How do I make 1/200 scale ship railings?

sakrison

Banned
A decade or so ago, I made ship railings from sewing thread in 1/200 scale. I can't recall how I did it and everything I have tried recently has turned into a mess.
Can anyone point me to a tutorial or build thread that would describe the process?

I'm currently working on Halinski's USS Gambier Bay. Next on my list is Modelik's HMCS Agassiz in 1/100 scale, so I'll need a lot of railings.
The Gambier Bay is going together well. The lengths of the flight deck, flight deck subassembly, and hull were all a little different, probably due to the changing humidity in my work room. I had to reposition one of the bulkheads under the forward elevator, and apply a bit of paint to the flight deck subassembly, but both were easy fixes and overall the fit and finish of the kit is very good.

I started this kit about five years ago and set it aside, picking it up again this past December. There is much to be done on the galleries that line the flight deck. And I have a bunch of airplanes to build. But I hope to have it finished in a month or two. The first photo shows where I left off, the second, where I am today.
 

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Awry_Chaos

OKB-4155
Try here too:


This might help too:


 

ennder

Well-Known Member
I don't remember where I got it, but I use the attached PDF. It was free (I do remember that)
 

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zathros

*****SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR*****
Staff member
Administrator
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I would build a stock of string coated with Crazy Glue, and do this by tying off sections, then with a brush (sacrificial), paint the strings, make sure you choose the right color, then let them dry. You will then be able to construct the railings from the stock pieces you made, and attach verticals, to longitudinal pieces with dots of Crazy Glue on tooth picks, and use tweezers to anchor on the, and then fix the other. You'll be able to form gentle curves, make ladders by gluing flats to the string, etc. It's a lot of work but very effective, and the string will not sag. You can use different gauge string for different parts of the railing system. :)
 
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OilyBoatshaper

New Member
A decade or so ago, I made ship railings from sewing thread in 1/200 scale. I can't recall how I did it and everything I have tried recently has turned into a mess.
Can anyone point me to a tutorial or build thread that would describe the process?

I'm currently working on Halinski's USS Gambier Bay. Next on my list is Modelik's HMCS Agassiz in 1/100 scale, so I'll need a lot of railings.
The Gambier Bay is going together well. The lengths of the flight deck, flight deck subassembly, and hull were all a little different, probably due to the changing humidity in my work room. I had to reposition one of the bulkheads under the forward elevator, and apply a bit of paint to the flight deck subassembly, but both were easy fixes and overall the fit and finish of the kit is very good.

I started this kit about five years ago and set it aside, picking it up again this past December. There is much to be done on the galleries that line the flight deck. And I have a bunch of airplanes to build. But I hope to have it finished in a month or two. The first photo shows where I left off, the second, where I am today.
 

OilyBoatshaper

New Member
You Can try the P.E sites. But I must warn you, the closest I can get with that is 1/192! Or I use Tooth brush stanchions with extra fine Fly fishing line or "Magic Line"
 

spotcheem

Member
Papershipwright has a downloadable template with instructions. Just download it. Print it, mount to heavy card, and follow the instructions. It’s free!
 

zathros

*****SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR*****
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
I made so many spelling mistakes on my post it was unintelligible. I fixed them. The Top rail is always a little thicker, and this is noticeable in a ship model. The vertical stanchions are also much thicker, as they hold the rails in place. Those you can make with piano wire, or thicker solid guitar string. Another way is to heat plastic and stretch it till you get sections that you let cool and then cut to length. I stay away from paper cut railings, as they can really kill a ship model. If you use the method for the railings I suggested, they will be round, stiff, use a heavier gauge string for the top, and you can even paint them, as the Crazy Glued strings paint very well. ;)
 

OilyBoatshaper

New Member
I would go to Tichy Train Group.Com or Walthers .com for this stuff or in the case of Rail Tops I use specifically Evergreen Plastic product. The last listed is available at your favorite Hobby Shop or Hobby Lobby.s
 

MikeBer

Active Member
This homemade jig may be of assistance.
 
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