Rigging conversions

Rigging/Stack stay diameters

Provided by Art Braunschweiger

Funnel and mast stays - 1:350 scale

Type	Actual size per plans	Equivalent diameter	Scale size Inches mm	Type	Monofilament line (closest match)	Fly tying thread (closest match)
Anchor crane cable	2 ½" circ.	¾" +	.002" .058 mm	S	None small enough	"7/0"
Cargo boom cable	2" circumf.	5/8"	.002" .046 mm	S	None small enough	8/0
Cargo span cable (bridge roof to foremast)	Undetermined			S
Cargo hoist lines from span cable	Undetermined			H
Crane cables - 1- ½ ton crane	Undetermined			S
Crane cables - 2- ½ ton crane	Undetermined			S
Flagpole line (stern)	Undetermined	3/8" (est)	.001" .027 mm	H	None small enough	10/0
Funnel stays	4" circumf.	1- 1/4 "	.004" .092 mm	S	None small enough	6/0
Funnel painter lines	Undetermined	½" (est)	.001" .036 mm	H	None small enough	"9/0"
Jumper stay (#1 funnel to mast)	1-1/2" circ.	½"	.001" .036 mm	S	None small enough	"9/0"
Halyards (all)	1" circumf.	3/8" approx	.001" .025 mm	H	None small enough	10/0
Hawsers	Not on plan	3 ¾" (est.)	.011" .272 mm	H	None small enough	Use thread slightly heavier than 3/0
Lifeboat falls	4" circumf.	1- 1/4 "	.004" .092 mm	H	None small enough	6/0
Lifeboat davit guy lines	Undetermined	½" (est)	.001" .036 mm	H	None small enough	"9/0"
Lifeboat davit span lines	2" circumf.	5/8"	.002" .046 mm	S	None small enough	8/0
Lifeboat lifelines	2 ½" circ.	¾" +	.002" .058 mm	H	None small enough	"7/0"
Marconi stays	Undetermined	1" (est.)	.003" .073 mm	H	None small enough	6/0
Marconi suspension cable (mast to spreader)	2 ½" circ.	¾" +	.002" .058 mm	S	None small enough	"7/0"
Marconi wires	Undetermined			B
Mast stays – (reference plan)	3" circumf.	15/16"	.003" .069 mm	S	None small enough	"7/0"
	4" circumf.	1- 1/4 "	.004" .092 mm	S	None small enough	6/0
	4- ¼" circ.	1 – 11/32"	.004" .098 mm	S	None small enough	6/0
	5- ½ " circ.	1 – ¾"	.005" .127 mm	S	None small enough	"5/0"

Funnel and mast stays - 1:144 scale

Type	Actual size per plans	Equivalent diameter	Scale size Inches mm	Type	Monofilament line (closest match)	Fly tying thread (closest match)
Anchor crane cable	2 ½" circ.	¾" +	.006" .140 mm	S	2 lb test	"5/0"
Cargo boom cable	2" circumf.	5/8"	.004" .112 mm	S	None small enough	"5/0"
Cargo span cable (bridge roof to foremast)	undetermined			S
Cargo hoist lines from span cable	undetermined			H
Crane cable- 1- ½ ton crane	undetermined			S
Crane cable- 2- ½ ton crane	undetermined			S
Flag hoists (fore and mainmasts)	Undetermined	½" (est.)	.004" .087 mm	H	None small enough	6/0
Flagpole line (stern)	Undetermined	3/8" (est)	.003" .066 mm	H	None small enough	"7/0"
Funnel stays	4" circumf.	1- 1/4 "	.009" .225 mm		4 lb test	3-0
Funnel painter lines	Undetermined	½" (est)	.004" .087 mm	H	None small enough	6/0
Jumper stay (#1 funnel to mast)	1 ½ " circ.	½" (est)	.004" .087 mm	S	None small enough	6/0
Halyards – fo’c’sle, bridge & poop deck	Undetermined	½" (est)	.004" .087 mm	H	None small enough	6/0
Hawsers	Not on plan	3 ¾" (est.)	.026" .661 mm	H	Not suitable	Use thread same size as #71 drill
Lifeboat falls	4" circumf.	1- 1/4 "	.009" .225 mm	H	4 lb test	3-0
Lifeboat davit guy lines	Undetermined	½" (est)	.004" .087 mm	H	None small enough	6/0
Lifeboat davit span lines	2" circumf.	5/8"	.004" .112 mm	S	None small enough	"5/0"
Lifeboat lifelines	2 ½" circ.	¾" +	.006" .140 mm	H	2 lb test	"5/0"
Marconi stays	Undetermined	1" (est.)	.007" .176 mm	H	"3 lb test"	"4/0"
Marconi suspension cable (mast to spreader)	2 ½" circ.	¾" +	.006" .140 mm	S	2 lb test	"5/0"
Marconi wires	Undetermined			B
Mast stays – (reference plan)	3" circumf.	15/16"	.007" .168 mm	S	2 lb test	4-0
	4" circumf.	1- 1/4 "	.009" .225 mm	S	4 lb test	3-0
	4- ¼" circ.	1 – 11/32"	.010" .239 mm	S	6 lb test	3-0
	5- ½ " circ.	1 – ¾"	.012" .309 mm	S	12 lb test	"2/0"

Notes –

See Bruce Beveridge’s rigging plan to reference most of the lines and sizes shown(shown below). An excellent illustration clearly showing all rigging is Ken Marschall’s "Farewell to the Old World" painting showing Titanic at anchor at Cherbourg (Art of Titanic, p. 58). Also see the cover painting for Titanic: An Illustrated History.
Types of ropes listed are S – steel, H – hemp, and (B) Silicon Bronze
The thread provided with the new release of the 1:350 Minicraft appears to have the correct diameter for 6/0 thread, and therefore suitable as an all-purpose rigging material for the mast and funnel stays (but the wrong color).
Scale size in inches has been rounded up to nearest thousandth of an inch, as most micrometer calipers do not read beyond this degree.
Sized fly tying thread in the range shown comes only in 3/0, 6/0, 8/0 and (occasionally) 10/0. Sizes shown in quotes are ideal sizes (based on standard thread classification sizes).
The modeler must decide whether to size up or size down, based on what is actually available.
When selecting line for mast and funnel stays, the modeler should select a silver-grey color as per recent TRMA Forum postings on cable material and color. See TRMA forum postings on Steel Wire Rigging and Color, Dec 28 2003
The lower several feet on all stays (check photos) should be thickly painted black to reflect both the color and the additional thickness of the seizing of the cable above the eye, turnbuckle, etc. See same reference as #6 above.
All calculations done to four significant figures prior to rounding.
Sizes marked "est." have been estimated from photographs.
For rigging sizes marked as estimated or undetermined, please forward any sizes as discovered or determined to Art Braunschweiger for update.

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Scale sizes – monofilament and other material

(For application to hull, walls, and bulkheads for railings, piping, etc.)

Size and type	Actual mm diameter	Scale diameter – 1:350	Scale diameter- 1:144
2 lb test monofilament	.145 mm	2"	7/8"
4 lb test monofilament	.200 mm	2 ¾ "	1-1/8"
6 lb test monfilament (same size as .25 mm fiber optic)	.250 mm	3 ½ "	1-3/8"
8 lb test monofilament	.285 mm	4"	1-5/8"
12 lb test monofilament	.310 mm	4 ¼"	1 ¾"
Fine steel music wire (.015")	.375 mm	5-1/8"	2-1/8"
16 lb test monofilament	.400 mm	5 ½ "	2 ¼ "
20 lb test monofilament	.450 mm	6 ¼"	2 ½ "
25 lb test monofilament (same size as .50 mm fiber optic)	.500 mm	6-7/8"	2-7/8"
30 lb test monofilament	.570 mm	7-7/8"	3 ¼"
50 lb test monofilament	.740 mm	10 ¼"	4 ¼"
.75 mm fiber optic	.750 mm	10-3/8"	4 ¼"

After some on-line searching and consultation with a few fly fishing coworkers, there appear to be only three commercially-available sizes (at least in the US): 3/0, 6/0, and 8/0. While surgical threads (sutures) come in other sizes, fly fishing threads only seem to come in these basic sizes and one or two others. This is probably because there would be no meaningful difference to have in-between sizes, and from the 1:350 modeler's perspective you probably wouldn't be able to detect such a fine gradation with the human eye anyway. (And note, these are extremely fine threads.) The tables note the ideal size and it's up to the modeler to pick the closest match up or down. (A spool very inexpensive, though, so if in doubt get an extra size up or down and see how they look against each other.)

Also consider a little beeswax run on the thread, and then running the thread through your fingers, for protection and longer life (but stay away from glue points and where paint will be applied).

Now here's the problem, for those who want dead-on scale accuracy. The zero measurement system used for fly threads (6/0, 8/0, etc.) is archaic to the point where there's not necessarily an exact correlation between diameter and number. For surgical thread, yes, but not this stuff. (For those who want in in-depth look at this subject, see the article at the bottom of this web page:
http://www.flyfisherman.com/ftb/ssthread/index2.html

At any rate, I repeatedly micd the brand I had, Uni-Thread, and the diameters I got were reasonably consistent with the theoretical diameter sizes for that number , at least with 6/0 and 8/0. If anything, I would have to say they measure a thousandth or so larger than spec, so that a thread labeled 6/0 might actually have the diameter of a 5/0. (With thread, lower numbers, larger diameter.)

I have listed here four web suppliers of fly tying thread (including one in the UK) with the sizes they sell. Note that two have 9/0 and 10/0, respectively, for those looking to model smaller ropes.

http://php.carrilon.co.uk/NewSite/OnlineShop/catalog 6-0, 8-0, 9-0

http://www.thetroutshop.com/flytie/index.htm 3-0, 6-0, 8-0

http://www.bearlodgeangler.com/thread.htm 3-0, 6-0, 8-0, 10-0

http://www.flymartflyshop.com 3-0-, 6-0, 8-0

Information supplied by Art Braunschweiger – TRMA forum