• Ships of Scale has incorportated an extra level of security when you log In. Please follow on-screen prompts to acknowledge that you are not a robot via a "Check Box" or a "Pictorial Check Box Puzzle". This is needed due to higher level of AI Activity Security.
  • SUBSCRIBE TO SHIPS IN SCALE TODAY!

    The beloved Ships in Scale Magazine is back and charting a new course for 2026!
    Discover new skills, new techniques, and new inspirations in every issue.

    NOTE THAT OUR NEXT ISSUE WILL BE July/August 2026
  • Win a Free Custom Engraved Brass Coin!!!
    As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering.

USS Constitution - Model Shipways

Grok isn't much better on that front. You have to challenge all responses. I wish I had kept the pictures of the deck arrangement behind the mast on the spar deck that I asked him to provide. When I told him he didn't know what he was talking about, he apologized and said you're right, and then sent me to a couple of websites where I could get better information.
 
Chat GPT also makes information up. Not good. I think I am going to treat AI like Wikipedia. Lord knows the source of the information presented. I also noticed that sometimes you are sent into a neverending loop of information that turns into jibberish. It looks good but when you dig deaper it is actually garbage. My attitude has definitely changed about it.
 
well here is my humble attempt at measuring rope tension it the machine
The idea is to create a downward force on the middle blue pully so that the loadcell underneath it can register a value. I am thinking that I can adjust the wingnut on the simple clutch mechanism that I described in a previous post to maintain a constant value on the diplay. Hopefully it will work. Lots of unknowns at this time
The other option is to measure the takeup frequently which doesn't provide a continuous measurement. You have to manually calculate it
1790941106247.png
 
Last edited:
None of this stuff is proven to work. I just wanted to get some information in the log. If the tension thing doesn't work then I'll have to manually measure the takeup which I should do regardless.
 
Last edited:
well, the pulley thing seems to work. as the tension increased the number on the display increases. that's promising, I think.
I think the number on the screen is grams, but the loadcell is not calibrated, nor do I think it needs to be given that this magic number follows with the tension.
I know there is a relationship between the tension and the load cell weight but I don't feel like getting into that. I don't think it is necessary.

Lets see if I can play with this tension parameter a little bit as well as the speed ratio between the planetary head and the takeup spool.
I want to generate rope that is very stiff to very soft. It's probably not just the machine's parameters that dicate this but I am going to try to make it that way for fun. For example the amount of tar put on the ropes would affect this property as would the rope material. Also, stays are usually served which definitely affects the ropes stiffness, if you will. I wonder if there is a way to measure stiffness...

1790961700063.png
 
chat gpt shows me a jig for the purposes of measuring stiffness. I suppose I could try and build it and see if I can get what I want. Is it worth the effort? Probably not but I am having a blast so why not. I'll get to the boat eventually. Hey. I painted the lower masts and the tops so I am not completely procrastinating. lol
1790962964286.png
 
Last edited:
Hello Jack Sparrow, this is my first attempt at a patina hull. The paint I used can be seen in the attached photo. I tested several strips before applying to my hull. Ragnar
IMG_20260803_102316458_HDR.jpg
 
I know you've mentioned it before, but who made that device? It doesn't look like the one I was looking at from Europe.
well i looked but i can't seem to find the receipt from where i bought that thing. But it has been heavily modified to make it more stable because the original design is quite "clunky". For example. I stopped the center gear from turning because it isn't supposed to. I think it's called the sun gear. I also anchored the shaft of that gear so that it doesn't move in and out. Ridiculous that I had to do that stuff but anyways I did

I am contemplating 3d printing all the components and making a new machine for fun of course.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top