Ropemaking - scale models
ROPEMAKING MACHINE.
The serious shipmodel
builder should be able to produce his or hers own ropes in any calibre wanted.
It should further be possible to make ropes beeing reight-laid (shroud laid or
Z-laid) or left-laid (cable laid or S-laid) as shown on
figure 1.
(Figure
1)
For example were all stays, preventerstays and shrouds in the starboard side,
the tacks of the main-course and the fore-course, the sheets of the fore-course,
the main-course and sprit-sail as well as the anchor-cable and the rope for the
anchor-buoy all left laid.
I've noticed that the ropemaking machines presented in various websites still
shows - with variations - the traditional principles.
Several years ago The Royal Danish Naval Museum in Copenhagen "inherited" a
classical ropemaking machine.
...We were not that contented...
Among other things it was far too slow and the ropes produced were uneven.
I therefore constructed another machine, which radically differs from the
classical types.
It has - said with utmost modesty - the following advantages:
- the construction is very simple, and relatively easy to
build
- the ropemaking procedure is reliable, fast and easy going
- it enables the model builder to make ropes in any calibre
wanted
- it makes ropes left-laid or right-laid - as wished
- the length of the rope is entirely limited to the dimensions
of the workshop
(Figure 2)
The machine itself (fig 2-3-4)
consists of a big gear-wheel connected with 4 minor gear-wheels. The shafts of
the minor wheels end in a hook on wich a ring is placed - the shaft of the big
wheel is connected to the motor.
The motor is an ordinary hobby-motor, which should be able to run in both
directions (forward and reverse). On this shaft is a little wheel connected to a
counter with an elastic band. (I've got my counter from an old tape-recorder...)
In the other end of the rope-way you see a little carriage. It has a perforated
plate in the front (I build my carriage by "borrowing" my grandsons Meccano-kit...!!!
Sorry, Jo'!)
(Figure 3)
(Figure 4)
The carriage is lead-loaded to give more stability.
From the rear of the carriage a rope leads to a hook on the wall - and then back
to the operator. It enables the operator to keep the strands straight through
the process.
ROPEMAKING PROCEDURE.
The strands are attached to the rings on the hooks. The other ends of the
strands are lead through the holes in the perforated plate and tied together on
the back side.
Adjust the counter to 0 (zero) and start start the motor.
Question:
In what direction should the motor turn?
Answer:
The most strands are right laid and the motor should turn in a direction to make
the strands even more right laid, thus inducing a tension in the strands.
Question: How
much tension should the strands be given?
Answer:
Try this! Stop the motor for a moment and loosen the strands a little.
They will tend to curl up in knots. Just before this happens the tension
is sufficient.
Note the number on the counter and adjust to 0 (zero).
Next:
Remove 2 of the rings with the strained strands and place them on the 3th hook -
the strands are now fastened to one hook and are laying parallelly to each other.
Adjust the motor to turn reverse and start.
In a split second the rope is formed in its whole length! But of course
the rotations must be continued until the angle between the grooves in the rope
and a horizontal plane is app. 45 degrees.
Note the number on the counter.
At last a drop of instant cyanolite-glue is added to the rope-ends (to prevent
loosening).
Just remember the 2 numbers on the counter - then it's possible to repeat
the procedure over and over again - and produce ropes exactly similar to each
other.
Maybe this explanation makes the impression that the process is slow...
...but it's not! From the moment the strands are attached to the rings until the
rope is finished, only one minute has passed - or maybe less...
The rope made of right laid strands will become left laid
(Figure 1).
Question:
Nearly all threads, lines, ropes nowadays are right laid - is it possible to
produce a right laid rope from right laid strands?
Answer:
Of course it is! Very simple: Start the rotation in the opposite
direction, making the strands "transform" to become left laid - and then switch
the motor-direction back again to make the rope "right laid".
Question: How
to obtain the different calibres?
Answer:
First I use 4 types of threads of different calibres.
Second: If I make the ropes of 3 of these threads (strands) I have
4 more calibres.
Third: If I make the rope of 4 threads, I further have
4 more calibres.
Fourth: I can use as many
threads as I want on each ring - every
bunch of threads acting as one strand.
(For example: When I produce a main-stay or anchor-cable in scale 1:30 I put 8
threads on each
ring (hook))
When all these possibilities are combined, it's possible to produce dozens of
different calibres.
(Figure
5)
The number of rotations depend of the thickness and the number af
threads: the thicker the threads and the more the threads, the
lesser rotations.
Therefore make a scheme - Figure 5
shows (very simplyfied) how such a scheme may look. Do I for example want
to make a left laid 1.5 mm rope of a 0.35 mm thread, I'll have to use 12 threads,
4 on each ring. Run motor forward until the counter indicates 500, set counter
to 0 (zero), then reverse to 800. Finished.
THREADS.
The threads I use are made from polyester - not cotton, because cotton
tend to floss.
Polyester-threads has the following advantages:
- the surface is smooth
- it's strong
- it's available in many colours
(fig 6).
...ropes on the real ships were replaced on
different dates and occations, and therefore
the colours variate slightly.
By using different shades of colour, the rigging
will look more "vivid"...
- polyester thread is much cheeper than the usual
prefabricated "rigging-thread" offered by the hobby-dealers.
The only disadvantage is a shiny and artificial look - but this problem is
easily solved by impregnating the rope (when finished) with bee-wax..!
Good luck!
(Figure 6)