USCHI Rigging

[Guest]

Has anyone here tried Uschi's fine, medium or heavy rigging thread? I just saw a ship building demo on you-tube whereby this thread is used; there is supposedly some elasticity to the thread as well. It appears to be easier to work with, attach, etc than filament or sprue.

I'm wondering how it is attached, whether the the elasticity will cause mast deformity after installation, and finally how well it displays certain paints.

[Stephen Allen]

It's a good product, and is a genuinely round filament with quite a hard surface to it, unlike some other elastic thread products ( for example Infini or EZ-line) where they are basically flat strands and twist in the line can be both visible to the eye and hard to deal with. It also maintains a very consistent diameter with gentle tension so you don't have to over stretch it to avoid the noticeable thick spots caused by the occasionally ragged edges of flat filament lines.

You only need very gentle tension to keep a line straight so it works well with both metal and plastic yardarms and shouldn't stretch them out of true. It glues easily with superglue and if held still while the glue sets (use tape or a weight to keep the line from moving after establishing an anchor point) also takes white acrylic glues like Gator.

It's a very dense black colour, and it will take paints (apply them once the line has been tensioned to its final position or flakes come off when the line stretches or contracts) but they need to be pretty opaque to cover its dark colour. I will admit that i haven't worked out how to consistently get it toned down to a mid-gray more typical of weathered wire-based rigging, and turning it into a much lighter colour to match a natural fibre like hemp or manila would be even harder.

If it came in a gray more typical of flexible wire rope or even white, it would be more ship friendly. Infini does, or did, make a white version of their elastic strand rigging, and it is easier to paint or colour noting the comments above on keeping it from moving about.

Cheers

Steve

[wefalck]

Does any know what material it actually is ? Anything elastic is prone to degrade with time, particularly, when exposed to daylight. Similarly, paint can take out the plasticisers and make the stuff brittle. I would be very hesitant to use such material.

[JIM BAUMANN]

Ahoi Guest!

I have for the first time in earnest been using the Uschi van Rosten rigging, with some notable sucess on the vertical halyards
and control lines on my model of the 3-masted 1/350 schooner SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL ( that is still in build !)
have a look from here onwards -

link

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=165003&start=20#p724972

I have been using the Uschi thread extensivly-- in conjunction with stretched sprue for areas where no tension or compression was desired

and also of course where rigging sag is desired.
==> Sag in lines/ ropes/ sheets of course eludes both the Uschi and Caenis school of rigging

The black colour --as pointed out by Stephen-- will take enamel paint-- after rigging application.

however-- on most ships in real life the rigging is seen against the bright or otherwise sky--and even lighter coloured rigging turn effectively a dark colour ageist a light background.

So...


( ducks for incoming barrage of contrary opinions... )

if making a ' modellers model ' ...( ie pre-shaded panel lines on aircraft-- models then become 'over-3-D) visually very attractive
BUT... the real thing does not have graduated darker shaded colouring surrounds to panel lines--which often on the real thing --(but not always) are virtually invisible....

then indeed all rigging should be the correct darker tan or lighter colours--

though... I feel that often the lighter coloured rigging then stands out too starkly against the darker backgrounds of the ship and overpowers...

I think that the smaller the scale--the less important the lighter coloured rigging becomes...


HAVING SAID THAT.... with the e rigging installed on the Winston Churchill--I have been lightly running a brush over it
with a thinned tan paint just to take off the ' hardness' ...

HTH

JB

[JIM BAUMANN]

Ahoi Weflack

Your are of course absolutely correct in viewing it with suspicion...!

although...

I have had a test-rig of this material in the various sizes outside in my garden in bright UV light and all weathers for the past 4 years--


4 strands of each on across a board facing up to moisture, sunlight , wind wetaher snow and frost.
hitherto seems unaffected ...

I reckoned that in a glass case out of UV ... and unmoved/ untouched ...

but a fair point

Many of my earlier sprue rigged models 25 years plus--in their glass cases have shown no sign of failure or deterioration whatsoever

so I took heart...

Hopefully I will have no cause for regret with Winston Churchill in years to come.

will observe!

[InchHigh]

Is there a vendor who sells Uschi rigging line in the US?

[JIM BAUMANN]

Ahoi Guest
either order direct from Usch van Rosten
or

Uschi rigging is available in the USA here:

https://www.victorymodels.com/collectio ... gging-wire

Good luck

Jim Baumann