Rigging gun carriages

Does anyone have any contact information for Dr. Clayton Feldman? I am trying to find some better photos from some of his publications.

Thanks
 
DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
An idea occurred to me. If the gun tackles were to be displayed in storage configuration as shown in @jbradford's photo below, perhaps the blocks could be simulated using tiny glass beads, the ones usually used in making simulated parrel trucks, and some thin thread?
Click to expand...
The problem is not the making of tiny blocks, it’s the threading of them. 1.7mm is the smallest I sell as I think it’s a better option. There is no real visual difference between 1.5 and 1.7 but that extra 0.2mm allows for an ever so slightly bigger hole for the thread, which means the end user is much less likely to have to ream them out. As I’m sure you would testify, these are incredibly small blocks, bordering on the limits of what can be handled.
 
Kevin the Lubber said:
The problem is not the making of tiny blocks, it’s the threading of them. 1.7mm is the smallest I sell as I think it’s a better option. There is no real visual difference between 1.5 and 1.7 but that extra 0.2mm allows for an ever so slightly bigger hole for the thread, which means the end user is much less likely to have to ream them out. As I’m sure you would testify, these are incredibly small blocks, bordering on the limits of what can be handled.
Click to expand...
Indeed. I usually open the holes in the 1.5mm block a little with the Archimedes drill and a very small drill bit. Doable, but meticulous work.
 
Take a look at these links

Parts review - Aftermarket naval guns parts to upscale, Part 1/3

* there is no copyright on any images in this review Let's face it...How many of us have been disappointed with the cannons supplied in the kits? Personally, I found that manufacturers don't pay enough attention to cannon details. Often, the carriages are out of scale and made from cast metal...
shipsofscale.com

Parts review - Aftermarket naval guns parts to upscale, Part 2/3

Greetings all. This is way long past-due log of Part 2 of 3 series: Accesories\Uspscale mini kits of naval guns. To those of you who came directly to this post, please follow the below link to get familiar with our discussion about aftermarket naval gun mini kits...
shipsofscale.com

Parts review - Aftermarket naval guns parts to upscale, Part 3/3

"Raise your words not your voice, it is rain that grows flowers, not thunder." Greetings all. This is Part 3 of 3 series log Accesories\Uspscale mini kits of naval guns. It is not the typical review, where the review subject is giving evaluation, it is rather the parts 'in action', In other...
shipsofscale.com
 
AllanKP69 said:
The blocks are oversized and upside down so maybe not what you want to duplicate.
The following is from Adrian Caruana's The History of English Sea Ordnance Volume 2. His book is the most researched available for English guns and tackle.
In general guns under 32 pounder had train tackle with two single blocks. 32 pounders and heavier had a single and double on each side of the carriage. Each block was equipped with a hook. The same goes for the train tackle. The train tackle came into use in the early 18th century so would not be on earlier English ships.

Rope circumferences

The breech rope size varied with caliber and era. It was between 4 and 7 inches in circumference depending on caliber and era. The securing of the breech rope to the bulwark rings varied a lot with era as well.

The following chart is from the Sea Gunner's Vade Mecum 1812. It is limited by date but at our scales, a pretty good guide.
Allan
View attachment 514669

The blocks can be sized according to the rope diameter but it gets a little complex.

From David Steel, page 153 (the entire book can be found at https://maritime.org/doc/steel/

THE proportions for single, double, treble, fourfold, and other blocks, are as follow; viz. the length is 8 times the breadth of the sheave-hole, which is one-sixteenth of an inch more than the thickness of the sheave; the thickness of the sheave is one-tenth more than the diameter of the rope it is intended for, and the diameter of the sheave is five times the thickness. The breadth of the block to be six times the thickness of the sheave, and the thickness to be one half the length, or nearly so.

IF my math is correct for the 2.5" tackle rope the block would be about 7 1/4" long
For the 2" tackle the block would be about 5 3/4" long.

By the same token you can just take the circumference and multiply by 3 and you will be very close.

Allan
Click to expand...
Thanks again, Allan. This has come just in time for me, as I'm at that stage on my Jotika 'Vic'. 2mm singles are in the kit, but the instructions show 2 x singles. I'm sure I will struggle with 2mm, so I've switched to 3mm, which I think is a 'happy medium', & have just received 100 each from Cornwall MBs. I couldn't find 2mm doubles, well not at what I call a reasonable price - postage nowadays is a killer.
 
Stuart Little said:
I'm sure I will struggle with 2mm, so I've switched to 3mm
Click to expand...
There's quite a big difference, visually, between 2mm and 3mm. The tricky bit with the micro blocks is getting the blasted thread through the block as the holes are too small for a needle threader, but (as everyone but me already seemed to know!), if you make the end rigid with a bit of CA and cut it diagonally, it goes. I'm not sure I'd want to do them all day long but will find out soon enough when I start rigging my 1:100 Victory guns!

(I have 2mm doubles in resin BTW).

P5101851.JPG
 
Kevin the Lubber said:
There's quite a big difference, visually, between 2mm and 3mm. The tricky bit with the micro blocks is getting the blasted thread through the block as the holes are too small for a needle threader, but (as everyone but me already seemed to know!), if you make the end rigid with a bit of CA and cut it diagonally, it goes. I'm not sure I'd want to do them all day long but will find out soon enough when I start rigging my 1:100 Victory guns!

(I have 2mm doubles in resin BTW).

View attachment 516118
Click to expand...
Hi Kevin, I do have some of your 5mm blocks (excellent). I measured my 3mm dbls, which are 3.7mm, so that makes them virtually 4mm. With a bit of work (time consuming) with a needle file I could reduce them to 3mm. My problem is more carpel tunnel related, so as a compromise I think I'll be ordering some of your 2.5 dbls. soon.
Stuart
 
Ahh, now I've joined some dots and many thanks for the compliment. I think I added the micro blocks a little later, after you'd bought the 5mm's.
 
DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
The smallest fully rigged gun I was able to achieve is a 9 pounder at 1:100 scale.
View attachment 514920

This had to be done by rigging the barrels and breeching lines first, then slipping the gun tackle rigged carriages under the barrels and gluing the eyebolts of those gun tackles to the bulwark as the final step. The use of hooks had to be abandoned, and eyelets were tied to blocks using black sewing thread.
View attachment 514923

Everything was accomplished using an eye magnification headset and careful tweezer work using CA glue and pre-drilled holes in the bulwarks. Even so, it is delicate, and it is difficult not to tear a a gun tackle apart or crunch something. :)
View attachment 514921

The four 6 pound sakers shown at the forecastle bulkhead proved too small to allow making of gun tackles at 1:100 scale, and the carriages had to be scratch built. It may be possible to create simulated blocks using globs of glue approximately 0.5mm in diameter onto thread in micro gun tackle assemblies, but since these sakers were covered by the upper forecastle deck anyway, that attempt was abandoned. Personnally, rigging cannon carriages is one of the more interesting and fun parts of a build.
View attachment 514924

An idea occurred to me. If the gun tackles were to be displayed in storage configuration as shown in @jbradford's photo below, perhaps the blocks could be simulated using tiny glass beads, the ones usually used in making simulated parrel trucks, and some thin thread? HiS Model in Czech Republic sells very tiny etched brass eyelets which could be used in the tiny gun tackles.
View attachment 514926

Brown glass beads used in making parrels
View attachment 514925
Click to expand...
Glassbeads are a good idea .I also had to use oversized blocks for the carriages (4mm). I will the try the glassbeads by my next model.Attachment is with oversized blocks on LaCouronne

IMG_6993.jpeg

IMG_6975.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top