Ship raailings

[barry]

Just for starters I use this template to produce railings it's 1/200th scale you also need some

popsickle sticks wide enough to stick the railing pattern to.
A cheap soldering iron
solder
solder flux
pre tinned copper wire (you can tin your own)
a heavy duty Stanley knife
a piece of flat metal to cut against when trimming off the excess with the knife.

Make sure that the pattern is stuck parallel to side of the popsicle stick. Now carefully cut notches in line with stanchions the more time and effort you spend on this will pay off in speed and looks of the final job.

Back later with some pics.

[B-Manic]

Thanks Barry

[Clashster]

Thanks, Barry! Now to gather the materials and go back and finish my ship model!

Chris

[barry]

I forgot you will need a pair of pliers

I normally use 29 swg (.20Kg) wire but this will be used for Tarawa's loading dock. Pull out a length of wire that will fit the length of your stick plus enough to tuck under at the ends give a good pull with the pliers so it stretches slightly and then twist the pliers so the wire "remembers" it is supposed to stay straight. Repeat for the number of rails + 1 to stick down to the model.




Lay the 4 wires along the template and nip the ends tight. Cut another long length of wire (use the pliers again)and wrap it round the stick using the notches to line up the stanchion posts. You have to eyeball for straight lines, wind a few then use your thumb nail to line them up. If you have not cut enough wire just start another length. When you are happy it looks good just go down the length and nip each joint to ensure good contact for the solder.



Front



Back



Now hold the stick with an old pair of pliers because it all gets b****dy hot.

Put plenty of Flux on the wire joints clean the iron with flux as well add a very little blob of solder to the iron and chase it down the rails with the iron if the solder pools into one of the segments you can usually move it out with a quick poke with the iron. If not use a solder sucker the vacuum tube with a nozzle on the end you sort of push down the piston reheat the solder put the nozzle close to the solder blob then release it and it sucks up the excess. If you are as dumb as me this takes a bit of practice

Having got the solder to flow and stick the joints together give each joint a good poke with a screwdriver or something if any of them move then add flux and do it again.

Satisfied then turn it all over and cut through the wires at the back and unpeel one side. If one stanchion is still loose you should be able to do that one again with the iron.

All OK seperate the other side.

Flatten out the rails turn the rails onto the stanchion side on your piece of metal and carefully cut off the excess using the Stanley knife blade DO NOT USE sidecutters they leave nasty edges. The metal tray is a great shrapnel stopper keeps my wife happy.

Wash the rails to get rid of the flux in cold water.

This makes 4 rails using the 4th rail to stick to the deck if I was making 3 rails with legs I would move the 4th rail down a little and use that to cut the legs exactly to length.

You use this method with a bit of thought of depth charge racks, gantries some times you have to make half the part then cut some bits away and add more see HMS Norfolk.

I hope this makes sense if not please feel free to ask.

regards

[Golden Bear]

Thank you very very much, Barry! This is all so simple when you explain it. I'll need to try this one. Do you have a suggestion for the wire gauge for 1:250?



Carl

[barry]

Hi Carl

I think I would still use 29 guage when it's sprayed in the right colour it barely shows the difference any thinner and my hands would have trouble with it. Of course your hands can probably handle finer stuff maybe down to 25-27.

regards

barry

(If you can't solder properly tie it down so it can't drop off motto for the day)

[Gil]

Barry,

Three gold stars on a tutorial well done and thanks! Nice trick on strain setting the wire, works a trick that. Now for a radar antenna using the same treatment...,

Best regards,

-Gil

[barry]

Thanks Gil

Radars take a copy of the flat pattern which I then glue to a piece of thick card or laminate because I am clumsy I use a strip of double sided sticky tape to hold the main outline in place then add the cross bars again nip them together and solder them up. Then I glue the assembly to a strip of metalised ribbon let it dry, trim off the excess and spray it with car undercoat which somehow does not clog up the mesh. Then bend it to shape. Most ship board bits can be done this way of course if you really can solder bits together this will have you rolling off your chair laughing.

The punch line is huge reels of wire can be had for a couple of pounds.