Anchor Chain Anyone

[timhinds1@cox.net]

I would llike to explore the wealth of experience here and see what methods you are using to make anchor chain. I have developed one by punching very small holes in a row I then "V" cut both sides between the punches leaving a small piece to keep it together. Then I carefully cut the points off close to the hole., coat it with super glue and then when dry, take two pairs of tweezers and tiwst 1/4 turn between every 2nd hold for two link chains. That is my method, what's yours? I would upload pics but my computer has suddenly stopped letting me send pictures. I don't know what is wrong. I have tried uploading to the site but it just crashes.

[cdavenport]

I use chain I purchased from a hobby shop. I really don't care that it is not paper.

[SCEtoAux]

Yep, whenever I make a paper model that requires some chain I get a cheap neck chain that is close to the proper scale and use it. There are all kinds of sizes out there that can be purchased for very little money. I even check yardsales sometimes.

I guess if you want to keep the model all paper hardening with CA and forming the chain is a good way to go.

[Teamski]

Yep, I used my daughter's broken cheapo necklace for my Hood.....

-Ski

[Elliott]

Same here. Cheap jewelry from the dollar store, Walmart, etc. Paint it and done. Never thought about making one from paper. Your method sounds interesting. Post some pics when you can.

[sakrison]

Cheap jewelry from KMart, et al.

[logicman]

For oval links, try 2 or more layers of 'J' pieces, with staggered joins, as I've tried to show below, 1st pic.

On the other hand, paperchains might be considered something for purists,
or celebrations!

[redhorse]

Thanks for the cheap necklace tips, I would never have thought of that and they look pretty good. I was about to go see if I couldn't find some anchor chain at my hobby shop, but Wal-Mart's a lot closer

[B-Manic]

I have tried to make proper stud link anchor chain several times without any sucess. You can buy it pretty cheap online from various craft places.

ie. 6mm Decorative Anchor chain:Bronze/SP/GP/Pink Product :: Craft-box.com

[SEBRET]

I have a question. I know its off topic, but i figure it's better to ask in this thread than make another one. I'm setting up to start a 1/75 scale of the USS Missouri (upscale from the GPM1/200). I did a little math, and the railing should come out to about 2.5 cm tall, which gives me a lot of room for detail. I was thinking of actually building each post and stringing them all to simulate actual chain, proly cheap cheap small scale jewelry chain. I have a couple of issues though.

One- I don't really know what the railing looks like up close, and i haven't been able to find pics of the railings.

Two, i don't really know what i want to do for the railing posts, metal, dowels, etc.

I was wondering what your ideas were. It sounds a bit over my head (it's my first ship model) but once i get all my other projects done, im going full force on this, and i want to be as realistic as possible, so running some kind of chain for the railings would be very interesting i think.

[sakrison]

Here are some details from photos I took aboard the USS North Carolina last summer. They show a couple different types of stanchions. As I recall, most of the rail was threaded with cable, not chain, though some sections did use chain.

Maybe there's an old salt in the crowd who can shed some light on this. It might be that chain was used on deck sections where the rail needed to be dropped for action or other purposes.

NC-4-87: Three types of rail visible here: welded rail on the gun tub in the foreground, cable-only on the mid-deck, and cable and netting on the main deck. Note the diagonal bracing on the stanchion at the end of this section of rail. I believe (not sure) there's a ladder just to the left of the photo, leading down from the mid-deck. I wonder if the netting is for the benefit of landlubbers and their rugrats, or if it was used when the ship was in service. It's a long way to the water.

NC-4-144: Rail abeam the #2 Main battery. I wonder if the odd-looking, hefty stanchions here are meant to support some kind of transfer apparatus for loading shells and charges from shore to ship.

NC-4-148: Rail adjacent to a Bofors gun tub on the main deck. The object on the left is the gun director. Here they use chain.

NC-4-148a: Just aft of NC-04-148; that's the same Bofors gun director to the right and a block on the left. We're back to cable.

Looks as though you have your work cut out for you. My suggestion would be to plan a visit to the Missouri (at Pearl Harbor) or one of her sister ships--the Iowa, at San Francisco, or the Wisconsin () at Norfolk, VA. If you go to Norfolk, I highly recommend a side trip to Wilmington, NC to visit the USS North Carolina. The Iowa and Wisconsin are still in USN registry and their public tours are deck tours only. The NC is decommissioned and the tour takes you through nearly all of the ship. We were there last August. There's no AC aboard the ship, so it was warm below decks, but well-ventilated.

It's a fascinating trip, well worth the time.

Cheers,
--David

[SEBRET]

well, there is definitely a variety isn't there? i guess i'll have to come up with a compromise design for most of them to make it easier to produce them all in this lifetime. Thanks for the info.

[sakrison]

Originally Posted by SEBRET

well, there is definitely a variety isn't there? i guess i'll have to come up with a compromise design for most of them to make it easier to produce them all in this lifetime. Thanks for the info.

I'm guessing that if you build the Missouri in 1/75 scale, a few compromises in the railings won't be what most people notice--but that's just a guess.
Happy sailing.
--David

[SEBRET]

just for laughs, what do you think the make or break part is gonna center on for a 1/75 model? as in, what could be my utter downfall?

[Fishcarver]

Gents:

There is supposedly a State home for serious inebriates ( members of the former regime, of course) on the outskirts of Moscow that specializes in the weaving of paper anchor chains for cardmodels.

Otherwise, hit a good hobby shop, or an el cheapo (ask no questions-get no lies) jewellery store.

Check this out: http://www.boatmodelling.com/accesories

Jim