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Organizing ropes

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  • Member since
    March 2020
  • From: South Florida
Organizing ropes
Posted by Having-fun on Friday, February 3, 2023 3:02 PM

 

I am hoping this is the correct place for my question.

 

My interest in model building so far is with sail ships, of the type used back from the 14th century to the beginning of the 20th century, I have build about 10 of these ships and has collected a number of spools of treads (ropes) of difference sizes and colors. This is my question

 

Is there a way to organize these spools? I have been trying to build something that will do the job, so far nothing has light the proverbial light bulb. I am looking for something that will keep these treads organized, neat, and available.

 

What the good members of this blog can recommend? What solutions have you applied to this dilemma?

 

Thanks again and awaiting your suggestions

 

Joe

 

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Friday, February 3, 2023 3:48 PM

I put them in individual zip lock bags and label the bag. The thing is that the line comes in a variety of forms. Wrapped on spools of various sizes, bundled loose, wrapped around cards. I just have a little plastic tub full of bags. I also buy line on a project-by-project basis and even then, by phase of the project. The good stuff costs a lot.

I remember when ship modelers made their own "rope walks" to make cable.

So for a sailing war ship, I'd buy the cannon breech rope and the anchor cables. Get all that done, then buy the standing rigging. Get that in and buy the running rigging.

The same is true for eyes, deadeyes and blocks.

Otherwise you go and buy $ 500 worth of stuff and it sits around for years until you get to it.

 

Bill

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Mansfield, TX
Posted by EdGrune on Friday, February 3, 2023 3:56 PM

To store spools of cordage  I think I might turn to an alternate hobby - fly tying.  Google fly tying spool rack for examples of spool storage.  

Alternately check a fabric store such as Joanne's for spool rtorage

There will be one drawback.  Neither approach will have a model manufacturer's logo affixed. 

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Friday, February 3, 2023 9:32 PM

Ditto to Ed's post above. My wife is a seamstress and has spool racks to keep her threads sorted by colors. She got them at Joanne's Fabrics. Check them out.

Stay Safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Orlando, Florida
Posted by ikar01 on Sunday, February 5, 2023 4:52 AM

When I was building ships when I was in school, I would use plastic boxesdesigned for holding those spools.  My mother had a couple for her sewing machine and I got one from her.  They would hold the soppol vertically in their own little spaces and could easily be pulled out, and had a clear lid.

Amazon has all sorts of things like these and your local craft store should too.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Sunday, February 5, 2023 7:34 AM

Hi Joe:

       I use both types of storage. A fly tying rack for the spools and for the newer ones a sewing/embroidery spool storage box, One available at Cabela's( Fly Tying) or online and Joannes for the embroidery box. This box is my second, I wore the first out!

  • Member since
    March 2022
  • From: Twin cities, MN
Posted by missileman2000 on Sunday, February 5, 2023 8:08 AM

I keep spolls lose in a workbench drawer.  Spollholders would be nice but I have so much junk on racks already I don't have room for more, so I put up with ocassional tangles.

 

 

I save old spolls for putting loose pieces.

  • Member since
    March 2020
  • From: South Florida
Posted by Having-fun on Sunday, February 12, 2023 3:09 PM

 

I have designed a system that I hope will meet my needs, it has two parts, the active part that will hold the ropes in use with the particular model being build accessible, but out of the way and the same time neat. The second part is to keep non active ropes in a drawer nice and neat.

I am in the process of building the designs using mostly scrap wood and will print some photos when they are done.

Until that time

Joe

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Sunday, February 12, 2023 6:55 PM

Yes

Stay Safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    March 2020
  • From: South Florida
Posted by Having-fun on Sunday, February 19, 2023 10:06 AM

Hi there!

 

I have finished the parts that I was building, here are photos of the devices:

 

The first one is a rack that is installed on top of the bench were you will only put the ropes that are in use with the current build ( the blue bar on the middle of the photo)

blue bar

 

The second photo is the drawer were the second item is located ( the orange part ) The white item is a prototype for the big rolls, but I have decided that this design will not meet the requirement, it takes too much room, and does not have much capacity, so, eventually it will be re-place for somersetting that I hope will be better.

 

You will only put in this drawer those ropes that are extra, not in active use, left over from other builds, and general storage of ropes.

 

drawer

 

In addition, I also have a small bin for those ropes that are to thick and wind up in a flat configuration, these ropes are usually left over, or purchased to meet a specify need, such as ropes for the anchor. This bin are keep in a different drawer due to space limitations.

 

bin

 

Well here we are.

 

In case you are wondering about the colors, there are left over from a toy I made for my grand kids were I used 6 different colors to make it attractive. There is no need to trow away left over paint!

 

Well, until next time

 

Joe

 

 

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Sunday, February 19, 2023 7:32 PM

Looks like you've got it all under control Joe. Nice set-up.Yes

Stay Safe.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    March 2020
  • From: South Florida
Posted by Having-fun on Saturday, February 25, 2023 3:06 PM

 

Hi there!

I went back to the drawer and realized that the orange part was too long so I could not get to the spools all the way in the back, so, I cut it and set it side by side giving me more places to put spools. I created a small tray using poster board and put it in the back where I put the miscellaneous ropes that I had store in another drawer, making it possible to have all the ropes in one location.

Well, here is it:

Rope drawer

Joe

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