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Rigging tool for Ratlines and Dead Runs

D

DamonH

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Feb 24, 2025
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AS I get ready to do the Albatros I am thinking about the rigging. With plastic sailing ships I always tried to do my own Ratllines. Very fiddly but I did it. I was wondering of your thoughts on this tool for Ratlines and Dead runs.

Houdini Models :: ratline rigging tools and deadeye jigs for quick and easy rigging of small to large scale model sailing ships

Easy to use and scale accurate ratline Rat Harp, Dead Run and Dead Bug rigging tools save you a lot of time and stress rigging your small ship models. Now with the Dead Run and Dead Bug tools you can also quickly rig your deadeye channels.
houdinimodels.com.au

Update: Video Link of how to use this.

 
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I think they are unnecessary gimmicks. When I started building in wood I fell for a lot of this sort of stuff, unnecessary at best and useless at worst. And always expensive!

Why build rigging OFF the ship when it will fit much better if built up in the same way that it was done on the real thing?



EDIT: I was lazy yesterday and rushed to condemn this tool without even watching the video. Sorry mr Houdini. After seeing the video I have slightly changed my opinion of this tool.

I now understand that this gizmo is intended for use on those old Airfix plastic sailing ships. It will help newbie modellers replace the awful thick vinyl plastic spiderwebs in the kit with something a lot better. Though still some way short of 'perfect', the result will be a giant leap forward. In that context I now think it's a reasonable aftermarket tool.

For a modeller at a more sophisticated stage building a wooden ship model intended for 'proper' rigging, it doesn't seem to offer any advantages.
 
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I am curious about how this is supposed to work but the site does not show anything. Is there another link? Are there different units for different scales? If it is to give proper spacing, a piece of cardboard works well and costs less than $25 :)
Allan
 
AllanKP69 said:
I am curious about how this is supposed to work but the site does not show anything. Is there another link? Are there different units for different scales? If it is to give proper spacing, a piece of cardboard works well and costs less than $25 :)
Allan
Click to expand...
 
Looks like another spin on the old "Loom-a-Line" gizmo, widely recognized as the most useless tool ever marketed for ship modeling.

1744748553982.png

If you are determined to attempt to "prefabricate" your shrouds and ratlines "off the model," get yourself a suitably sized cork or foam board and some push pins. Draw your rigging plan (horizontal lines for ratline spacing, etc.) on a sheet of paper and put the paper on top of the cork or foam board. Use more push pins through the rigging plan into the cork or foam board and use these as your belaying points. Buy yourself a bottle of your favorite poison with the money you saved and enjoy!

After trying all the various "hacks" for model rigging over the years, I've come to the conclusion that the best way to rig a model is to do it "progressively" on the model, the same way the prototype is rigged, except for adding rigging elements of the individual masts and spars "off the model" to the extent possible. Get yourself a copy of The Art of Rigging, etc. ... by George Biddlecombe, if you don't have one already. follow Biddlecombe's "progressive" rigging method. (See: https://archive.org/details/artofriggingcont0000bidd/page/n9/mode/2up) Adapt Biddlecombe as may be necessary to suit your vessel and period.

1744749312315.png
 
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AllanKP69 said:
I am curious about how this is supposed to work but the site does not show anything. Is there another link? Are there different units for different scales? If it is to give proper spacing, a piece of cardboard works well and costs less than $25 :)
Allan
Click to expand...
 
Bob Cleek said:
Looks like another spin on the old "Loom-a-Line" gizmo, widely recognized as the most useless tool ever marketed for ship modeling.
View attachment 514007
Get yourself a suitably sized cork or foam board and some push pins. Draw your rigging plan (horizontal lines for ratline spacing, etc.) on a sheet of paper and put the paper on top of the cork or foam board. Use more push pins through the rigging plan into the cork or foam board and use these as your belaying points. Buy yourself a bottle of your favorite poison with the money you saved and enjoy!

After trying all the various "hacks" for model rigging over the years, I've come to the conclusion that the best way to rig a model is to do it "progressively" on the model, the same way the prototype is rigged, except for adding rigging elements of the individual masts and spars "off the model" to the extent possible. Get yourself a copy of The Art of Rigging, etc. ... by George Biddlecombe, if you don't have one already. follow Biddlecombe's progressive rigging method. (See: https://archive.org/details/artofriggingcont0000bidd/page/n9/mode/2up) Adapt Biddlecombe as may be necessary to suit your vessel and period.

View attachment 514009
Click to expand...
I bought this book and as soon as my new reading glasses come in I will be reading it.
 
I agree with Smithy! In early builds I tried proprietary jigs and home made ones with limited success. I now do the shrouds on the ship which accommodates the fact that each shroud is a different length as one progresses along the chain plate. The lanyard lengths vary too if the deadeyes are kept level. Shrouds come in pairs looped round the top of the mast. I now fit the lower deadeyes first. Then fix a dead eye to one end of a length of a length of cord on the bench, lace it to one of the lower deadeyes and jiggle the lanyard to get the height right. After passing the free end round the mast I then contrive a loop at about the right height by doubling the cord back and tying a minimal, temporary whipping. With a deadeye inserted, the loop can be lengthened or shortened to the right height and the deadeye rotated to the correct orientation. Then secure everything: spot of clue, proper seizing and fit the lanyard.
PS I have also found it easier to do the ratlines from the top down: forming the clove hitches where the shrouds are more spaced and sliding them up to where the shrouds bunch before pulling tight.
 
Y.T. said:
I watched the video. I would be ashamed to use resulting shrouds and ratlines on my model.
Click to expand...

After your comment I just had to have a look.

It seems that this gizmo is intended for use on those old Airfix plastic small scale sailing ships. It will help newbie modellers replace the awful thick vinyl plastic spiderwebs in the kit with something a lot better, though still some way short of 'perfect'. In that setting I think it's a reasonable aftermarket tool. (I'm going to edit my earlier comment which I now think was a bit harsh.)

For a modeller at a more sophisticated stage building a wooden ship model intended for 'proper' rigging, it doesn't seem to offer any advantages.
 
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Dummy upper chain plate?
The picture below is a mock up of an idea that has just come to mind but not tried in anger. Make holes in an offcut of first stage planking. Pull loops of the shroud ends through the holes and insert deadeyes. (A broken needle threader or broken beading needle is handy for this) Tie a length of lanyard thread to secure the deadeye. Lace to the deadeyes in the lower chain plate and pull on the free ends of the shrouds to get the required tension. Then split the dummy chain plate lengthways and discard. Complete the seizing above the upper deadeyes.
chain plate.jpg
 
Short John Bronze said:
Dummy upper chain plate?
The picture below is a mock up of an idea that has just come to mind but not tried in anger. Make holes in an offcut of first stage planking. Pull loops of the shroud ends through the holes and insert deadeyes. (A broken needle threader or broken beading needle is handy for this) Tie a length of lanyard thread to secure the deadeye. Lace to the deadeyes in the lower chain plate and pull on the free ends of the shrouds to get the required tension. Then split the dummy chain plate lengthways and discard. Complete the seizing above the upper deadeyes.
View attachment 514053

Gives me a good idea. When I get to that stage on the Albatros I'll post in my build log. Not soon though I got a few ships to build up to that. Cheers! Mate!
Click to expand...
 
I prefer to make some pre-bent wires that fit through the holes in the deadeyes. You can use those on the model, with the lower deadeye in it's shackle, and then set the shroud at the proper length that way.
 
I think most if us got suckered into buying a ratlines tool when starting out. Rigging is very intimidating. I ifound the easiest way, as an engineer, was to understand what each line did and then try and think about how it woukd have been done in real life. Nobody every rigged a ship ratline using a full sized loom, im guessing!
I found myself getting worked up about the level of difficulty and then convinces myself that I needed one of several products. I did a great job of doing what they said to do and created a lovely ratline model......that was utterly useless!
Do the suezing etc off the ship, the rest follow an in to out, top to bottom plan.

20201002_173429.jpg

20201002_125334.jpg

20201031_134122.jpg
 
Chelseafan said:
I think most if us got suckered into buying a ratlines tool when starting out. Rigging is very intimidating. I ifound the easiest way, as an engineer, was to understand what each line did and then try and think about how it woukd have been done in real life. Nobody every rigged a ship ratline using a full sized loom, im guessing!
I found myself getting worked up about the level of difficulty and then convinces myself that I needed one of several products. I did a great job of doing what they said to do and created a lovely ratline model......that was utterly useless!
Do the suezing etc off the ship, the rest follow an in to out, top to bottom plan.

View attachment 514641

View attachment 514642

View attachment 514643
Click to expand...
Nice work there. Excellent attention to detail and rigging.
 
Many thanks guys. I was really trying to illustrate that buying a useless jig was pointless. This was my second only ship model, so it's quite doable!
That said, I did use Chuck Passaro's Syren Models tool for siezing etc. The jig is a fun build in itself, especially if you take the time to finish it well!
 
Chelseafan said:
I found the easiest way, as an engineer, was to understand what each line did and then try and think about how it woukd have been done in real life.
Click to expand...

That’s also the most interesting way to rig, learning how it all worked while you play.

There are a lot of engineers here, I think.
 
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