Chain

Thanks for the info, guys.

I vaguely recalled a style/ design difference between the chain used on naval vessels vs. what may be available in a store but couldn't recall until I accessed a photo of a WWII German warship.

I'll still use the chain I bought for the old Tirpitz kit as it is not intended for a contest build.

I just don't like molded on chains.

The websites of suppliers and info about chain used on ships will help a lot in the future as I hope to pick up a larger scale ship model at the November swap meet if I can buy at a good price.

I have found several styles of chain at Michaels- some are flat just like the stuff from ME and Bluejacket.  It is not barred, but otherwise looks fine.

GMM makes that stuff, as does Tom's.

All the same and with respect to others, I have found jewelry store chain to be the one thing that is most critisized on my models.First, anchor chain never has a twist. Second, it is often barred.

I generally now leave the cast on stuff alone.

More about this soon- the Ting Yuen I am rigging has chain stack stays.

IIRC, US chain is sized by "wire size" meaning the mean diameter as if the link were bent into shape.  Again, IIRC, a BB might use 8 or10" wire size studded links.  The links themselves would be about 20-24" wide and about 36" long (for our metric friends, diameter of 20cm; width 55-65cm, length ±1m)

A DD use a 2-4" wire size chain, with links about three wire diameters wide and five long.

Stud link chain has a somewhat elliptical shape, and not a long oval.  The shape needs to be short enough to wrap around a winch drum or sheave.

Memory is offering up that there is a site that makes either laser-cut, or cast stud link chain to scale, and in quite tiny dimension.  Which site that is, is buried in my Favorites somewhere.   I will try to dig that out and respond here.

While I used to buy from either Model Expo or Bluejacket, and still buy most of my fittings at those places, it is so handy, for chain, to just pop over to my local Michaels.  For sizing, if the kit has molded on chain that you are replacing, that is used to size the chain.  If no chain to go by, I eyeball it, being aware of what the features around the winches and hawse pipes are sized like.

size depends on the scale you are building in and what you are using it for.

Try this link.

http://www.castyouranchorhobby.com/index.php?sid=6405350495427y0t23fnls44lt1ki6p5&app=ecom&ns=prodsearchp&ecom--prodsearch--string=chain

or Bluejacket which seems to be cheaper.

http://www.bluejacketinc.com/fittings/fittings29.htm