It's a Small World - the modelling thread.

[Foxbat]

Re the rigging: don't know if you missed this, FB...
https://www.sffchronicles.com/threads/579125/page-38#post-2576070

Yes. I saw it and will be looking into it soon

 

[Foxbat]

I’ve been looking through the link provided by @Pyan for the scale model shop and I’ve become a little like a kid in a candy store. I’ve always had a thing for ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy - particularly aircraft carriers. I have a couple of models on my to do list: 1/700 scale kits of the carriers Akagi and Zuikaku. They don’t appear to be readily available in the UK and I had to buy these direct from Japan but, much to my delight, I see this shop has kits of the Hiryu, Soryu, Chuyo and Taiyo for sale. No doubt, I will be purchasing one or two soon.

But on to my reason for posting today. I’m looking for some advice regarding rigging. The shop has 0.001, 0.003 and 0.005mm reels available and I’m wondering if anybody knows what would be most suitable for the Cutty Sark, which is a 1/130 scale?
Any advice greatly appreciated

 

[Toby Frost]

More old Warhammer space elves:

 

[Foxbat]

The picture below shows my first attempt at making rigging using the jig provided. It was a bit fiddly but seemed to work quite well. I've used ordinary sewing thread because this is just a practice run and it has thrown up some issues I need to address (hopefully with some advice from the more experienced among us here).

Firstly, there's an awful lot of wasted material. All that thread not being used needs to be cut away. For this reason, I'm thinking it could get quite expensive using reels of rigging bought from a specialist shop and I'm tempted to stick with ordinary thread.

This brings us on to issue number two. I've tried using sewing thread in the past but this just seems to fur up over time and doesn't look very good....however...issue number three might help address that point.

I'm supposed to soak the thread in cold tea overnight to give the thread the correct colour. I'm also supposed to brush on a glue to help the rigging maintain its shape. I'm assuming the overnight soak comes prior to the glue. So here's a couple of other questions
1) what kind of glue should I use? I'm assuming it has to be clear to allow the colour through
2) Will brushing the rigging with glue stop the thread furring and fraying over time?
I've got a lot of rigging to make so these are issues that need to be addressed before I do anything else.

Many thanks in advance for any answers provided

 

[Pyan]

The picture below shows my first attempt at making rigging using the jig provided. It was a bit fiddly but seemed to work quite well. I've used ordinary sewing thread because this is just a practice run and it has thrown up some issues I need to address (hopefully with some advice from the more experienced among us here).

Firstly, there's an awful lot of wasted material. All that thread not being used needs to be cut away. For this reason, I'm thinking it could get quite expensive using reels of rigging bought from a specialist shop and I'm tempted to stick with ordinary thread.

This brings us on to issue number two. I've tried using sewing thread in the past but this just seems to fur up over time and doesn't look very good....however...issue number three might help address that point.

I'm supposed to soak the thread in cold tea overnight to give the thread the correct colour. I'm also supposed to brush on a glue to help the rigging maintain its shape. I'm assuming the overnight soak comes prior to the glue. So here's a couple of other questions
1) what kind of glue should I use? I'm assuming it has to be clear to allow the colour through
2) Will brushing the rigging with glue stop the thread furring and fraying over time?
I've got a lot of rigging to make so these are issues that need to be addressed before I do anything else.

Many thanks in advance for any answers provided

Yes, the main problem with a jig like this is the wastage. You only need it for the shrouds/ratlines, though - all the rest of the rigging can be done with specialist thread. The thing the jig is good for is the ability to get a better proportion between the shrouds (up and down) and the ratlines (across) - the ratlines are about a quarter the diameter of the shrouds:

I'd use liquid poly, the sort with the brush in the handle, to coat them - this dries clear, and also prevents the "furry" appearance. Again, the specialist thread is extruded Lycra, not twisted textile, so you don't get the fuzzy problem. I use Infini 110 denier Black Lycra rigging.

This may help - from the excellent Britmodeller site: Airfix 1:130 Cutty Sark

 

[Foxbat]

That set of pictures for the Cutty Sark is both daunting and inspiring. Daunting because I was thinking ‘oh, my God! Look at all that rigging!’. Inspiring because I think the sails provided with the kit look rubbish but this guy makes them look amazing.

I notice he did a lot of weathering, which is beyond my skill, but using a darker primer along certain areas of the sails is something I think I will try.

 

[Pyan]

Found these in the attic, from at least 30 years ago: Warhammer Space Marines...

 

[Foxbat]

The overnight steep in cold tea didn't work on my practice rigging. I suspect it might be because when I bought the thread, I didn't bother checking it (thread is thread as far as I'm concerned). Apparently the stuff I got is synthetic and I suspect that might be why the colour didn't take. On the bright side, maybe synthetic won't fur or fray? It could be that black synthetic thread might do.

The next thing is to brush glue over the rigging and see how that works. I've been looking at a variety of types but still not sure what is what. However, somebody on Britmodeller says they use PVA diluted with water. It, apparently, comes out clear when mixed this way. I happen to have PVA so I'll try that first and see how it goes. I think the toughest part will be getting the glue to water ratio just right.

Another option is to use straight-forward model lacquer and airbrush the rigging whilst still in the jig. This should (hopefully) act like a glue and keep the thread intersections fixed.

If airbrushing works, I think it might also be a way of getting a more authentic colour for the rigging with paint prior to lacquering. Of course, I'd need to find out just what that authentic colour is (was)...

Fingers crossed

 

[Toby Frost]

Great find Pyan! Those are proper Oldhammer! I particularly like those old metal marines in terminator armour.

 

[Pyan]

More! Found in the next box down. They're from the original GW spaceship game, Space Fleet (1991), not Battlefleet Gothic, which came out in 1998.

 

[Toby Frost]

Blimey, that's oldschool! I've got some Space Fleet articles in old copies of White Dwarf. It looked quite cool, and the models were very good for the time.

 

[Vladd67]

I miss the old White Dwarf, you remember it, the magazine before it became the Games Workshop inhouse Mag/catalogue.

 

[Vince W]

I miss the old White Dwarf, you remember it, the magazine before it became the Games Workshop inhouse Mag/catalogue.

They used to have great articles on a wide range of games.

 

[Toby Frost]

I'm sure someone very well known used to write for them - Robert Holdstock or John Brunner, perhaps? Since then, it's gone through phases of being quite good to being absolutely awful, presumably depending on company policy.

 

[hitmouse]

I'm sure someone very well known used to write for them - Robert Holdstock or John Brunner, perhaps? Since then, it's gone through phases of being quite good to being absolutely awful, presumably depending on company policy.

Holdstack used to write for the WD competitor - was it called Imagine?

 

[Pyan]

Holdstack used to write for the WD competitor - was it called Imagine?

Indeed, @hitmouse, it was a D&D competitor to White Dwarf published by TSR (later Wizards of the Coast, ie Gary Gygax). It published Neil Gaiman's first short story.
There are many more defunct magazines on the list, but White Dwarf seems to be unbeatable in the UK field.

Game Magazines | Wiki | BoardGameGeek

 

[THX1138]

Queen Ann's Revenge
Took my time on it, but still had some small mistakes. Sorry for the poor photo quality too, didn't want to mess with digital apt setting.
Should have gone manual w/old fashion lens for better DOF and detail.

So, this model leaves no room for error at all. A 1/5mm off will just compound the rest of the way, as seen in the forward and aft of the haul. The tabs didn't bend in sharp angels, so gaps. Not my first Metal Earth model, but it is my 1st at the mid difficult level. One problem is even though the steeps are 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. It really is 1,3,2,4,5,8,7,6. And precise is not precise enough. Still, good fun!

 

[THX1138]

Yes, the main problem with a jig like this is the wastage. You only need it for the shrouds/ratlines, though - all the rest of the rigging can be done with specialist thread. The thing the jig is good for is the ability to get a better proportion between the shrouds (up and down) and the ratlines (across) - the ratlines are about a quarter the diameter of the shrouds:
View attachment 93916

I'd use liquid poly, the sort with the brush in the handle, to coat them - this dries clear, and also prevents the "furry" appearance. Again, the specialist thread is extruded Lycra, not twisted textile, so you don't get the fuzzy problem. I use Infini 110 denier Black Lycra rigging.

This may help - from the excellent Britmodeller site: Airfix 1:130 Cutty Sark

That was really cool looking at the Britmodeller Cutty Shark. It was very educational for me to see how model rigging is done.
I have a Milano USS Constitution 1:330 wooden model to build sometime, not any time soon though; workshop needs a good cleaning and rearranging too.

 

[Pyan]

Excellent, THX, looks like a brilliant display model. And it's got the infamous "horned skeleton and bleeding heart" flag as well!...

 

[THX1138]

Thanks @Pyan! The artist is always more critical than the viewer. And being that I worked for a W German med optic company as the production supervisor for 13 years, well, no more need be said there. Thanks!
Looking to more of yours and the others work myself.
Curious to see how Foxbat's rigging comes out.
Great fun!