't know if I will be able to work with them - but I'll try to work out a method.  I'll use 1:100 to do the math (close enough to 1:96, and I won't have to use a calculator).  I also figure 25mm per inch (yeah, I know it's 25.4mm ... but rounding to 25 also makes the math easier when I round the scale as above).  OK, so 2mm x 100 = 200mm ... divided by 25 and the block represents a 8" block at 1:100 - so that would be for bunt blocks.

 

 No wonder its easier to rig a model  thats 1:48scale !   The downside is that large ships (like clippers) will be BIG models requiring big cases at 1:48.  'Guess thats why there are clipper kits in the compromise scale of between 1:70 to 1:75 - and then it is quite forgivable  to be a little out of scale on some items like blocks, deadeyes and belaying pins.

 

  

[Benjamin sullivan]

sorry ment to right 2.5 mm🙂

Edited November 10, 2022 by Benjamin sullivan

[Benjamin sullivan]

scale is 1: 64 I think I could not actually find pre printed lans so I had to buy some and print them as to scale as i can which was wrong the first time so i had to do it  a second time so at the size now everything that says it is 5 mm on the sheets measers to 4.5mm.

[GrandpaPhil]

On 1/14/2019 at 9:42 PM, GrandpaPhil said:

To make deadeyes I’ve been using dowel rods.  I started by cutting the grooves with a knife.  Make sure when cutting the groove you make the first cut from the outside-in, otherwise the wood will split.   Next, I cut the deadeyes off.  Then I drill the holes and sand the deadeyes smooth.  

 

I started out predilling the holes in the dowel rod, but that caused alignment problems.

 

 I used an Excel hobby knife with a #11 X-Acto blade and a pinvise.

That’s how I did it using a knife, a pinvise and a razor saw.

 

It would work for the 5mm, but for smaller deadeyes, it’s tricky unless you have a high density wood.

 

I usually buy smaller deadeyes.

[Benjamin sullivan]

so I think I will buy them for this model but I know some places have better quailty ones and some don't .

I know a few people have suggested that syren has some good ones but while looking them up I noted that model expo has walnut ones andI think that syren's are boxwood or something and for the amount I need it seems to work out to less for the walnut ones but I don't know .

[Keith Black]

 Ben, you can use walnut stain on boxwood blocks and deadeyes. See post 294 and 297.

 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by Keith Black

[Benjamin sullivan]

12 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

 Ben, you can use walnut stain on boxwood blocks and deadeyes. See post 294 and 297.

 

 

 

I see what you mean the stain does look quite nice .

[Benjamin sullivan]

I noted that on syren they has each one for 36 cents or something but model expo has 40 pacts for 7$ which is the amount that I need (at least of the 5mm ones) .But .36 times 40 =$14.4 which is twice the price of the walnut ones but they appear to be a softer wood,

so I was wondering why that would be .are the syren ones higher quailty?

thank you again you have all been very helpfull ,and I feel like I an learning quite a lot.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Benjamin sullivan

[Keith Black]

Ben, buy a few extra because they will occasionally shoot off into the nether regions of you work area never to be seen or heard from again. 

[Benjamin sullivan]

will do , do you have a prefered place to get them?

[Keith Black]

 

6 hours ago, Benjamin sullivan said:

do you have a prefered place to get them?

 I bought mine from Cornwall Model Boats in England but for a few you would want to buy from someone here in the US. 

[Benjamin sullivan]

I am in Canada but I'm sure they would ship here .

[Keith Black]

 They will but they have a $50.00 order minimum. 

[ScottRC]

On 11/9/2022 at 12:31 PM, Benjamin sullivan said:

the sizes i need are 5mm and 2mm .

(40) 5mm and (20) 2mm ,the ship i'm building is the 1977 USS Essex frigate ,I have made it three Essex's so far and I am quite happy with the improvements just adding a few things each time as I get better to make it better and this time i'm hoping to add deadeyes and blocks.

 

Are your models of the Essex from kits?  I am a big fan of the Essex and so far have only been able to obtain the old 5/64 scale Model Shipways kit which is pretty much a block of wood to start a scratch project with.  I too end up in need of small blocks and deadeyes.  

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Benjamin, have a look at Crafty Sailor website. They are in Calgary and they sell Falconet deadeyes made from pear.

[Benjamin sullivan]

49 minutes ago, ScottRC said:

Are your models of the Essex from kits?  I am a big fan of the Essex and so far have only been able to obtain the old 5/64 scale Model Shipways kit which is pretty much a block of wood to start a scratch project with.  I too end up in need of small blocks and deadeyes.  

no it is a scratch build , i just really like the look of the ship, this is my first time adding deadeyes to any ship .

[Benjamin sullivan]

49 minutes ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Hi Benjamin, have a look at Crafty Sailor website. They are in Calgary and they sell Falconet deadeyes made from pear.

I will ,and this is my first time getting deadeyes so any suggestions on where to get them is much appreciated.