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Rigging

Tony1955

Tony1955

Joined
Aug 30, 2023
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Hi,
Im working on the Amati Santa Maria. Im starting to think about rigging. Th threats that are provided are all a pale brown colour. Am i right in assuming standing rigging should be black? If so should i try to dye this stuff or get new? Is this stuff OK for the running rigging as it stands? I'm guessing the stuff in the packet is for the anchors, but it looks hopelessly inadequate for the task. can anybody suggest what i should use please?

thanks for any help.

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The discussion of rigging color can be fraught. Limiting our discussion to European vessels of the last 10 centuries or so, standing rigging was usually coated with tar or other dark colored goop. So it was generally dark. I believe that a modern thread or cordage that is black by modern standards would be too dark and would not provide an authentic appearance, especially taking into account scale effects on color perception. Running rigging was generally untreated so it started out the color of the natural fiber (flax, hemp, sisal, manila) which would be tan or light brown. This color would be affected by dirt and oils (darker) and by sun bleaching (lighter).

Here are some pics of the Charles Morgan, which is moored at Mystic Seaport. There are a lot of pics of her available. First pic shows some rigging up close. You can readily see the difference in color between standing and running rigging. The second pic is from a distance, which is comparable to how you would view a model. Here every line looks dark. Third pic is of a high quality model of the Morgan where the modeler chose black and tan for contrast between the types of rigging.

morgan rigging 1.jpeg

morgan rigging 2.jpeg

morgan rigging 3.jpeg
 
Oops. I hit the "post reply" too soon. To conclude, it all depends how you (the modeler) want your model to look and the information you want to convey. For a more authentic look, I would choose less contrast between colors. For a model that demonstrates the difference between running and standing rigging (a worthwhile educational goal) I would opt for more contrast. Your cordage looks to be a pretty good color for running rigging. For standing rigging you could try dyeing some samples with tea or water-based paints and see how it looks. Fair winds!
 
The colour of the rope is personal. Standing rigging is normally darker because it is threaten with tar. That makes it more resistible to weather influence and water.
All ropes have different colours on real ships. But for the market you can buy darker rope (brown or black) for standing rigging and the rope you show for running rigging. Almost everybody is doing this in that way. (almost of course, there are exceptions, because it's personal).
The rope you showed us is Amati rope (I think) and this is pretty polyester quality rope for model ship kits. If you want better quality and more authentic, you can look here on the main page of this forum and go to the banner Ropes of Scale or hit this link:
www.ropesofscale.com

Ropes of Scale

Miniature Rope for the scale modeler. These products are designed for rigging model ships but can be used for most scale modeling or dioramas.
www.ropesofscale.com
there is also one in Germany who is selling this quality of rope:

Modellbau Takelgarn – In eigener Seilerei geschlagen

www.modellbau-takelgarn.com www.modellbau-takelgarn.com

There is another way to get real good quality rope, for that you live in the right country, in the UK there are shops who sell the brand Gutterman and then the rope E121 or E151 and Skala 360/240/200. In my country not available. With these yarns you can make fantastic rope by yourself. How to do that? Read this topic:

Make your rope on a rope walk

I did a lot of research on how to make rope on a rope walk and build my own rope walk. I love to share my experience with you. The quality of the rope delivered in your kit is not always of high quality. Fluffy, badly made so that you can better use it to tie up your old paper than to rig your...
shipsofscale.com
 
Back in the day the standing rigging was indeed treated with tar, but it was not coal tar which is dark gray to black. The most common material used for at least six centuries according to the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association was pine tar, mostly notably Stockholm pine tar, although the American colonies produced a high grade of pine tar later on as well. It was brown, darker than the tan running rigging, but not black like coal tar. In actual usage it washed out and had to be reapplied every few months. The below model is from Preble Hall at the USNA. If you prefer black, it is your model, do what makes you happy. :)
Allan
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I agree with the comments above about historical accuracy vs. how you want the model to look. I've dyed rigging lines with everything from tea to wood stain with good results. You could source new line in different colours but be careful to get the exact right size.
 
Thanks for this article! I will rethink the color I use for the ratlines from here on......not black, but not a light brown, either!
Rick 1011
 
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