Making thread drape.

jimmystratos

jimmystratos

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I'm wondering what the best way is of making the thinner 0.25mm threads hang and drape realistically. Coils and hanks done with dilute PVA i can do, it's the single strands that have the gravity-defying capabilities of nylon monofilament. Currently trying to get the gun-port lanyards to hang when the port is shut. I'm putting the rearmost guns lashed down and the ports need to be shut. See the photos of what I've managed so far, a combination of CA & PVA. What does beeswax do? I've seen people referring to drawing the thread through a block of it, but I'm not clear what the purpose is.
IMG_7635.JPG IMG_7634.JPG
 
Hello Jimmy, We use beeswax on the thread to avoid\eliminate any fuz. Another way to keep thread 'fuz' free, is to use lighter and move really quick alone the thread.
 
if you just want to hang straight down trying some watered PVA and use a pin or needle to hold down a few minutes till it starts to set, I often keep rotating pin to keep it from sticking to line when using them to help shape ropes.
 
One question - Why do you want, that the rope is hanging and sagging.
On real ships, the seamen tried that all ropes are not moving around, especially not outboard in contact with seawater etc.
In addition, if necessary the lids have to be opened very fast
So take a look at the Victory gunport lids
poi_2-o-3.jpg poi_2-o-4.jpg
I would not show them sagged - and it would make your life easier ;)

In addition a small comment, which is completely subjective. Your ropes looks very thin, especially there is only one rope (not two like at the Victory), which has to take over the weight of the lid during the opening - but like I said - it is a subjective feeling
 
Thanks for the reply Uwe.
Why sagging? I want my cordage to look as natural as possible (particularly ratlines and footropes on the yards), I am practicing on the ones I'm working with at the moment, which are the gun ports and gun carriage tackles. Maybe tight is the way they should be in real life, I was imagining the way I thought the rope would be. I agree about sailors wanting to keep decks clear, which is why I won't be doing nice flat deck coils of all the gun ropes!
The rope is 0.25mm, which is what is supplied in the kit (yes, I'm learning about kit realism!); scale wise, that's similar to ropes used on fore royal lifts/halyards/clewlines, which I would have thought would be bigger than gun ports. At 1/50 scale these equate to a 12.5cm diameter rope which seems quite big - maybe I am used to ropes made of modern materials!
Edited to correct maths incompetence - that should read 12.5mm diameter, which is likely too small as you say, it would work in modern spectra or dyneema rope!
Thumbsup
 
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In addition to minimizing fuzz, I'm finding that a good coating of beeswax stiffens the thread a bit,allowing it to hold it's shape better when you form it into a draping position.
 
Jimmy with regard to the Gunport lid ropes,I would loop a scrap of thread beteen the lid and rope and hang a small weight on it.Then dab thin Cyano onto the rope without gluing the scrap thread to it.This will give a tight crisp loop at the bottom and arrow straight everywhere else.This isn't the process to use and rigging on the masts etc as this process makes the thread brittle but in this instance that will not matter.

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
Jimmy, I'm curious about the ship model you are working on. In the picture it shows a lid on a gunport on the focsle (?). Why would they have a lid on a deck gun with the lanyard belayed to a cleat on the rail?
 
It's the Mantua Astrolabe. I asked myself the same question. There is no attempt in the plans to actually place a gun there, and there really isn't room; in fact there really isn't room for the aftmost gun either, which is why I have lashed them in a storage position. I suspect the answer is 'because'!
 
jimmystratos said:
Does it stop the thread absorbing the dilute white glue so well?
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Yes. You wax the thread and make it water resistance, diluted PVA glue will not soak in and set to hold the thread fibers, and thread will not stay in the position you want. Wetting the the bare thread with diluted PVA and holding it in position using alligator clips for weights or other means until it is dry can work. But, if you bend the hardened line, you'll break the glue bonds and the thread will lose its stiffness and sometimes its desired catenary shape. I had to use PVA to stiffen the crows feet threads on galleon stay lines to help them bend more sharply as they passed through euphroes or blocks, because there was not enough tension to keep the angles sharp.
 
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