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I'm trying to do some delicate rigging for the O'Brien - basically, the idea is the ship tied up to a pier and offloading cargo. I've opened hatches 3 and 5 and want to set the booms up for a yard-and-stay onto the pier. I had originally made the roller blocks from scratch (they're a bit too large but easier to handle)...but the way I had to mount them to the heads and feet of the booms was too fragile, so I've decide to try using the "pulley" blocks from the GMM P/E set.....does anyone have a successful method of attaching those microscopic blocks to the booms, in such a way as I'd be able to run rigging thread through them?
I just started installing the pulleys on my O'Brien. Each pulley has a eyelet at one end which I use to tie the pulley to the derrick. How close you want the pulley to the end of the dirrick is set by how much slack you leave in the line you use to tie the pulley to the boom. The GGM install sheet states that you tie the pulleys to the derricks via the eye bolts. If the pulleys are assemble correctly there is enough space to run thread through them, I use fine EZ line. Go slow.
I found trying to run thread through the PE blocks very frustrating. The thread keeps being caught on the edges of the block. I ended up cutting each thread to approximate length and gluing them in separately. In a few cases I left enough thread on the other side of the block to put the thread through a hole in the mast or boom that I drilled with a small drill.
Don Stauffer in Minnesota
Don, thanks for the tip...those PE blocks are made by Commies who want to take over our brains! I've tried several ways to at least half-way be authentic and it just ain't gonna happen for me. I tried Gorilla gluing the blocks together the cutting the strap in two to glue to a padeye I attached to the heads of the booms - alas, the blocks came apart every time!!! Now I'm going back to my original plan of making separate blocks from styrene and attaching them to the padeyes. If someone out there has been able to successfully attach those blocks to the booms I'll buy him/her a beer.
I'm guessing you are trying to do the step in the left middle here:
Maybe you could try taking your piece of wire that forms the axis and bending it at 90 degrees (cut it extra long). Then tape on side down with the other sticking straight up. Slide the first pulley part down, then apply a drop of CA around the wire and slide the next piece down on the wire axis so as to sit on the CA drop. Then add another drop and and another piece and so on. At each pause, lay the piece of EZ line or whatever you are using for rigging inside the spindle after it's dry before adding the next piece, that way it's pre-threaded. If you have multiple pulleys making blocks and tackle, you could run the line around and around as you build up the blocks if you are carefu about it. Good luck!
Groot
"Firing flares while dumping fuel may ruin your day" SH-60B NATOPS
Groot,
That is exactly how I made the heavy pulleys, also there are two grooves where to bend to form the pulley this will develop the loop you see in the picture. If you just bend the pulley to glue it together the eyepad becomes very narrow making it really hard to slip a line through it. The groves are really hard to see without magnification. Good thing GMM gives you extras because I didn't notice the grooves until my third pulley. I also used CA for glue, very thin.
Was that a successful attempt? If not, I may need to invest in a microscope, some carrots, and smaller tweezers before I start my 1/350 Nimitz! I'll admit, this is intimidating!
My major problem has been attaching the pulleys to the booms...initially, I made the pulleys as per GMM instructions, using Gorilla Glue to glue the spacers and pulley halves together. Then I glued small styrene padeyes to the booms - the smaller booms got three padeyes: one on each side for the vangs and one for the cargo whip...didn't need one for the topping lift cuz there's one there already). I intended to cut the loop created when the pulley is bent over, then glue the pulley to the padeye. Everything went well until I severed the loop and tried to attach it to the padeye - every single one came apart! The super glue was new and there was sufficient time for it to dry. So now I'm back to fabricating my own pulleys out of styrene and doing the same procedure, except with plastic instead of the P/E. I didn't even mess with the two jumbo booms, as the photos I've seen of O'Brien, they weren't rigged at all. I don't know if you're aware of this, but FineArt Models.com website has a fantastic Victory ship and I've been using those pics to guide me, in addition to my first-hand knowledge of marine cargo rigs.
Ahh, that sounds much more difficult. Are the booms made of PE or plastic? I am wondering if you could somehow make a loop (through the top of the pulley) and then thread both pieces up through a small hole, tie a knot with both pieces and let the width of the knot hold it in place. I tried to look online at the instructions I found, but the image of the booms is too small to read the text.
For super glue, do you use accelerator? I usually use it and it works great for me.
Just thought I'd post a picture of my build from a few years ago to show how much rigging there is on the O'Brien.
What a superb model! Mr. Stauffer is quite correct in reminding us that a twentieth-century cargo vessel has a LOT of rigging - and much of it is numbingly repetetitious. But the results speak for themselves.
Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.
Don, that's one helluva rigging job...came out really nice. Maybe you could post some close-ups?
retdfeuerwehr Don, that's one helluva rigging job...came out really nice. Maybe you could post some close-ups?
Okay, here are three views close up of the rigging. It doesn't look that great that close, but my camera can really get close in there! Much closer than my eye can focus!
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