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Sovereign of the Seas - Mantua by Brian

Bri62 said:
Had a hour this morning but really couldn't concentrate! I had a scan (abdominal aortic aneurysm screening I'm that age now 65) which I just got back from, and results are all good, might do a bit this afternoon.
Also received my rope making machine :) I plan to make all my own ropes now.

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Hi Brian,
just seeing that PL4 makes me feel sick! I wish you the best of luck with that machine, buddy. I bought mine from HisModel and returned it after it got broken during shipping to the Czech Republic; they still haven't refunded my money, supposedly they can't resolve the claim with UPS and they even blocked my user account. I've been writing to them for months and months, but nothing gets resolved. In the end, I bought the components and decided to build one myself! I truly hope it works out well for you, I sincerely wish you success and that you manage to achieve what I and other fellow modelers couldn't with it. Get ready to go through a lot of thread; you'll waste a huge amount before you can produce the kind of rope they show as a sample when you buy it. Please, I’m not saying this to discourage you, but just so you know to arm yourself with patience, my friend!
By the way, you're doing a great job with those details I like how it's turning out and I also think leaving the hull unpainted was a good decision!
Good luck buddy.
 
Bri62 said:
My first ever rope, I did the two colours to see it. Honest opinions guys! also tips on how to improve would be helpful.

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Hi Brian
I see the same problem I used to have: it doesn't wind properly and has low tension. With that machine, you'll have to do a lot of tinkering to get good ropes! That’s just my opinion based on my own experience; I just waste a lot of $$ on that machine, if anyone disagrees, feel free to share your own opinion, that’s what the forum is for! Here are some photos showing the best ropes I managed to make with that machine, which don't even remotely resemble a rope. Just in case anyone has doubts about my experience
Good luck.

rope 1.JPG

IMG_0148.JPG
 
Bri62 said:
Thanks for that Jack I will preserver and try some more when I get my thread from Canada about the tension! do I slow the take up speed?
Brian
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Hi Brian,
Based on conversations with helpful forum members who shared their experiences, I learned that the three or four spools need to have, if not identical tension, at least balanced tension so that the threads wind evenly.
There were also other members who, whether because of privacy concerns or simply selfishness, never shared their experiences, even when I asked for their input. Mr. Domanov Aleksei was quite rude when I reached out to him directly for help all because I wasn't on his list of direct buyers, even though I had purchased the machine from a supplier who sells them on his behalf. Anyway, that's a long and unpleasant story.
The main issues I encountered involved spool tension. Some people recommended buying a separate rewinding machine just to load the thread onto the spools. Another challenge was synchronizing the speed of the large wheel, which twists the threads together, with the take-up reel, which collects the finished rope, so that the proper tension is maintained.
The ends of the rope would also become too loose at both the beginning and the end. I tried using CA glue, but the results didn't even come close to what other forum members were able to achieve with different machines.
In the end, I returned the machine, but UPS destroyed the package before it reached the shop. I've spent months trying to reach a solution with the shop owner, hoping to receive at least a partial refund. As you can imagine, I'm out both the machine and my money nearly $300 lost, not including shipping and customs fees. I'm still hoping that the owner and I can reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
If you have the time, finding a solution to all these problems might take hours, days, or even months. Personally, I don't have the time right now. I've been busy building the HMS Terror since the pandemic began, and I still haven't been able to start the rigging because of that wretched machine. It stole so much of my time, and I couldn't even produce 20 cm of proper rope.

But good luck, and have patience, my friend. I sincerely hope you succeed!

Also hope I haven't bored you. You can search for a thread called "Making Your Own Rope," from Phillipsart he tried to help me and explained his experiences with the machine which, by the way, he ended up leaving on a shelf to gather dust.. Read through all the comments, and you'll be able to draw your own conclusions. You'll come across fellow enthusiasts like me who wasted time and money and eventually set that machine aside in favor of buying a different one but it might just work for you..

Cheers, and good luck my friend!
 
Jacapa412 said:
on that Sergal version, those pieces are coated with a pretty poor-quality alloy that comes right off the metal if you sand it.
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I disagree the bronze pieces in my kit are solid bronze I have ground deep enough to show this they are also of good quality someone pointed out the quality of kits from years ago and present day kits


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This is my kit


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As you can see my kit quality is far superior to the one posted, no I don't paint them I use a wax treatment and polish it off.
Brian
 
Mike Dowling said:
I think you have been very lucky with the quality. Others have said and mine were the same, of very poor quality and not expected for a kit with a high price tag.
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Same hereI haven't started my SOAT build yet, but I opened the box and was struck by the terrible quality of the fittings; I completely agree with you Mike the quality is poor considering the kit's high price. You can tell the parts are made of a really bad alloy with a coating of who-knows-what; I’m not sure if they can be painted, I’ll have to experiment first.
 
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