# miniature ship models scale 1" to 100ft.



## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

I modelled in this scale for many years but owing to development of "rheumy" joints in left hand I upped my working scale to 1" to 75ft ....an odd scale some might say but just makes things a little easier for me. 

I am currently making a model of the P & O liner Viceroy of India. It is a straight forward construction job BUT as always I find gravity davits an absolute pain and would say that they are impossible to model accurately to scale. I therefore made a compromise and am happy that as seen from the outboard side of the boatdeck they look OK. 
It occured to me that anyone standing on the boatdeck on one my models might be apprehensive at the prospect of an order to abondon ship!!

I would like to ask if anyone, modelling in these miniature scales, has any comment re. the best way to make these davits.
Thanks.
Pete


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Hello Pete,

How about post a few photos in Model Gallery?

I think you might to make davits in very thin, but strong.... plastic? 

Stephen


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

Hello Stephen, Yes, good idea, will get some pics. organized.

Thin plastic is not suitable at all...very difficult to work with. I am currently experimenting with the very thin steel wire that mini- paper staples are made from. When bent and/or radiused it retains shape. Making a one off to an acceptable profile is no problem but hand making multiples to exactly the same dimensions certainly is. A jig is the answer of course and I have been looking at ways and means of coping with the tiny pieces of wire involved.

Pete


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

pete8 said:


> Hello Stephen, Yes, good idea, will get some pics. organized.
> 
> Thin plastic is not suitable at all...very difficult to work with. I am currently experimenting with the very thin steel wire that mini- paper staples are made from. When bent and/or radiused it retains shape. Making a one off to an acceptable profile is no problem but hand making multiples to exactly the same dimensions certainly is. A jig is the answer of course and I have been looking at ways and means of coping with the tiny pieces of wire involved.
> 
> Pete




How about making a small die? Or make a mold and pour some lead? Might be easier... especially so may davits to do!


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## DURANGO (Aug 22, 2005)

I have built ships in bottles for over 50 years and I find the best way to make railings or any thing similar is to use thread and paint it with wood glue then you can bend it to the shape you require you may have to do this a few times but it does work best regards Dave .


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

Hi Stephen, Home made castings are not possible owing to the tiny dimensions of the davits.....the piece representing the guide is barely 0.5 mm .No doubt Airfix or some firm making plastic kits would injection mould them but even then........!
Regards
Pete


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

Thanks for reply Durango....yes, used to use gummed thread in the model railway days....fences etc. Worked well too. I recall that cotton thread was always better than the "modern" ones such as polyester etc. Must be something to do with absorbancy. 
I had not hitherto thought about this for the wee ships but can't see why it wouldn't work.... always enjoy experimenting so will give it a try.

I was ship modelling during my time afloat and did once or twice try a bottled ship but with little success I'm afraid. 
With Regards
Pete


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## DURANGO (Aug 22, 2005)

pete8 said:


> Thanks for reply Durango....yes, used to use gummed thread in the model railway days....fences etc. Worked well too. I recall that cotton thread was always better than the "modern" ones such as polyester etc. Must be something to do with absorbancy.
> I had not hitherto thought about this for the wee ships but can't see why it wouldn't work.... always enjoy experimenting so will give it a try.
> 
> I was ship modelling during my time afloat and did once or twice try a bottled ship but with little success I'm afraid.
> ...


 Wood glue is what I use, different 
thickness of thread for different pieces I make my deck cannons out of thread also my davits, again building bottled ships we have to be able to accept that it will at times go wrong but if we carry on we can all get it right I was taught by an old bosun aboard the Royal mail ship Durango but the best input I ever had was from a marine artist who when I proudly showed him my work he in a very nice way tore it to pieces my chin was on the deck when he finished I could not wait to get stuck back in I completely altered my way of working and I would say to anyone thinking of any type of model ship building get in touch with a marine artist,s it,s from them you will learn the finer points best regards Dave .


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

Hi Dave, I can imagine the discipline involved in constructing a ship in bottle project......my own failure was owing to lack of this : I didn't abandon my ships, just the bottles!! One of my shipmates perservered with a barque in a miniature spirit bottle. Of course the main fore and aft standing rigging was represented but he also included a few braces and I have been trying to recall what he used for the rigging. I know he did experiment with "filaments" of rubber solution but without much success.
In those days there was no wood PVA wood glue or superglue and , as you would have done, we used balsa cement and even worse, seccotine or something like that.
Best Regards
Pete


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## Prestonian (Dec 12, 2009)

I work in 1/700 scale, slightly bigger than yours, mainly because etched brass items for such things as davits and railings are commercially available. Unfortunately there is nothing available at your scale and it would not be financially viable to get a custom made set done for one project unless you could persuade someone to add a set for you onto another project.


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

Hi Prestonian, Thank you for your signal , I had wondered about this idea but came to the conclusion that it would not be practical based on my output which amounts to 3 or so models per year.(perhaps one 1 in 3 with gravities) Even then, I have to say that I really have no idea what would be regarded as a commercial "run" but could be pretty huge.. Radials cause no problem at all.

In the meantime, I am still enjoying myself trying to perfect some easy method of replicating sets of gravities which would not offend a chap on a galloping horse. Have to be on the quayside though!!
Regards
Pete.


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## caledonia2006 (May 28, 2012)

Can you post a photo of what you are looking for please. Derek


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

I have been attempting to post pics but have run up against some technical hitch to do with my images (JPEG) being over-sized by a mb or two. Efforts to resize have not been successful. I had help from the Moderators but haven't yet been able to progress. Pete


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## caledonia2006 (May 28, 2012)

pete8 said:


> I have been attempting to post pics but have run up against some technical hitch to do with my images (JPEG) being over-sized by a mb or two. Efforts to resize have not been successful. I had help from the Moderators but haven't yet been able to progress. Pete


Don't know if this has any bearing on your photo posting problem, but the only time I have a problem is when I tried to post 'portrait', the forum only seems to accept 'landscape' photos. Derek


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

*Image of S.S ORION*

Having another attempt to attach image.
Pete


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## DURANGO (Aug 22, 2005)

pete8 said:


> Hi Dave, I can imagine the discipline involved in constructing a ship in bottle project......my own failure was owing to lack of this : I didn't abandon my ships, just the bottles!! One of my shipmates perservered with a barque in a miniature spirit bottle. Of course the main fore and aft standing rigging was represented but he also included a few braces and I have been trying to recall what he used for the rigging. I know he did experiment with "filaments" of rubber solution but without much success.
> In those days there was no wood PVA wood glue or superglue and , as you would have done, we used balsa cement and even worse, seccotine or something like that.
> Best Regardsete


Seccotine was that a brown coloured glue if so I always use to use that and putty for the sea


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

It was certainly a brown colour and something like treacle in consistancy,,,,, I do believe that it developed from animal skin glues ....rabbit. Excellent for furniture making but messy on models. 
Interested that you used it for sea effects with putty. Did you mix it with the putty?.


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## Dartskipper (Jan 16, 2015)

Hi Pete,

I think Seccotine was a fish glue. Rabbit Skin glue crystals are available in the "Liberon" brand of wood finishing products.
I don't do as much model making these days, but I use PVA type adhesives for wood models as it dries clear, and is easy to clean up.

Regards,
Roy.


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## pete8 (Sep 20, 2006)

Yes, you're right Roy, fish glue it is. There's quite a bit about it on Wikipedia. I didn't know that rabbit skin glue was still available.....now that was smelly stuff.
Regards
Pete


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## Shipbuilder (Jun 30, 2005)

Here are some gravity davits on _Glenmoor_ built to a scale of 32 feet to 1 inch. I used brass channel, soldered.
Bob


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