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Anchor Chain needed for 1/350th Arizona

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  • Member since
    November 2005
Anchor Chain needed for 1/350th Arizona
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 23, 2005 10:18 AM
I need an anchor chain for my 1/350th scale USS Arizona. Can someone give me an idea of what I should be looking for (specification wise) or a website to order from?

Thanks,
Jesse
  • Member since
    January 2003
Posted by Jeff Herne on Monday, May 23, 2005 1:08 PM
Basically, any oval shaped (flat) chain will work, but you can get chain in varying sizes (and links per inch) from Floating Drydock. www.floatingdrydock.com

Jeff
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Monday, May 23, 2005 2:34 PM
Two other good sources of brass chain are Bluejacket ( www.bluejacketinc.com ) and Model Expo ( www.modelexpo-online.com ). Between them, the three can supply just about any size chain you could possibly want.

There's more than one way to look at this problem. I've always had mixed emotions about removing molded plastic anchor chains and replacing theme with metal ones. The big problem with metal chain on this scale is that, to my knowledge, nobody makes stud link chain of the right size. (Stud link chain has links with cross pieces - sort of like a figure 8. The cross stud has nothing to do with strength; it just makes it harder for the chain to get jammed up in the chain locker. That's why stud link chain is rarely used for any purpose other than anchor chains.) Some of the better plastic kits have integrally-molded anchor chains that, though they're only cast in relief, are more realistically shaped than the brass stuff. A careful paint job can make such molded chain look pretty convincing.

Every once in a while I see some decorative chain on a jewelry counter in a mall that could pass for stud link. My wife has a pair of reading glasses with a chain that sort of looks like that, in fact - but it's far too big for 1/350 scale. Bluejacket makes cast britannia metal stud links for larger scales. Gold Medal Models has a photo-etched set of stud link anchor chains on 1/700 scale. (To my eye those look marginal on 1/700. Apparently Mr. Perry, who runs GMM, agrees; he doesn't offer a set on 1/350.) And at least one of the Skywave 1/700 injection-molded detail parts sets includes some lengths of chain molded onto small slabs of plastic. The modeler slices the chain off with a razor blade and applies it to the model. Clever - and not bad looking.

If I were working on a 1/350 scale Arizona I'd think twice about replacing the anchor chains. The brass stuff might be a clear improvement - but it might not.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Monday, May 23, 2005 10:23 PM
I tried some of the Tom's Model Works anchor chain from his Liberty ship set on my 1/700 Victory ship, and I do think it looks better than the smooth castings that were there. Especially after I bored out holes for both ends of the chain and ran it up over the capstan.
An yes, I know, it's flat instead of being 3-D, but at that size, who's going to be able to tell unless they put their nose right up to the thing?
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Monday, May 23, 2005 10:38 PM
All this involves a considerable amount of personal taste. I'm inclined to agree with mfsob about photo-etched stud link chain - on 1/700 scale. Especially on something like a Liberty ship, with its relatively short runs of chain on deck. I don't think I've ever seen a 1/350 model with photo-etched anchor chain, but I'm inclined to think the "flatness" would be pretty obvious on the larger scale.

Seems like it wouldn't be impossible for one of those photo-etching companies to give us a set of individual stud links on 1/350. They could be done the same way Bluejacket does its 1/192 and 1/96 ones: an intact link, which the modeler would slit open with the tip of an Xacto knife, interlock with its neighbor, and squeeze shut again. For a battleship, with a huge run of chain stretching all over the forecastle deck, making up the necessary lengths would be quite an exercise. But for a destroyer or other smaller vessel it seems like making up chain link-by-link wouldn't be impracticable. Certainly no more so than those hundreds of individual track links that the modern armor modelers take for granted.

Just rambling. If I were building such a kit I'd try several approaches to the anchor chain problem. And I wouldn't rule out the possibility of using the kit manufacturer's integrally-molded chain, with the help of a careful paint job.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: 37deg 40.13' N 95deg 29.10'W
Posted by scottrc on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 9:06 AM
I just look through my wife's jewelry boxLaugh [(-D]

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: South Carolina
Posted by torybear on Friday, May 27, 2005 11:29 AM
You might want to look in the railroad hobby section. They have different size chains and I have used these on some of my models. Not an exact replica, but close enough for my confort. I think there are some of the photo-etch companies that are not offering photo-etched chain links.
  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Kincheloe Michigan
Posted by Mikeym_us on Sunday, May 29, 2005 10:48 AM
and also look at the wooden model boat sections as well since they sell anchor chains and I picked a couple up that would work well on my Tirpiz.

On the workbench: Dragon 1/350 scale Ticonderoga class USS BunkerHill 1/720 scale Italeri USS Harry S. Truman 1/72 scale Encore Yak-6

The 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron the only Squadron to get an Air to Air kill and an Air to Ground kill in the same week with only a F-15   http://photobucket.com/albums/v332/Mikeym_us/

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Tehachapi, Ca.
Posted by peglegrc on Saturday, June 4, 2005 1:11 PM
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