Model Boat Mayhem
Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips => Detail Work, Rigging, Fittings, Figures Etc. => Topic started by: polaris on October 04, 2007, 09:43:40 am
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Dear All,
Does anyone know where I can get hold of 1:96 oars and the strapping that's used to secure Launches, whalers, etc. to RN vessels please?
Tried looking from time to time but haven't seen anywhere yet.
Regards, Bernard
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I would have a play around with some wooden cocktail sticks with cartridge paper blades inserted into slots cut in the end. Paint the blades white and varnish the shaft.
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Bernard,
The white retaining straps for ships boats can be made easily from thin strips of plasticard.
This can be cut from a sheet or bought from a specialist craft/model shop/online supplier.
Bob
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Thankyou both for your replies.
One destroyer I have has some excellent oars than can only have been factory made... the idea of having to make such tiny things to the degree of accuracy I want is a touch daunting!
Bob, your method gives me another idea, indeed one that I have used very satisfactorily with setting up flags. I will find some 'scrap' silk, and lightly wet with old superglue, then cut into lengths with the guillotine as rqd., I can then lightly apply white paint.
Regards, Bernard
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A method I have used at 1:150th scale was to find some soft round wire with a diameter the shank of the oar, cut to the length of the oar and then flatten the blade area by placing it between two plates of metal and bashing with a hammer. Might be worth a punt!
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hi there all,
What you could do, do as Colin says and make your oar out of wire, flatten one end to produce the blade - once you are satisfied with that, you could press it into some Plasticine several times to make several moulds. You could then cast them using resin. The only downside is, they would be very very fragile, but still worth a try. However, you wouldnt win the Oxford boat race using these :D
aye
john e
bluebird
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20 or 30 thou Evergreen rod, splat the end with a hammer carefully and hey presto! simply cut to required length, away ya go! ;)
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Dear All,
Thankyou all for the very useful advice. I have been over what I have already literally with a magnifying glass, and can say the following:-
Bunkerbarge you are quite right.
Bob, this is exactly what has been done with HMS Kelly.
John & Paul, quite right and makes sence.
Thankyou again all for taking the trouble to point me in the right direction, and I will be using what has been suggested.
Regards, Bernard
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Instead of bashing it with a hammer, why not squeeze it in a vice and just round off the ends with a file. If the oars are going to be in a boat then remember that the blades are at the forward end, but that the "steering" oar (the long one with the white blade) has the blade at the after end.BY.
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Ah, then I've got mine the wrong way round then! I presume there is a practical reason for having the oars stored that way. Could you enlighten me on that please Bryan?
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I would hazard a guess that it is simply easier to sort them out in a hurry if every one knows which ones are which. Don't forget it could be in the dark, ship sinking, under fire etc... etc...
Some of the fundamentals of training for such eventualities is having your equipment in a familiar manner to enable the fastest possible deployment.
In a similar manner fire fighters store thier suits in such a way as to enable them to get it on as fast as possible. On the ship the boots are placed on the deck and the trousers are placed over them with the legs over the boots and then rolled down to the floor, exposing the open tops of the boots. In this way you simply place your feet in the boots and pull the trousers up so you have your heavy fire suit trousers and very heavy fire boots on in a matter of a couple of seconds.
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I supply w/m 1/96 oars for RN pulling boats------ johnrhaynes.shipmodels@virgin.net
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Dear John,
Thanks for info., I will add to my finishing off list!
Hope you both keep well,
Regards, Bernard
p.s. Belfast progresses well.
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The query re. "little oars" has got my little brain working again. I tend to use small bore alloy and flatten the ends into blades..not forgetting a short piece of wire in the inboard end as a handgrip for the rowers pulling arm. I may have mentioned rowlocks before, but it might bear repeating.I generally build at 1:48, but have experimented with the following method at 1:96 and it works.
5 amp fuse wire twisted into a "T" shape, the top of the "T" being bent into a suitable "U" shape. Seal the whole thing up with superglue and when dry trim off the top of the "U" leaving the tail of the "T" intact for now. Paint it (steel, black or white). The paint disguises the wire twists. Remember that the rowlocks go into a metal plate on top of the gunwale at a convenient distance beyond the oarsman!
But it was'nt just the oars that got me thinking. If you are going to build open lifeboats there is a lot of other stuff to go in there.
As "Bunkerbarge" correctly says, everything has its place...particularly in the days when seafarers realised the importance of this discipline. This next is what boats had to be equipped with ...most of it still applies today:-
1. A full single banked complement of oars, 2 spare oars, a steering oar, a rudder and a tiller arm, a boat hook and one and a half sets of crutches (rowlocks).
2.Two plugs for each plughole, a baler (looks like a round bottomed saucepan) and 2 buckets.
3. A line becketed round the outside of the boat. Bilge keels with grab lines from gunwale to gunwale under the keel.
4. A mast with galvanised wire stays and orange coloured sails ( although the "orange" was more usually a russet colour).
5. An efficient compass with means of illumination.
6. A sea-anchor, 2 painters.(one secured forward with a strop and toggle and the other firmly secured to the stem of the boat. (There is a good reason for this that I can explain if required). 2 heaving lines, 2 hatchets and one gallon of oil in a container that can be attached to the sea anchor.
7. Six red hand flares, 2 red parachute flares, 2 smoke floats (orange smoke).
8. An oil lamp with enough oil to burn for 12 hours, 2 boxes of matches, an electric torch with spare batteries and bulbs and a heliograph.
9. A jack-knife with built-in tin opener. A hand pump and a dipper. (a small tin cup on a bit of cord).
10. A waterproof 1st aid kit.
All items not stowed in lockers are to be secured within the boat except for the boat hook. (Never quite worked out why that should be!). There is also the question of water and "rations". Makes one wonder how there is any space for people! I seem to recall that each person is allocated 2 sq.ft. of "bum room". BY.
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That's a very helpful checklist Bryan. I've printed it out for my hints and tips box,
Thanks, Colin