Billing Boats 1/144th scale Titanic

[bdromstedt]

I am beginning to build the Billing Titanic in 1/144th scale. Almost to the point of beginning to "plank" the hull. Can anyone advise what size "rivets" I should be looking for to simulate the plating rivets on the real ship? I know there are several companies that provide these in decal form, which I think would suit my purpose, but I'm hoping to determine what size I should order, so it's not trial and error. Can anyone assist?

[DavidG]

you are good to go with scale 1 inch rivets. they will be very small if done in scale.

here are the reference sizes.

good luck for the build.

Edited June 1, 2023 by DavidG

[Roger Pellett]

IMHO rivets are overdone by modelers anxious to include the smallest details.  

 

First of all, you are modeling to a scale of 1:144, so if you are viewing your model from a distance of 1ft, that is equivalent to looking at the real thing from a distance of 144ft. 

 

Second, unless you have an actual riveting schedule or better yet a plating expansion drawing for Titanic your riveting patterns will not be accurate.  Joints between adjacent plates were riveted to withstand the stresses that were calculated to exist throughout the hull.  Some joints were riveted with double rows, some with triple rows, and some joints in highly stressed areas with even more.

 

The first photo below shows two actual rivets of the type used to join heavy plates in ship hulls.  These are called Pan Head rivets.  The rivet was inserted hot from the inside of the hull.  It was held in place with a heavy backup tool while it was “closed up” by hammering from the outside.  It needed to be closed up while still very hot as shrinkage while cooling was important to pull the joint together. The rivets used in building Titanic were driven by hand as her builder had not invested in pneumatic riveting tools.

 

The second photo shows a cross section of a typical riveted joint used in shipbuilding.  Note, the heavy Pan Head is on the inside of the hull.  The observer looking at the hull from the outside would see the slight bulge of hammered metal.

 

Roger

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by Roger Pellett

[Jim Lad]

Here's a fairly close up photo of a rivetted ship. (One of my ships, so a pretty old photo ). Even at this distance it's pretty much impossible to see the rivets.

 

John