Gorch Fock I 1933 by Snug Harbor Johnny - 1:100 - RESTORATION

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  'Noticed that camera flash makes the belaying pins look shinier than they are just looking at them ...  the growing patina seems a mild brown, like other brass I've had laying around for a long time.  Now the jewelry wire used for the grab bars (and also will be used for railings) is 'protected' by some kind of coating ... so will remain relatively bright for a long time.  The grab bars were painted white with some Testor's model enamel, and it adhered well to whatever coating was on the wire.  The plan is to paint the lower third of the stanchions white before fitting, then after the railings is worked out and installed, the remaining brass will be painted white everywhere - as seen on the original ship.

 

  I figure that some 'kit supplied' belaying pins look 'stubby', is that if they had the appearance (proportion) of actual pins they'd be prone to breakage.  So turned brass seems the best in looks and resistance to breakage - thus they are worth the cost of ordering as an upgrade.

 

  'Still thinking about rigging and belay locations, and have a rough drawing.  So I'll make a 'cleaner' version using my LED light table recently acquired.

 

    4 boomkins were just made using a bamboo skewer as follows:  a.) measure to select drill size, then drill about 1/2" deep into the hull where needed.  ('Could have used a piece of tape in lieu of a drill stop - This means the boomkin shaft that won't be seen will be marked as to where it must go on the hull e.g. SF = Starboard Fore.)  b.)  insert skewer, and mark 5/8" out from hull.  ( There will be 4 eyes inserted at 1/8" intervals, plus an eye on the end ... that should be enough, as I'm not sure exactly how many will be needed.  )   c.) place in mini lathe, taper the end and cut off at the mark.  d.) fit, mark and hand drill holes for eyes with a finger drill chuck.  d.) insert eyes, trim, bend and  CA in place.  This (and also the belaying pin assy.) is an application for the 'thin' CA, and a little bit applied with a dental tool will 'wick' where it has to go.

 

  The boomkin shown did split a little on the end (mishandling - but the others are intact), so I got the idea to mount the reinforcing chain (to be pinned to the hull at a later time) with a ring over the end of the boomkin ... actually, any blocks or lines to be fastened to the boomkins will go on once I paint the boomkin white - but the boomkins themselves will go in later so they they don't get snapped in the interim - perhaps they don't even need gluing in as the rigging will retain them just as the rigging will retain the masts without gluing.  So it is a good thing each will be marked where it needs to go later.

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Sometimes days can go by with no progress, as I'm always pondering which course to take ... But once I forge ahead in some respect, much can be done.  Now I often look back and think of how it might have been done differently or 'better' - but there is no point in doing so other than for future reference.  The 'Holy Grail' of 'absolute' authenticity is virtually unachievable.  Compromises in detail and scale must be made frequently.  As with life in general, imagining 're-dos' is not productive.

 

  There was an entire rear cabin missing from my restoration model, so I had to make a replacement that would 'blend in' with the ship as-built.  So I took a scrap of  ordinary furring strip, trimmed the width a little, then cut off to length.  Mahogany doors and windows were trimmed form planking strips, then glued into place.  Off-white paint was mixed and applied to the walls, and clear shellac to the darker wood.   The cambered roof (by sanding) was an application of scribed decking stock commercially available.  I still have to install the grab bars and tone the roof as needed, but I set it in the deck without gluing to take a picture.

 

 

  A little paint perked up another deck feature ..  a couple things still need to be added to it.

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  'Decided to make a standing pin rail, and used toothpicks that come with shaped ends (for hors d'oeuvres ... mine weren't all that well formed, so I picked a couple and touched them up on the mini-lathe) for uprights, and a strip of mahogany drilled to accept uprights at each end - and pins in between.  The deck was marked through the rail (before anything was added) for drilling.  Then things were assembled and fixed in place with dabs of thin CA.  Its hard to get everything in focus at close range with the crummy camera I have - but you get the idea.  A little amber shellac will tone the uprights.  I'll follow suit for rails elsewhere.

 

  Pics of my rough sketches on belaying the lines follow.  Rough, to be sure - just haven't wanted to spare the time yet to 'clean them up', as they are still subject to change.

 

 

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  No pics this time, as I'm prepping a lot of little parts.  The decision was made to use Revell 1:96 internally stropped blocks for the larger ones needed, as they are close to scale (just a little over).  I could work with 4 1/2 mm wood blocks (smaller ones give me trouble) but 1.) they are too much out of scale at 1:100, and 2.) they are externally stropped.  The 3 1/2 mm Revell blocks are from a kit I happen to have on hand, but they can be found in several kits still available on Ebay or elsewhere.  The bunt blocks will still be beads.  

 

  The plastic blocks must be completely painted.  Also, I'm pre-painting the railing stanchions white.  'Soon time for Christmas break and lots of family obligations.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  A ship in a bottle I made over 50 years ago was mentioned in another thread, but I could not provide a picture because it's whereabouts was unknown.  'Seems it survived a couple moves with my Mom, and then was somewhere in my brother's house ... and he finally found it and I received it back when visiting yesterday (Christmas Eve).  I didn't know much about proper rigging at the time, but its not bad for a first exercise.  A better version is on my 'bucket list' now.  I'll have to find 'just the right' bottle - high and narrow on its side - and this is another thing to look for in the many antique sellers to be found in SE Pennsylvania.  

 

 

  The wavy glass distorts things a bit (typical), and next time I should have 3 masts (barque rigged) - like the GF or Big T in her later years.  Notes to self;  have the back stays go to the masts (not the yards ... although that made it easier to untwist the masts once in the bottle, as those lines pass over the deck to the corresponding hole in the opposite bulwark ), add fine ratlines by gluing, paint hull,  rig braces to beads on the forestays.

 

  The masts were not hinged, but just fit into shallow holes in deck.  Several dabs of slow curing epoxy were put on the inside of the bottle, and the collapsed vessel maneuvered with long tweezers to that place and allowed to completely cure.  Then a dab of epoxy was placed in the holes for the masts (with a long wire as an applicator).  The forestays attached to the fore mast had long ends at that time and came out the neck of the bottle.  Long tweezers helped grip the base of the for mast as the stay lines were pulled to stand the masts up - the 2nd mast just following the first.  The tweezers pushed the mast bottoms into the shallow holes and they were allowed to completely cure.

 

  The fore stays did not go through holes in the bowsprit, so each one (in turn, from back to front) was positioned on the bowsprit with tweezers - and another tweezer end applied a dab of  '3 minute' epoxy  where the line was held on the underside of the bowsprit.  After setting, another line was done (the line ends still coming out of the bottle) until all were done.  Then after curing, a long X-Acto trimmed the lines at the bowsprit.  Then a cork was jammed into the bottle neck.

 

  Additional notes to self -  work out making the masts hinged, because that will be less harrowing that 'planting' the mast ends into holes like I did (I recall that it was difficult to manage).  I've seen hinges used on other ship-in-bottle MSW threads.  Also, having the fore-most stays passing through holes in the bowsprit will be much easier to glue later.

 

 

  Merry Christmas (or Festivus) and a Happy New Year in you shipyards, mates !                Johnny

 

[Keith Black]

 Johnny, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. 

[Glen McGuire]

7 hours ago, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

A ship in a bottle I made over 50 years ago was mentioned in another thread, but I could not provide a picture because it's whereabouts was unknown. 

I believe I am the guilty party that asked to see your ship in a bottle (my Oseberg/Kraken build log)!

 

I'm glad you were able to find it and share pictures.  Plus, I think you did a marvelous job for a first exercise.  Quite impressive!  Hope you don't wait too long to make a new version. 

 

And Merry Christmas to you and family as well!

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Glen McGuire

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Thanks, Glen.  Now that I think about it, ships in bottles are more likely to survive over long periods for a number of reasons;  interesting to look at - so they can add to most any room decor, they don't take up a lot of shelf space, the light weight of the craft is resistant against damage if it secure on the inside surface of the bottle, easy to dust, easy to move or store.  If someone no longer wants one, they can easily sell (e.g. yard sale) so they are far less likely to be trashed.  So the model may pass through successive hands for generations, which is why having at least the builders name and build date visible by looking through the underside of the bottle is a good idea.

 

  The completed Khufu barge I'm considering how to display can't be stuffed inside a bottle - but maybe a completely clear plexiglass case can be made in a similar way I've made cases for butterflies before.  The sides are 'welded' together with plexiglass cement applied by the thin metal tube on the cement bottle.  The cut edges can be polished smooth before assembly.

 

  I'm appreciating the flexibility of working with wood, as I realized that the holes drilled for the corner railing uprights on the GF did not take into account that the railing wire will have to bend at a 90 degree angle AFTER passing through the ball forms in the posts.  That will create an inward angle going to the next post in the new direction ... then the railings won't look the way I want them.  So I filled the corner holes with toothpick and touched up with shellac, then drilled new holes just a little back from the former position.  That way the bend in the railing will then go straight to the next post in the new direction.  On the Ergenstrasse build, the posts are even further back from the 'corner', since the builder put a nice radius curve in the railings to assume the new direction in the scale being modeled.  At my 1:100 scale, I'll just bend the rails at the posts.

 

  Wood is great for realizing mistakes, or a better way to execute a feature or even making repairs, since it can be trimmed shaped glued as desired.  Metal has got to be a tougher medium.  Plastic has plusses and minuses, but I favor wood by far.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  'Have done a couple things on the GF - I'll have to finalize what's done on the bowsprit at some time, so started with  what appear to be jackstays on either side for a certain distance.  My guess is that they might offer some foot purchase until a cadet could get a hands on the stay cables.  There will be a long cable on either side going from the point of the bowsprit to the hull, and the ship has netting suspended from these cables going entirely under the bowsprit as a safety net - a wise precaution.

 

  Drilling for eyes and threading 22w gauge brass wire through before gluing is good practice for the jackstays that will go on all the yards.  Note that a pair of small turnbuckles are fixed by eyes on the fore deck, that will be for the 'split' lower forestay.  The breaker shield (already built) has yet to be glued.

 

  The larger turnbuckles are mounted in tow places (so far) on the port side.  'Found I had to bend hardened quilters pins into eyes, and the ends were forced into the hull as the original builder did.  The soft eyes (ship findings) kept bending  when I tried to force them in - so harder pins were resorted to - just that the eyes are irregular, but trying completely round tapered needle nosed pliers makes for better eyes ... I have no intention on pulling these out, as I prefer to go FORWARD (not back) - unless absolutely necessary.  Small holes were drilled for belaying pins (not installed yet), and the drill bit did mark the deck below (my bad) ... a touch of shellac will blend those marks.

 

  I think I'll have to pre-attach line to at least some of the belaying pins, since there will be 'tight spots' in certain areas - like when the stairs so in with railings.  'Lots of though still on which order to do stuff in.

 

  As usual, the ship yard is by no means my only interest.  And lately I thought it would be nice to look for a used telescope to at least look at the moon as the phases change - lots of shadows and craters seen clearly wherever the 'terminator' (lunar day-night zone), plus whatever planets might be available.  And I found one locally - an old Criterion RV6 - 6" f8 Newtonian on a motorized German Equitorial mount.  The scope itself was only $375 (assembly and tweaking required - like modifying a spare pinion to fix the focuser).  Another $125 bough some decent eyepieces and a Barlow.  The optical tube is lying on my wheeled project table.

 

  'Still some additional assembly needed for the mount pictured below.

 

 

 

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

   'Thought I'd make a full size drawing to be sure of how the rigging might look.  Since the masts, as built, have their own peculiarities (inaccuracies) - I have to use them as-is for restoration purposes, and adapt reasonable compromises per belay points, etc.  This has been a cool exercise, since 'winging it' would have been a mistake - that is, the mistakes would have been made on the model.  Then the corrective measures would have been tedious in terms of non value-added activities (including hair pulling).

 

  So I made many erasures on the paper (nice new-world discovery, the rubber eraser is), editions and notes ... and the present iteration is pictured below.  

 

  There is a nice look to her - she's definitely yar.    In the process of drafting, I realized I'd mis-place the forward boomkin ... too far forward.  Now the advantage of a solid hull comes into play, since I only had to drill new holes on either side to place the parts in.  Then a plug of the same stock was cut, some wood glue applied, then it was tapped into the old hole flush with the surface.   A couple dabs of paint will blend-in just fine.

 

 

 

  Speaking of solid hulls, I'd watched a Scientific kit (supposed to be 1:96, but might be a tad smaller at 1:108) of the Thermopylae (supposedly their 'best' clipper kit) on Ebay that had originally been $140, then reduced to $99 - since some work was already done on the hull (hardly started).  Not forgetting a fascination with that ship's lore and that the GF is a 'dry run' being barque rigged as the Thermie was in the timber trade, I ordered it since there were no more reductions and the other two examples of the same kit had disappeared.  They do come up every now and then.  

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Lots going on in life means delays in the ship yard.  Part of the process is 'learning the ropes' - and I mean well enough to visualize them on the ship for the purpose they're intended for and how they are routed from end to end.  I keep imagining how I'd go aloft to manage the sails, and how on the deck the lines would be utilized and belayed to the right place every time.

 

  Finding glitches this way means repeatedly going over the drawings and making changes as needed - since I'm making my own plans.  Now I can 'get' the frustrations sometimes expressed by those new to sailing ship modeling ... that no one can 'just tell them' what they need to know.  One has to LEARN this for the project at hand, and the rigging changes greatly for each time period and type of ship in the age of sail.  Those with the benefit of  'plans' often find simplifications and other glitches there depending on how far one wants to go 'into the weeds'.

 

  Real learning is done by the individual, and that takes a variety of sources and (thankfully) the large array of builds (complete or not) to be found on MSW.  Another part of the planning is figuring how everything has to go on a small replica.  Some of the belaying pins in 'tight' areas need to have lines pre-attached, coiled (with wire for twist ties) and laid over the gunwale for later use. 

 

  I'm going to try using the Airfix loom or similar layout on a board (with modified technique posted elsewhere) for the shrouds and ratlines, fixing the top (narrow) ends to the tops/crosstrees (given the existing mast assemblies that I have to work with already), placing the bottom turnbuckles for the next level with their futtock shrouds passing through the shroud set below, then rolling the shroud set from the bottom up and tied for later utilization.  The bottom ends will be attached and tensioned to the turnbuckles below much later in the rigging process, and the loose, pre-sewn ratlines adjusted and fixed last.

 

  Forestays and staysails will have to go in early after the masts have had the yards with sails (with much of their associated lines) assembled off-model before planting on the deck and belaying line ends.  Those pre-coiled lines will come up to where they need to go.  Braces can be done from either side.  Obviously, lilliputian ship modelers (the same size as scale crew figures) would have no trouble running lines in the order done for actual ship construction ... but I have to deal with fingers much larger (and far less nimble) that scale crew.

 

  There are still a lot of things to go on the deck - various pieces of equipment and the railings  (there's a task ... putting all the uprights for a run of railing on triple wires, then bending and fitting so the stanchions get in place without the railings kinking too much).  I'll have to bodge things as best I can, then take some pictures when there's something to show.

[Beth]

On 9/20/2023 at 3:20 PM, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

   Thanks, Keith.  I think its just fine as far as I went ... no use overdoing anything.  So today (after more garden stuff ... this ideal weather PA is having will only last so long) the remaining sails were treated with Restoration.  With confidence (and careful handling)  I did the step 1 rinse in hot tap water, then did 3 successive baths with the cleaning product.  Ceramic cookware was half filled with hot tap water, then heated to approx. 160 - 180 F on the stove, shifted over to a cool part of the cooktop, some rinsed sails added and a scoop of product - stirring with metal (stainless) tongs.

 

  It really foams up a lot, and if there is too much water to start with there is a danger of the foam going over the top (my first batch threatened to do that, so two pieces of paper towel were put on the foam to 'soak up' and break the bubbles).  After 5 minutes (or so) the hot pot was moved with pot holders to the sink, and cold water run in.  My gloved hand scooped the sails out and rinsed under cold tap water.

 

 

  Then I 'blocked' the sails on paper towel, covered with more paper towels and hand pressed.

 

 

  I have other 'irons in the fire', so rather than get the blow dryer, I took the blocked sails outside to get sun-dried ... 

 

 

  The dirty, old sails (likely starched originally as previously noted) now have a new lease on life.  Fragile when wet, they firm-up once dried.  I treat the reef points as already pictured, then pick something to do next - probably do work on the hull.  There is not enough space to install 'eyebrows' over the top row of portholes, so that, as well as any thought of simulating rivets should just go out the window.

 

  I might consider replacing the eyelets used as portholes - as conceived by the original builder.  That will make repainting the hull easier, as it really does need repainting.

 

I've been using Restoration on the sails on my ship.  I have been cleaning one at a time.  Because they have paintings on them, I scan the sail in and make a photo copy, which are true to size.  Then I soak the sail in Restoration with excellent results!  I use a lightboard to pencil the image back on the sail and paint.  The guy who made the ship had excellent woodworking skills...his painting skills were eh.  So, I'm not having a problem replicating his paintings!  LOL  I did not like one of his paintings (lion with long tail?) and I changed it.  After that, I found an image online of what it should look like.  So, I made a new sail (it turned out pretty good!) and repainted.

 

My sails have wire going through them and I'm replacing a lot of it.  I have copper that is a thinner gauge than what was used, so I am going to get some thicker wire.  Is copper okay to use?  What is on the ship is not brass, but when I clean it, it is not as dark as copper.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

6 hours ago, Beth said:

My sails have wire going through them and I'm replacing a lot of it.  I have copper that is a thinner gauge than what was used, so I am going to get some thicker wire.  Is copper okay to use?  What is on the ship is not brass, but when I clean it, it is not as dark as copper.

Ahoy Beth,  A problem with copper is that over time, humidity in the air can cause green colored compounds to form on the metal - and that can stain the cloth.  Obviously, you don't want to use thin steel wire, since that can spontaneously rust and also stain the sail cloth.  The best idea is to use brass wire, which almost always (over time) will get a simple brown patina.  If you use jewelers brass wire (used by bead crafters and found in many craft stores nationwide), the wire comes clear coated to resist even getting a patina - so will stay brass colored for a long time.  Since the thin wire is run through the fold-over of the sail edges, you should not be able to see that there is wire inside.  It can be flexed as desired to get the sail shape you want.

[Beth]

1 hour ago, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

Ahoy Beth,  A problem with copper is that over time, humidity in the air can cause green colored compounds to form on the metal - and that can stain the cloth.  Obviously, you don't want to use thin steel wire, since that can spontaneously rust and also stain the sail cloth.  The best idea is to use brass wire, which almost always (over time) will get a simple brown patina.  If you use jewelers brass wire (used by bead crafters and found in many craft stores nationwide), the wire comes clear coated to resist even getting a patina - so will stay brass colored for a long time.  Since the thin wire is run through the fold-over of the sail edges, you should not be able to see that there is wire inside.  It can be flexed as desired to get the sail shape you want.

Thank you!  

[Roger Pellett]

Much of the craft store “brass” wire is actually brass plated steel wire.  Another choice would be enameled copper wire, often called Magnet Wire.  I still have a spool from an 8th Grade science project so it’s really old 😀.  Wire and coating have not discolored at all.

 

Roger 

[Keith Black]

 Real silver wire might be good choice as it would be less noticeable in the sail edges. I've had some spools for over twenty years with no visible tarnishing.  

[FlyingFish]

I have used this company for wires for fly tying - the coloured copper wires have kept good for years, and they also do tarnish restitant wire, including silver plated, and cotton covered annealed copper which may have a use too. Sizes go down to rediculously small.  I'm sure a similar supplier can be found in the US, and elsewhere, but it does show what a variety of materials is available.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Having run hat orders for officer promotions in the re-enactment world, I started running some scale rope for the GF in tan Guterman polyester thread.  Using a single strand in each of the three spinning points produces scale rope measuring around .010 in diameter ... that's 1" rope for 1:100 scale.  Using two threads yields .020 - 2" scale rope, and 3 threads per yields .030 (or thereabouts) for 3" scale rope.  I'll use thick rope in black for the shrouds and stays,  medium tan rope for halyards, sheets and braces. and thin rope for most everything else.  

 

  There are videos on MSW and via the Syren website, and once one has built the Rope Rocket and made a couple hanks - its pretty easy to make rope in whatever color and thickness you need whenever you need ... in the long run, an economical and practical way to go.  I don't know how many builds I've seen where construction is nicely done, but 'kit rope' is used for the rigging that a.) doesn't look as nice as scale rope and b.) is way too 'hairy' or 'fuzzy'.

 

  Picture #1 shows the geared end (the white residue being lithium grease on the gears), and a 'stubby' Phillips head fits the coarse Phillips drive screw on the back side.  I'm using a battery powered drill that has a 'lower' max speed, since there is something like a 3:1 speed-up from the large central gear to the three planetary gears with the spinning hooks.  Thin rope is need now to pre-rig certain places on the GF, so only single threads have been tied.  Chuck shows a setup with both ends on the same height table, but I clamped the geared end to an adjustable height stand - the kind used on either side of a table saw to support long boards being cut width-wise.  Rather than loosen the clamp and moving it toward the other end with a free hand as Chuck does, I use my feet to nudge the stand - its only about a foot.  The trick is not to spin the strands in step one more than you have to. 

 

  Picture #2 shows the other end of the rope walk - in my case a mere 10 feet long - but could extend it another 6 feet if I wanted.  If the weather was clement (meaning warmer), I could set up in an open garage with a 40 foot walk going out the open garage and down the driveway.  But I've 'cut my teeth' doing 9 foot hanks, and there is a certain 'feel' to the tension and how far you have to move each end in the 2-step process.  Also, making a 30 - 40 foot hank takes a lot more spinning time, and you have to hold whatever drill(s) you are using the whole time.  Note that there are 2 clamps holding the 2nd end for the 2nd phase of rope making - and I'm using a high speed corded drill (about 2 1/2 faster than the battery drill), since the 2nd end does not have any gearing and the slower drill would take 3 times as long to do step 2.   As the 2nd end is spun, since it faces the other way relative to the 1st end - one still uses the drill running clockwise, and the rope is counter spun relative to what was done on the 1st end.  The rope winds itself from the center out.  Real life rope walks work somewhat differently (self-twisting from the far end using a juggernaut once the tension on the three strands accumulates), and I've tried to devise a miniature rope makers 'top' to do the whole job in one operation - but the difference in scale makes the rig behave rather differently in relative tension than full-sized rope making I've done at demos.

 

  When running the 2nd end on a table top, the free hand (after clamps are removed) lets the 2nd end 'float' as the tension varies - and it actually lengthens before getting shorter - go figure.  There is a bit of 'art' to this process, so someone new to it has to practice a little to get the hang of it.

 

 

  Heres a picture looking down the rig after I cut-off the rope just made.  The Rope Rocket works like a charm.  After the rope is made, it should be 'stretched out'.  If a bit over spun, there will be some kinking - which is just shook off, and the rope will adjust itself.

 

 

  Using polyester thread, one heats an over to 350 degrees F, puts the rope made on a cookie tray and bakes for 7 -10 minutes.  This 'sets' the poly and the ends won't unravel unless you manually do so (for whatever reason).  Some use cotton thread - and I suppose laid rope like this will be less likely to break over time, as my Dads ship model had mere sewing thread that did start breaking after 50 years or so.  Obviously linen would be best, but it is difficult to find suitable linen thread these days.  Hemp is an alternative (if decent thread is found).  Chuck says to wet the rope slightly before cutting off and stretching is cotton or other natural fiber is used.  Poly does not need this, and natural fibers don't need baking - go figure.

 

  Below are three hanks of tan rope, with .020 on the left and the other two .010 - looks good to me.

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  A couple clarifications on scale rope making ...  I forgot that the clockwise rotation of the central gear makes the pinions go counter clockwise.  Fortunately, most thread is left-hand spun, so counter clockwise rotation increases twist whether one, two, three threads are attached to each pinion hook.  On the other end, the clockwise rotation distributes the over twist as the rope is laid - so if the rotations are balanced, the scale rope will 'fall off' when cut free without any kinking.  With full size rope making, one can easily count the revolutions made on either end, or let the ropemakers' "top" self-adjust as it lays the rope.

 

  If one has a case where right-hand thread is used, then the drill direction needs to be reversed - something I've not run into yet.  After baking (and it can be noticed also before) looking at the poly rope against backlight (or with any magnification to speak of) I definitely notice what I consider to be 'too much' fuzz on the rope - not as much as some kit rope, but too much.  'Guess this is why close-up photos are not the friend of the ship modeler, since every defect gets magnified - whereas just looking at a model on the shelf or in a case minimizes irregularities.

 

  I'll try and see if there are other thread sources (like linen), but until then I thought I'd try something I've done on 1/2" demo rope that looked too fuzzy - singe-off the fuzz.  With full size rope this is easy.  BTW, running the twine over beeswax before making rope also helps - guess that's why some modelers run rigging rope over some beeswax.  After singeing large rope, there is still a little 'stubble'.

 

  So first I lit a propane torch set on low to run a length of rope (using both hands) over ... but it burns too hot and incinerated the poly rope immediately.  That rules out anything hotter like oxy-acetylene ... 😉   I found a very small alcohol burner and used some denatured alcohol (pictured below) ... I still had to be quick or the flame would part the rope, but with deft hands (and perhaps a daft brain) IT WORKED !  The rope looks fine close-up.

 

 

  This little burner still produced too large a flame, but a swift passing, length by length, of the rope on a hank took off all the fuzz - and there were little 'sparks' as they singed as the rope passed along the flame.  OK, I needed a smaller flame, so I found a votive light I got as a Christmas present (along with a Nativity Scene in miniature).  This was set-up (with a small prayer), and I found the smaller flame harder to keep the rope on track, and it was hotter - but it worked.

 

 

  Then I came across my father's old alcohol lamp that is far better at controlling a moderate flame - this was the best solution.  Since both hands are needed for singeing fuzz off scale rope, there are no pictures of me doing this - and I didn't want to bother the Admiral to video the process since there might be a dim view of an open flame so near all sorts of flammables.

 

 

 

  The final iteration will be try a less energetic source of fuel - perhaps 90% isopropanol from the local drug store. 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Duh, 'just thought to show a photo of 'fuzzy' scale rope (on the left) and mostly smooth rope where I singed-off the fuzzies (on the right).

[Keith Black]

 That's weird, Johnny. I use Gutermann thread and I don't have any fuzz. Then again I'm using their polyester thread straight off the spool without laying it up. 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

13 hours ago, Keith Black said:

 That's weird, Johnny. I use Gutermann thread and I don't have any fuzz. Then again I'm using their polyester thread straight off the spool without laying it up. 

  I was wrong about my thread ... its NOT Gutermann (I apologize for my mistake), but Metrosine by Mettler.  I'll have to look for the former.

[Ian_Grant]

On 1/1/2024 at 9:52 PM, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

 

As usual, the ship yard is by no means my only interest.  And lately I thought it would be nice to look for a used telescope to at least look at the moon as the phases change - lots of shadows and craters seen clearly wherever the 'terminator' (lunar day-night zone), plus whatever planets might be available.  And I found one locally - an old Criterion RV6 - 6" f8 Newtonian on a motorized German Equitorial mount.  The scope itself was only $375 (assembly and tweaking required - like modifying a spare pinion to fix the focuser).  Another $125 bough some decent eyepieces and a Barlow.  The optical tube is lying on my wheeled project table.

Nice!  I have a 6" Newtonian as well, though not on a motorized mount which you need for photography. It delivers spectacular views of the moon, best viewed when it is partial and cratering is picked out by low-angle sunlight. But with a 6" you can also view Jupiter and four of its moons. I can make out that Jupiter is striped, but it's all "orangish-y" as the eye cannot integrate enough light to see different hues. Looking through an 8" Newtonian the striping is better defined and those four moons become very small orbs as opposed to points of light. Aperture envy is a thing. It's fun to view on successive evenings and see the moons move.

 

When I first bought the scope, I wondered why the 6" protective "lid" had a smaller capped opening; it was only after an eye-watering session of moon viewing that I realized that one leaves the lid in place and removes the small cap to look at the moon with smaller aperture thus reduced light intensity. 😬

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

2 hours ago, Ian_Grant said:

Nice!  I have a 6" Newtonian as well, though not on a motorized mount which you need for photography. It delivers spectacular views of the moon, best viewed when it is partial and cratering is picked out by low-angle sunlight. But with a 6" you can also view Jupiter and four of its moons. I can make out that Jupiter is striped, but it's all "orangish-y" as the eye cannot integrate enough light to see different hues. Looking through an 8" Newtonian the striping is better defined and those four moons become very small orbs as opposed to points of light. Aperture envy is a thing. It's fun to view on successive evenings and see the moons move.

 

When I first bought the scope, I wondered why the 6" protective "lid" had a smaller capped opening; it was only after an eye-watering session of moon viewing that I realized that one leaves the lid in place and removes the small cap to look at the moon with smaller aperture thus reduced light intensity. 😬

You didn't mention what the f ratio is on your 6" scope (that is the focal length divided by the aperture of the optics).  Ergo a 48" focal length (1220 mm) divided by 6" (150 mm) yields f8.  Many have been made in recent years with f5 optics, and some even with f3 (or so) - so 'fast' (short) that it takes a spreader lens mounted in the base of the focuser for the 'light cone' to be extended enough to reach the eyepiece.  They list the f number as the 'effective' focal length of the artificially lengthened light cone.  But Barlow lenses do not correct any spherical aberration or 'coma' produced by fast optics.  Fast scopes also have much larger secondary mirrors - thus have a larger central obstruction that inducers more diffraction effects. 

 

  A 6" f8 scope with good optics will render Jupiter with pretty sharp bands and clear color differentiation.  BTW, that removable cap will do wonders for lunar observing because 1.) it eliminates the central obstruction of the secondary mirror since it is 'off axis', and also misses the spider vanes (supporting the secondary), thus eliminates all the diffraction effects caused by the same .. and 2.)  reduces the aperture, thus raising the focal ratio - e.g. if the scope is f5 (5 x 6" mirror = 30" focal length), then a 2" aperture (just fine for lunar observing because the moon is so bright) divided into 30" yields a true f 15 !

 

  BOOM !  You've just improved your scope significantly.  Since refractors are plagued by chromatic aberration, your humble reflector in an induced f 15 mode performs as good as an apochromatic refractor costing thousands of dollars.  Now, just for kicks, try looking at Jupiter in this same mode.  The image will not be as bright, but I'll bet your view will be much better regarding the bands and the coloration.  Jupiter is still high in the sky at sunset, so why not give it a try?

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

    Ahoy !  What I thought would be a dull winter month turned out to be far busier than anticipated - a long story I'll just skip.  Presently my project has been going at a snail's pace ... actually the snail would be faster.  So with the complexities of even my 'simplified' rigging plans, the realization that 1:100 is a smaller scale for blocks, jackstays, etc. than I'd be better off with (God bless those nimble enough with tiny things) - and the coming growing season, I'll give myself the 'rest of the year' for the restoration of GF.  Its nice just to look at in the shipyard and think about at other times anyway.  Once done, it will deserve a case - then its hands off, then won't have to be fiddled with for a very long time.

 

  I found some Gutermann thread and made a sample ... sure enough, there was FAR less 'fuzz' - and the little that was there was needed magnification to see.  So I'll use that from now on with the Rope Rocket, and remember to oven temper as noted in a prior post.  There should be no need for the 'flame treatment' for rope made with the other brand of thread (with fuzz).  The rope made from Mettler poly thread did not unravel when cut after tempering, and I expect the same from Gutermann poly.  I'm not going to trash any line made thus far, even if it has some fuzz left.

 

  'Tried belaying some rope on a brass pin in one of the pin rails - and this proved to be more difficult than I thought:  a.) the pin rail is thicker than it would be in-scale,  b.) the pin has to be a far enough in from the edge not to risk splitting the wooden rail - so that relationship is a bit out of scale,  c.) the space is a little tight at 1:100 .   The stuff that has to go on the deck will only make space tighter still in many areas, and that was the reason to pre-mount the turnbuckles - as well as pre-belaying many lines, then threading UP through the masting to their destinations.  It will require that enough line is provided, since splicing thin scale rope would be a feat indeed.  A properly done long splice of running lines will still run through full-size blocks, but I can forget splicing line that is only .012" in dimeter.

 

  So the fallback is to pass the end of the line through the hole for a belaying pin, then insert the pin to 'pinch' the line in place.  This has turned up recently on a clipper post, but has been done before on other builds.  FIRST, the pin needs to fit the hole on the snug side to begin with - so it won't slide out ... ergo the right miniature drill bit must be used.  Some of my pins were just a tad loose, so some shellac was applied (which 'wicked' into the gap).  Once dry, the brass pin was twisted - metal does not bond to the shellac that has soaked into the wood (although metal surfaces can be coated with shellac).  Then the pin will come straight out, and it can be slid back in with a perfect fit.

 

  Rope made from polyester thread has a little 'give' to it (also a little 'stretch' - not that we're tensioning anything on the model, since that would just bend other thin elements).  So when the pin is inserted, the poly line is compressed ... tugging on the line showed me that it won't come loose.  The picture below show my test line, but the loose turnbuckles need to be wired together to keep then mostly out of the way - since the shrouds won't be added until much later.

 

 

 

  The next pic shows a group of turnbuckles wired with beaders' wire, which is quite pliable. 

 

 

  Once a line is pinned - and this is reversible, should the line need to have any slack taken up - a test coil was made by:  a.) wrapping line around a round pencil and tying,  b.)  stretching between 2 pins to make an oval,  c.) applying a small amount of thin CA to stiffen the oblong coil.  The test coil has 4 loops, and I think 3 might work out a little better - the middle could be bound tighter.  (picture below)

 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  OK, the first attempt wasn't too bad, but it didn't want to 'behave' ...  that is, the coil of line needs to bend over the pin rail and hang down.  But at 1:100, the scale rope I made doesn't do that readily on its own, and I had to manually bend it repeatedly to try and force it.  The hank needs to be tied better.  So I started to develop a better process (since I have to make a whole bunch of these).

 

  First, a word on my limited camera skills.  I found that I could improve the look and eliminate unwanted parts of the field by using s few basic editing options in the Admiral's Photoshop.  Now THAT program is a 'monster', and I'm not claiming any facility with it ... and there are most likely easier photo editing tools.  Yet ... I plug the hand-me-down camera into the computer, then drag the photos onto the desktop (then unplug the camera).  In Photoshop, it is FILE - open (desktop), then select an item.  The 'crop' tool takes away anything unwanted.  Then its IMAGE - adjustments - brightness/contrast, and the bars are moved around until it looks better.  The file is saved as a jpeg, then closed.  That's all there is to it.

 

  (Speaking of the Admiral, my first week off in months had me trying to knock things off the 'honey-do' list, plus yard cleaning ...)

 

  Since the challenge is to have the hank 'bend' naturally on the pin rail,  I decided to make the hank over the edge of a piece of balsa.  Now I used kid's glue stick to fasten a piece of wax paper over the edge of a balsa block, so the hank won't stick to the block when a little CA is applied to 'set' the bend i want into the hank.  Remember, this is 1:100 and its small work for me.

 

  In the photo below, the scale rope is wrapped thrice around a fat pencil (.300 dia.) and tied with a square knot. the point of the pencil is placed near the edge of the prepared block.  BTW, I just love the look of the scale rope.

 

 

   Next (so the coils don't unwind), a pin is used to drag the tied end over the edge of the block.  (Note that this is the top end of the coil - the part to go over the pin - that is over the edge of the block ... I suppose I could just as easily do it the other way round to keep it straight in my mind.)  The chalk pencil tip still retains the other end.

 

 

  Then another pin is put in to secure the other end of the hank so the pencil can be removed.  The hank is now bent as desired.

 

 

   A dental tool is used to apply just a bit of thin CA, which will wick into the rope to 'set' the bend.  If too much is used, it will also wick down the hank in both directions ... making the hank too stiff (as I learned).  Touching with accelerator hastens curing.)

 

  Still working on a method, I flipped the cured hank around to figure out how to tie it.

 

 

  Hank tied experimentally.  Not really that good, yet.

 

 

  The first line was loosely coiled and secured from tangling with a short piece of 'keep tie' ...  as these are made for rigging lines that will be routed UP to wherever they are going on the mast.   I intend to simply let then hang over the gunwale for the time being.  Like what the mate yelled to the seasick landlubber ,  "Over the gunn'l man,  OVER THE GUNN'L !"  

  My second hank (with a 'set' bend) was easier to seat on the pin that pinches the next line securely.  I tugged it to test, and it didn't budge.  OK, now to improve the process further.

 

 

  The 3 loop hank look s little trimmer than the 4 loop hank on the left (above), but there is another consideration - different lines will have different amounts on the hank (excess coiled rope hung over the pin) depending on how the ship is portrayed.  E.g., under sail the bunt lines will be fully extended, so their remaining coils will have only a little line left.  But If the sails are furled, the bunt lines will be hauled-in - so the respective coils will be larger when hung on the proper pin.  The coils for sheets, clew lines, halyards, etc. will all vary depending on how the sails (or lack of sails) and yards appear on the model.

 

  Likely, most observers won't notice this, and since I'm trying to 'simplify' things on this restoration in the spirit of 'K.I.S.S.' (Keep It Simple, Stupid), I might just make them all the same ... or not.  It's just a matter of how far one wants to go into the 'rabbit hole'.  I just knew that rigging would end-up being the most involved (as well as time consuming).  Take contemporary kits with laser cut parts.  It's relatively straightforward to assemble the bulkheads, fair, then start first planking.  Even getting through second planking and decking, there are many builds that go that far.  NOW comes the task of fitting out (o-m-gosh, cannon and gunports), railings, equipment, mast & yards, then a myriad of 'fiddly bits'.  This is a good reason to LIMIT what kind of 'stash' one has in unbuilt kits.

 

  To make the coil have a more rounded look on the ends, the pins used in forming will be replaced by toothpick ends, and CA will only be applied to the 'bend'.  The gathering tie needs work.  Below shows the next coil on the block with toothpicks, which were easily pushed into the balsa.   You can see how small these coils are, as the toothpicks look like telephone poles in comparison.  This time I'll try a cow hitch around the middle, with a touch of CA to secure it.

 

 

  The free end was just put through the lower loop (below), but may be better off passed through the cow hitch before tightening.  

 

 

  

 With the third line mounted, the coil is looking better.  Now there are multiple posts showing ways to make coils to hang over belaying pins, but I've included this method to give another option, as I have not seen it used elsewhere.

  

 

  Smooth sailing to all !          Johnny

 

  

 

 

[FlyingFish]

Looking good Johnny! I wondered if you have tried soaking the rope in a 50/50 white glue and water mix for a minute or so, then coiling? The rope behaves itself around a former in this state, and application of a little warm air from a hair drier soon sets it in place. It has the added advantage of not changing the rope colour or texture, and allowing stains to be applied afterwards, if required for weathering, to give it a natural shape and appearance.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  'Finally settling for a uniform method that will look OK in 1:100 scale.   In the picture below, there are extra quilting pins not needed ... a third toothpick is just teased under the coil to make it easy to wrap a line three times around the middle (high of center), it stays put but is still fixed with a dab of CA (as is the knot at the top).  The short end at that knot is trimmed away (the long end having been used for wrapping the middle & its end is trimmed away after fixing with CA).  I can do it now with just a pair of toothpicks on the balsa block protected by waxed paper.  The bamboo toothpicks are given a slight twist before removing in case of adhesion, and the coil pops-off the waxed paper.

 

  I'm not seeing any discoloration from the small amount of glue being used (applied with the dental tool), and I like the instant drying that happens when the other end of the dental tool applies a touch of 'accelerator'.  I figure on needing about 150 of these coils - each going to a belaying pin somewhere.  So far I have ten made  - leaving 140 to go !

 

 

Edited April 8 by Snug Harbor Johnny

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  'Finally 'simplified' my procedure of hank making ... just four times around the pencil before tying - then three wraps (starting behind the coil) with the end  of the third wrap passing through the loop of the second.  The CA sets the shape they need to have to look right on the 1:100 brass belaying pins.  The first few I'll replace with the new version so they'll appear about the same - even though each one is unique on close inspection, just as hanging coils tend to be.

  With tons of 'good weather' tasks to do, I'm doing very little in the shipyard ... 'have to make hay while the sun shines.  Below are the first 30 made - with 120 more to go.

 

  I thought the U.S. Coast Guard Eagle looked like the Gorch Fock ... 'seems we got her as war reparation (after Googling a little to find this out) - I've pasted some info below on the 'Gorch Fock' class of training ships built in the 30s.  The GF was designed and mostly complete before the Nazi take-over.

 

Eagle commenced its existence in Nazi Germany as Horst Wessel, a ship of the Gorch Fock class. Horst Wessel was an improvement on the original design. She was larger in dimension and her spars were all steel, unlike Gorch Fock's wooden yards. SSS Horst Wessel began life as Schiff ("ship") 508 at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, Germany in 1936.^[4] Her keel was laid on 15 February, she was launched on 13 June, completed on 16 September, and commissioned on 17 September. She was the second ship in the class to be built, following the class namesake Gorch Fock. Rudolf Hess gave the speech at her launch in the presence of Adolf Hitler, and Horst Wessel's mother christened the new ship with a bottle of champagne.^[5] The name was given in tribute to SA leader Horst Wessel, who had been accorded martyr status by the Nazi Party. He also wrote the song which came to be known as "Horst-Wessel-Lied", which was later used as the Nazi party's anthem (banned in Germany and Austria after the war). Shortly after work began on Horst Wessel, the Blohm & Voss shipyard laid the keel of the German battleship Bismarck, which was labeled Schiff 509.^[6]

SSS Horst Wessel served as the flagship of the Kriegsmarine sail training fleet, which consisted of Gorch Fock, Albert Leo Schlageter, and Horst Wessel. (Mircea was also built in 1937 for the Romanian Navy, and work began on a fifth ship called Herbert Norkus, but was stopped with the outbreak of war.)

 

  Note:  The Albert Leo Schlageter now serves as the Portugese trainer Sagres.  As the 3rd ship with this name in the Portugese Navy, she is sometimes referred to as the Sagres III.  The Mircea was taken by the Russians for a while, then returned to Romania where she is still in service.  The Russians also had the Gorch Fock, which eventually came back to Germany after they had built the Gorch Fock II .