Scratch built chainplate

[RossR]

Does anyone have a recommendation on what gauge wire to use for making chain plate for a 1:85 scale ship?  I plan to use brass wire and use a brass black product, and avoid having to paint it.  This will be my first attempt at soldering also.  

[allanyed]

What ship/year/nationality? 

I scoured my books but cannot find a chart so far on the chain link diameters for various size deadeyes, etc, but the following pic from RMG may help you.  If the below deadeye was 12" real world the link material diameter would be ABOUT 1.25" so at a scale of 1:85, the diameter of the wire for the links would be about 26 or 27 gage.

Give consideration to the shape and lengths of the chain plates as they varied quite a bit as well as the number links when the width of the channels changed a lot around the end of the 17th century and the channels were raised by a deck in the early 18th century.  

Allan

Edited February 14, 2023 by allanyed

[RossR]

I am building the Spanish Frigate Diana.  Built in 1792.  I found an image of a painting of the Santisima Trinidad and will attempt to fashion the chainplate similar to what is depicted in the painting.  The Santisima Trinidad was built about 20 years prior to the ship I am building but so far this image is the closest I can find for a Spanish ship.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Captain Slog]

Hi, I made chains out of wire and silver soldered them which was a first for me also. They were also blackened. It can be found in my Endevour build log which you would have to search for as it’s been many years since I updated it.

 

cheers

Slog

Edited February 15, 2023 by Captain Slog

[RossR]

I just checked out your build log.  This will be helpful.  

 

Thanks.

 

[Dr PR]

Wolfram zu Mondfeld's "Historic Ship Models" (Sterling Publishing, Co., New York, NY, 1989) has four pages (134-137) of information and details about chain plates and how they changed over the years. I found this very helpful.

[tlevine]

Taking a look at Allan's book "Scantlings", I found dimensions for Bindings of the deadeyes on pages 238-9.  There probably is not much difference in the diameter between British and Spanish practice.  A fifth rate of 34 guns would have had a binding of 1.5" fore and main and 1.25" mizzen.

[allanyed]

Thanks Toni,

I looked in every logical book that I have except my own!

Thanks again.

 

Allan

Edited February 16, 2023 by allanyed