Money for.......

kim

kim

retired at last
Country flag
........old rope.
My old employers have me back at work part time looking after some american students and it really is money for old rope. As my stock of old rope is getting depleted I thought I would look on e-bay for a laugh, and guess what, it's full of it - old rope, not laughs (mind you when you look at some of the prices)!!:mask:
Anyway, I came across this, just right for having on a flat car, hanging off buildings, in the back of a pick up etc

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152820094937
 
I use rope and chain from my local model shop, intended for ship modelling. While the rope is obviously new it has been stained (soaking in tea works, a trick I learned from a carpenter!) to give it the weathered look. Of course true hemp starts off brownish but I don't think it can be had in scale. :talking:
I did once come across the website of a model ship suppliers on the south coast who had plenty of things suitable for train loads.
 
pugwash said:
I use rope and chain from my local model shop, intended for ship modelling. While the rope is obviously new it has been stained (soaking in tea works, a trick I learned from a carpenter!) to give it the weathered look. Of course true hemp starts off brownish but I don't think it can be had in scale. :talking:
I did once come across the website of a model ship suppliers on the south coast who had plenty of things suitable for train loads.
Click to expand...

I've bought chain from that shop in the past but the name of it has gone from me head.
 
At the risk of a Routemaster moment, I just enlarged the picture of said rope. Speaking as someone who has long forgotten everything (which wasn’t much) he ever knew about rock-climbing, hence strong string, I would suggest that this stuff would not have been used on British railways - too fancy. I think “hawser-laid” would be more appropriate. It’s just the basic twisted stuff rather than this beautifully woven, and hence more expensive, type. Practices may of course differ in other places.
 
This is the stuff I used, chemically blackened and the right shape links. Looks about right scale I think.
I fitted one end through a stake holder with hotmelt glue, let that set, then did the same on the other side while pulling gently on the chain to tension it. Snipped off the excess chain when fully set and off for testing!

IAN_3605-2.JPG
 

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pugwash said:
This is the stuff I used, chemically blackened and the right shape links. Looks about right scale I think.
I fitted one end through a stake holder with hotmelt glue, let that set, then did the same on the other side while pulling gently on the chain to tension it. Snipped off the excess chain when fully set and off for testing!

View attachment 231458
Click to expand...
Hot melt glue is (a) very hot, (b) a bit three-dimensional, and (c) not waterproof, in my experience.
 
Eaglecliff said:
Hot melt glue is (a) very hot, (b) a bit three-dimensional, and (c) not waterproof, in my experience.
Click to expand...
Well:
a) I know all too well
b) that was the idea as it was running through the stake hole, simply gluing it to the pipes wouldn't have given the taught look I was after
c) mine didn't disolve while I had it, though it felt like my fingertips did (see a)

Anyone else had problems? I actually had more problems with other glues going brittle. Bit late to go and check again, sadly.
 
pugwash said:
Well:
a) I know all too well
b) that was the idea as it was running through the stake hole, simply gluing it to the pipes wouldn't have given the taught look I was after
c) mine didn't disolve while I had it, though it felt like my fingertips did (see a)

Anyone else had problems? I actually had more problems with other glues going brittle. Bit late to go and check again, sadly.
Click to expand...

To add tension to chain on this model I used hat elastic at either end (out of sight) which pulled it tight, you can just see the knots in the elastic in the middle picture.

P1040854.JPG P1040855.JPG P1040856.JPG
On this one the chain is tensioned by cutting it to length fitting to the loops then hot melt gluing the rivets holding the loops into place.
P1040857.JPG P1040858.JPG
On one other I used hot melt to glue pins into timber to tension the pre measured chain.

The chain I use is from a $2 cheap shop and I paint it. Originally it was black and shiny but the paint covers that.​
P1040851.JPG P1040852.JPG
Can't argue with the price at $2/meter either.

By the way I use a mini blow torch to melt my glue it makes it very runny and excess can be removed with a sharp scalpel.
 
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GAP said:
To add tension to chain on this model I used hat elastic at either end (out of sight) which pulled it tight, you can just see the knots in the elastic in the middle picture.

View attachment 233281 View attachment 233282 View attachment 233283
On this one the chain is tensioned by cutting it to length fitting to the loops then hot melt gluing the rivets holding the loops into place.
View attachment 233284 View attachment 233285
On one other I used hot melt to glue pins into timber to tension the pre measured chain.

The chain I use is from a $2 cheap shop and I paint it. Originally it was black and shiny but the paint covers that.​
View attachment 233279 View attachment 233280
Can't argue with the price at $2/meter either.

By the way I use a mini blow torch to melt my glue it makes it very runny and excess can be removed with a sharp scalpel.
Click to expand...
I still have a set of four cast lever tensioners, four springs and some lengths of chain that were sold by Kent Garden Railways a few years ago. They had a range of 16mm cast goodies from a small manufacturer, and I think they were the only outlet. I also bought a cast kit of a workbench.

The chain sets feature in two of Saturday's piccies - holding down the mine tubs on and Accy flat, and holding down the Lanz bulldozer :nod::nod:
 
When you were talking about chain, I thought you meant coupling chains! If you're interested I use clock chain, a lot cheaper than model shops.
 
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