The Ship Model Forum

>>> SG 1 wrote ...
Can you give us any tips for rigging with the nitinol wire?
differences between nitinol and stretched sprue rigging?

Also, what diameters are available and where to purchase them? <<<

apologies for belated answer; The Nitinol wire that is easily accessible- is the one made by MODELLKASTEN

I bought mine from a dealer in Japan via e-bay

The diameter I used is 0.047 mm-- which is nice and thin and good for 1/350
and OK for some standing rigging in in 1/700... also available in thicker sizes

BUT.... I can easily pull my stretched sprue to half that size of 0.047

( How to pull stretched sprue...--see here my step by step )
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37536

I think the ideal method in smaller scales is to use a combination of both;
have a scan 'thru here of my Normandie build's rigging,

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=168156&start=300#p934677

I used thinned white glue ( woodwroking or PVA ( use distilled water to thin ) to attach the
length of nititol wire to the deck-- and once dry--the 'propped' wire is in place, I brushed some thin runny CA glue
( Zap pacer or similar) across the upper jointo mast/ yard etc
using the tip of a cats ( discarded !!) whisker ( or a single paintbrush bristle-- very lightly spring )

Hope it helps
JB









:

Very useful indeed! Wish i was able to pull stretched sprue to 0.024-ish mm like you! The gluing technique is most clever!
I recently purchased very thin copper wires ranging from 0,01mm to 0.05 mm (they're meant for repairing mobile phones), but they are very fragile and i guess rigging with those wires can't be really successful because of that and because of lack of memory form. Such thin copper wires are a useful tool for superdetailing though, but very difficult to work with. I'm trying to get confident to handle them. Nitinol is a great material, but i guess stretched sprue is somewhat ideal for the purpose, from what i saw in your threads. The combined use of both wires is just another fiendish idea . I dig it.

Thank you!

SG

The trick with pulling sprue really thin is to melt one end--( as per photo step by step in the thread)

dab it on the work-surface - a piece of white card- so it adheres ;

Then-- pull rapidly - as it begins to cool -slowing as not to snap.
using my method --
ie pulling from a fixed end ==> avoids blobs as first on side then the other starts cooling.

Have a go-its easy -you can pull stretched sprue to the point where you can barely see it.
try out different manufacturers of sprue...

Hope it helps

JB

Despite it appearing quiet,,, I have been busy making small but significant progress!

The ship had a small multitude of different davits --fro boats, torpedoes, accommodation ladders etc
these varies in size and design pending theit function--
but were also in different position as well as differing types from one side to the other !

example; Midships port-side between the gantry legs; these were made by bending up Mastermodels brass yardarms to get a nice tapered davit...
all were painted in a blob blu-tack

whereas the same position set of davits on starboard were distinctly different--being the square girder type
Enhances zoomed in screenshot video still from on-line Bundesarchived WW1 film
These were made up from the ( original kit ) PE -- but extended
The other davits were broadly of similar type--again using various sizes of brass yard-arms
I reasoned that most of the small oar-powered boats as well as powered launches would have been
landed prior to her last voyage to scrapyard...

But I think she would have perhaps carried a sea-boat along with 1 x large rowing Gig Portside
I cannibalised and modified some elderly spare plastic kit boats ( for my own convenience! )

The upper pilot house bridge had distinct awning poles ; these were installed using brass wire uprights
The real ship on these awning pole uprights also had canvas screens that could be raised or lowered

Being that these are of a slightly different colour should add some additional interest to this area
I plan to make these using my usual white glue method--more on that next time

The pilot house roof aft had a Compass Binnacle, engine room telegraph relay and large voice pipe to helmsman inside pilothouse
along with very fiddly circular rail and access stairway
All circumferential deck-edge railings ( using over-etched ( ergo thinner) old WEM Koenig PE )

have now been installed...

more on that next time also


regards

JIM B

Speechless.
As usual.

Best regards from this side

Willie.

Nice challenge! It is complicated this gantry.

The davits are very nice.

Indeed. Thinking how I am struggling in a much larger scale ...

Another late reply. You might try monofilament tippet line. Many sporting goods sites carry it. It's used for fly fishing and clear stuff can be tinted by pulling it under a marker or Sharpie in the color of your choice. Here is a link to a chart with diameters. I have seen it as small as 9X.

https://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/how-to-a ... pet-chart/

HTH

(wrong page)

seems like a long absence alas -( almost 1 month !!! )

alas real life and 1:1 scale business as well as unusually good classic car driving weather..( )
has conspired to distract me from the model ...

- only small steps-- but it IS coming together....
In the last update I had fitted the upright stanchions on the upper bridge and was contemplating how to make the additional canvas screens

I used the 0.047 mm Nitinol wire to ' frame ' it and then spanned the gaps with thinned white glue.
The effect is quite pleasing and satisfactory.



The aft accommodation ladder... I used the treads and grating platforms from a WEM Koenig PE set-- ( its WW1 German anyway !)
but the ( commendably fine!) handrails I was unable to use-- as the ladders on Vulkan had only a single rail

and the articulated stanchions on the outboard sides ( img )

I made new hand railings of nickelsilver wire to try and get close to the real thing

a hinged platform and a stowed accommodation ladder was espied in photos--made and added.
I noticed there was an additional skylight-- aft starboard only ( in this image)
and it IS shown on the plan ...!
So I made one !
The small sea boat which will be slung on the stb davits needed a wooden coaming panel adding
I used black gummed paper cut into thin strips, this was later painted a dull brown


The large pulling boat on the port-side was seen in images often to be suspended from the davits above the cradles
so is mine now-- ( though I still need to finish the rigging and paint the falls)
The navlight boxes were made of paper and brass and added after painting--they are still to receive their lanterns

2 x winches were made ( these operate the huge long fwd booms- not yet fitted)
There was a gangplank suspended midships across the void between two hulls
==> giving a short-cut rather than going 'around the ends...'

I made this item using some Torpedo net shelving ( sort of planked look )
and rails added to the sides


I reasoned that if the vessel was going to the open sea ( albeit the last trip !)
--then it was likely that the gangplank
would have been lowered to the deck and stowed... - it is now!
=====================================================================

Following on from Wefalck's research and findings about the undisciplined crew, the generally poor and neglected condition of the vessel having been laid up unused since the submarine school was disbanded in 1917...

and much inspired by the staggeringly fast appearance of rust on surfaces, hull rust leaching and streaking on a current-and-in-service RN ship,...(!)
( spotted on a recent boat-trip tour of Portsmouth Harbour...

and much encouraged ( and egged on!) by Maarten Schoenfeld

.....Observers of this build over the years will notice that the appearance of old and fresh
rust blisters and streaks has increased considerably in recent weeks...

More soon

JIM B

Excellent!

The ageing is perfect!

Really fine work. All those details make it POP!

Being in the assembly phase myself - fit two, break one, I can really appreaciate this delicate work ...

and much encouraged ( and egged on!) by Maarten Schoenfeld

based on the condition report from the captain of the cruiser SMS Regensburg, who was in charge of the tow operation...

Apologies, if this link to a YouTube video has been posted here before:

https://youtu.be/0X2Dz6PA1rQ

Ignore some of the commentary, which doesn't seem to be so well-informed.

well now...
hello again from drought ridden England !

long time no postings alas...

VERY very non-stop hot weather ( for UK) and a sun-drenched model-room,
made for impossible/ uncomfortable work at bench...
coupled with classic cars, overwork, trying to get ready to retire and a Holiday..

HOWEVER--there has been some progress--albeit all small steps--
but the overall picture is coming together..-I think!

the ' extra' hatch has been cleaned up and installed

The small seaboat that last time seen was having its coaming installed of gummed tape,
is now suspended from davits and strapped in readiness for its onward journey...

quite a number of the davits have been rigged,
spars and booms made and installed

the spars have a fixed cable to keep elevation
and running rigging for raising the spar and block and tackle hoists
Almost all of the boats were landed at an earlier time
aside from the large pulling boat port-side and the sea boat stb aft

All the other boat positions and davits were left unused and
the heavy tackles hooked at the base of the davit mountings
The pulling boat rigging has been been painted and the boat adjusted
The searchlight platform on its spindly legs and the tricky tapered railing has been installed
some items , tapered -- the function of which I have not been able to identify, have been made and installed x 4
any ideas?
I am looking forward to loosing all the shiny spots and glue marks with a coat of matt varnish to homogenise it all somewhat.
new update soonish !

JIM B

WOW, Beyond perfection! Coming along beautifully!

The aging and the details are remarkable, you would think you were there. But without neglecting the artistic side of the thing.

Getting ready to retire, sounds like a nice plan. You'll be able to build all day and spoil us with pictures all day long!

Good to see you're still working on the Vulkan, love the weathering job.

This model abounds in intricate details and the weathering is so realistic.
What a joy it is to follow the genesis of this wonderful diorama!
I don't regret (you probably do) that it takes so long - the enjoyment is protracted that way!

Good to see progress again - I gather we all have suffered a bit from this summer's heat, me just back from a month in Valencia, where the thermometre rarely fell below 26�C, even just before sun-rise. I gather, we are all now getting back into our past-time habits.

Retirement preparations sound good - would have been due now myself, but postponed it a bit with lots of interesting project running and still not feeling that old