Cutter 1/300 block making

[franzschmidb]

Browsing Modelshipworld and shipsofscale forums I discovered UK firm Langton and bought some of their kits 1/300.

 

I started with the Langton cutter. I was not quite satisfied with the deck structure so I scraped off the whole deck and made it from single boxwood planks including new hatches and replacing the cannonballs with steel balls o,5 mm diameter.

The underside of the hull was clinker planked with plasticard.

I made the mast parts from degama (lancewood) instead of the soft white metal.

For the rigging I have acquired fine wired down to 0,05 mm diameter which I plan to twist to 2 or three strand ropes on my rope machine.

 

Now I have a serious problem with block making.

 

I browsed through my books of miniaturists Mr. McCaffery, McNarry, Phil Reed and found no solution I could work with. Mr. McNarry used Lobelia seeds, Mr. McCaffey writes nothing about block making in his book, Mr. Phil Reed made tools which need a torch flame. I do not intend to use such difficult methods. He suggests Milliput as an alternative which also may not be quite satisfying.

 

I hope one of the readers of this forum can give me a hint how to make blocks at scales 1/300 or even 1/200, if there is no recommendable solution for 1/300. That would be quite sad, as I would have to put aside the Langton kits of Frigate Juno, Wasp, Brig and  the schooner maybe forever…

[druxey]

At miniature scales 'cheats' to fool the eye are necessary. Perhaps at least try some of the suggested methods that the experts use to see if you can get a result that pleases you.

[franzschmidb]

hello druxey,

 

thank you for your posting. But I did not find any method in the books of the experts like Phil Reed and MacNarry. Mc Narry mentioned using Lobelia seeds. I just received three different packages of Lobelia seeds. Diameter less than O,5 mm. I threw them away.

So I will have to wait for someone with experience at that scale. Maybe Gregor from Switzerland reads this and lets me know about his practice on the cutter. I have seen his pictures in the german forum in the meantime.

 

Franz

 

 

 

[wefalck]

McCaffery actually describes quite in detail, how he makes (or perhaps simulates) blocks. In fact, he assembles the tackles made from twisted wire and then sticks paper discs onto the places, where the blocks are. The hitch is that he makes his own oval punches, which requires drilling and filing of silver-steel rods, which then have to be hardened and quenched.

 

I have tried a similar method for 1:160 scale, using 'real' rope and laser-cut paper-discs, but the result was not very satisfactory. I think McCaffery's method with wire might be the best option at 1:300 scale.

 

In my experience, twisting more than two wires together does not really work, unless you can really ensure that the pull on each wire is absolutely equal. Unlike for 'rope' the individual 'strands' (i.e. wires) cannot move against each other to give you a smooth rope. If you twist the wires tight enough, it is not easy to see, that there are only two wires.

 

[franzschmidb]

hello wefalck,

thank you for your comment.

Please let me know where McCaffery describes block making.

I could not find it in his book.

[wefalck]

Unfortunately, I don't have access to my library at the moment and cannot look up the pages. However, there is a section on rigging, where he describes, how he makes the oval punches, there is a picture that shows him whacking away, punching out the discs, and there are a couple more pictures, where he assembles a double boom-sheet.

He uses a similar method for the deadeyes, but cheats a bit in the sense that he runs the shroud along the whole length and the deadeye/lanyard arrangement is kind of fake and glued to the front and back of the shroud.

I don't think he wrote another book, so we are talking about this one, I suppose:

 

MCCAFFERY, L. (1988): Ships in Miniature.- 144 S., London (Conway).

Edited August 1 by wefalck

[Alvb]

so sehen meine Blöcke aus

 

 

Sie bestehen aus Papier. 2 Seitenteile und eine „Scheibe“ dazwischen. Die Seile sind aus Polyester. Sie sind also flexibel und können sogar durch die Blöcke laufen. Das größere der beiden ist knapp 1 mm (0,039 inch) lang. 

Scale 1: 250

Edited August 1 by Alvb

[wefalck]

Ooops, I almost responded in German 😁

 

That looks like a good start. What's the diameter of the 'rope'? Perhaps you could use a fake splice ('Bändselspleiß') in German instead of knots. They are quite easy to make with the help of a hypodermic needle as marlinspike.

[Alvb]

the diameters?

hard to say, the thinner one is Alterfil L 400, the thicker one consists of 2 twisted Alterfil L 400 threads.

[wefalck]

According to my calculations Alterfil L400 should have a diameter of around 0.06 mm.

[franzschmidb]

hallo Alvb,

 

danke für das Bild in 1:250.

Sieht ganz nach dem aus, was ich suche. Womit stanzt Du das Papier?

Ich habe bei Amazon Röhrchen mit Innendurchmesser 0,7 und 0,8 mm bestellt, die ich platt klopfen möchte und dann als Punze verwenden will.

Könnte das ein ähnliches Ergebnis wie auf Deinem Bild geben?

Hoffentlich nimmt man es uns nicht übel, wenn wir hier deutsch schreiben.

 

Franz

 

[Alvb]

Ich schneide schmale Streifen in der gewünschten Blockbreite die ich dann in Stücke teile. Die Ecken schneide ich noch weg und fertig. In Natura ist nicht zu sehen, dass die Blöcke achteckig statt oval sind. Der Zusammenbau erfolgt mit leicht verdünntem Weißleim.

 

I cut narrow strips in the desired block width, which I then divide into pieces. I cut off the corners and that's it. In reality, you can't see that the blocks are octagonal instead of oval. They are assembled using slightly diluted white glue.

 

 

Als Erstes klebe ich den Faden, der den Blockstropp bildet auf ein Seitenteil des Blocks. nachdem der Leim getrocknet ist, ist er nicht mehr sichtbar. Dann wird das Ganze umgedreht, die "Scheibe" eingeklebt, der Läufer dazu, 2. Seitenteil drauf und zuletzt das Stropptau drüber. Zwischen jedem Schritt den Leim trocknen lassen.

Das Ganze ließe sich noch perfektionieren, für meine Bedürfnisse liefert es aber recht zufriedenstellende Ergebnisse

 

.First I glue the thread that forms the block strap onto one side of the block. After the glue has dried, it is no longer visible. Then the whole thing is turned over, the "disk" is glued in, the runner is added, the second side piece is put on and finally the strap rope is put on top. Allow the glue to dry between each step.

The whole thing could still be perfected, but for my needs it delivers quite satisfactory results.

[franzschmidb]

hello Alvb,

 

thank you so much for your well explained method. It is what I shall try to copy.

When I have managed to produce an acceptable solution I shall post a picture of it.

 

And I find it very mindful of you to write in two languages.

But maybe it is not necessary for you and me to use German at all.

It is a US forum and we should understand other readers of this forum might be interested in this theme.

 

 

Thanks again

 

Franz

 

 

 

[wefalck]

If you soak the block-blanks in a fast-drying varnish, you will be able to lightly sand it to shape with a very fine diamond (nail) file.

 

I would soak the blanks for the cheeks and sheave in varnish and then press them together. Once the varnish is dry, you can sand the block into shape. You then can finish the block in the way you described.

[Alvb]

what kind of varnish can you recommend?

I tried using Zapon varnish, but it seemed to barely penetrate the paper.

[wefalck]

Zapon varnish is what I actually use. I gather it depends on the kind of paper one uses. Bonded and/or filled (with kaolin or another clay), such as Bristol-board, probably doesn't work in that case. I use highly calandered, but not bonded paper (sold in France and Germany as 'Canson' paper).

 

Sanding filler (in Germany: Schnellschleifgrund, e.g. from Clou) also works.