Ratline thread recommendations 1/75 scale

[John AA]

Morning All,

I know this type of thread comes up regularly, but I'm not getting an answer. I am tying ratlines on my Terror, tried household cotton (pinched from sewing basket) passed on beeswax, right diameter for working but it was too hairy. Have Caldercraft 0.25mm thread, but it's too thick and clove hitches are untying before I can set with PVA. Looked for 0.15 mm diameter black but not finding anything. Any advice welcome re-specific thread and source for ratlines please, UK preferred because of shipping,

Regards John

[Keith Black]

 John, most have gone to polyester thread because of longevity and much much less fuzz. One source of Gutermann threads in the UK.

 

https://www.myfabrics.co.uk/guetermann-thread?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADpLKWABIbKJHXc4mAxNNMV2DY97G&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIivahq4TFiQMV-Eh_AB0q7AQIEAAYAiAAEgIEWvD_BwE

[John AA]

Many thanks Keith, will give it a try, hope to order correct weight,

Regards, John

[Thukydides]

I used 0.2mm rope from ropes of scale. Ben was able to custom make some for me and it turned out great. This was the correct scale for my 1:64 scale cutter. It is more expensive than just buying thread, but you get much nicer definition.

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Keith is right, as I've used both Gutermann versus Mettler poly on the Siren 'Rope Rocket', and found Gutermann has minimal 'fuzz'.  Making rope is cheaper, and you can customize it as needed by changing the number of threads in the 'set-up' ... but it is a process you have to learn to 'get right', takes time to do, and the length is limited by the room available.  So I can understand buying rope from the available sources.  Builders put so much time and effort into their models, so its a wonder that some will use 'fuzzy' rigging thread that does not have the nice definition that spun scale rope has.  Photo close-ups DO accentuate the fuzz, which is less noticeable at a distance.

 

  BUT, a model made by my dad 70 years ago had rigging made of cotton thread that just disintegrated all by itself.  Parts held by thread either fell apart, and rigging crumbled by the slightest touch.  This was told to me after the fact by the brother who had the clipper model, and since he thought it a total loss - the model was trashed.  Had I known this before he made that decision, I could have offered to replace all the rigging with poly scale rope - a bit of trouble, but worth it for an heirloom.

[Srenner]

There is also fly tying threads 2/0 is roughly 0.12mm have to use the dernier to estimate the diameter and it comes in colour's and waxed options

[CPDDET]

You could also check braided fishing line like FireWire by Berkley. 

[John AA]

Many thanks all

[RossR]

12 hours ago, CPDDET said:

You could also check braided fishing line like FireWire by Berkley. 

Is it difficult to tie knots with these lines.   I don’t fish anymore, but 30 - 35 years ago I tried these lines for fishing and you needed to use special knots or the knot would unravel because the nature of the material.  

[CPDDET]

12 minutes ago, RossR said:

Is it difficult to tie knots with these lines.   I don’t fish anymore, but 30 - 35 years ago I tried these lines for fishing and you needed to use special knots or the knot would unravel because the nature of the material.  

A touch of CA would cure that.

[Keith Black]

Why try using fishing line when Guermann polyester thread replicates cotton line very well with less fuzz plus the added benefit of longitivtiy? 

[Thukydides]

7 hours ago, Keith Black said:

Why try using fishing line when Guermann polyester thread replicates cotton line very well with less fuzz plus the added benefit of longitivtiy? 

Some of the fly tying thread is polyester, just much thinner than any guterman thread. I used it for serving smaller lines as any other thread was oversized. Probably overkill in the case of ratlines as you can get a properly scaled guterman thread, but for the seizing you need something smaller.

[Keith Black]

 For seizing a polyester fishing line would be dandy.