any ideas on how to make cage masts?

The easy solution would be to see if you can pick up a PE set in the same scale for another cage masted battle wagon.  Of course if your Texas is of an odd scale, or you don't like the constant cone angle which I think makes PE cage masts look just terrible compared to the graceful originals, you'll have to build your own.

I've been dabbling with a back conversion of Revell's USS Arizona to a 1916 fit, and have the same dilemma.  I was planning to try fine brass rod (wire really) and thread it together as is done on an actual cage mast.  The real trick will be to keep it straight and true.  I'llmake the round top out of plastic and the subsequent levels from brass bent around plastic forms. I'm thinking that I would need to make a jig support the top and keep it dead level and centered at height over the base ring.  Then be very careful with measurements, glue the individual wires to the top and the base ring.  After constructing he outer wire shell, the intermediate platforms could be installed, again being held up by a jig from underneath and lowering the cagmast over it.  Getting the ladders right may be quite challenging, but no more so than if building PE cage mast.  I have no idea if the above can be pulled up successfully, but it's my best thinking on it so far.

good luck

Andy

Bob Santos authored an article on his build of the Massachusetts that included his method of building a cage mast.   I think it was in Scale Models, and amy have also appeared in FSM.  [Jeff - check your archives].

IIRC, his method was very similar to that used on the 1:1 thing.   The rods are straight, not bent.  The rods go from 12  and 6 oclock to 3 and 9 oclock (for example).  As they are laid up they form the characteristic parabolic shape.  Step next set of rods by x degrees.

Toms Modelworks offers a 1:350 scale PE set with a cage mast.   Wrap the brass around apprpriately shaped mandrel.

Here's a book that has a chapter devoted to this type of construction.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0070368171/104-7878471-1555132

Phil

Here's a page I scanned for someone a while back.

It is out of a book called "Building Warship Models" by PC Coker III

scottmh59

hi im wanting to build a uss  texas the way she looked when comm. in 1914 w/ the cage masts.i cant seem to find any models w/ cage masts already built, so i am going to make them.any ideas on how i should go about doing this?   thank you in advance..

 Firstly, the cage mast consists of 48 absolutely straight tube (I use brass wire to represent those tubes). As other comments have afirmmed, 24 lean ledt and the other 24 lean right. Thus, a circle of 48 holes the diameter of the brass wire used forms the base. I use a central pivit under my drill press to insure the holes are on the same radius. A given tube (again, using wire) leans aboit 30 degrees to the upper platform and 90 degrees further around the circle. The next wire leans in the other direction to the upper 90 degree point. I support intermediate platforms such as searchlight mountings with a pair of dowels OUTSIDE the cage structure. A central dowel would get in the way of the 'chain link" decks that cross the interior of the mast (3 in the case of the TEXAS).

 

The upper "crows nest" at the top of the TEXAS cages is a simple bucket with an uphostlerd bench 270 degrees in diamete inside . A floor hatch  that is inside the bucket occupies the 'missing' 90 degress of the bench. Ladders run between the chain link decks inside the cage to this hatch.

 

At each lower intersection of the wires an inner and outter wire smaller in diameter than the vertical wires encircle the cage. An even smaller wire (I use delaminated strands from stranded wire for this) forms the clamp that holds the mast togather.. An extreamely light touch of solder seals the 'clamp' at each intersection. Higher up the mast some intersections do not have the inner and outter rings. Floating Drydock had plans of ths New Yory, which was TEXAS's sister ship. Use those for details.

 

I built TEXAS in 1/96th scale, so my job was easier. She sank on the second voyage due to water entering the casement gun ports.

http://www.3dmodelparts.com/1-700-cage-masts-for-big-five-colorado-tennessee-class-battleships/

Perhaps these can be adapted.

A couple of things. Zombie thread, although the updated info is useful, thanks for that.

I got a virus from the Umi imageshack posting, so I WOULD NOT open it.

Since this tread was resurrected, I'll take advantage and ask: has there been any word that has circulated on 3D cage masts in 1/350. It's been a couple of years since they hit in 1/700. Just wondering.