Rigging Tips: Making Scale Rope Hanks

Here's a simple jig to help neaten up your belayed rigging lines and how to use it.

[@shipmodelguy]

OKAY!!! FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OF THE THREE PREVIOUS TIMES I'VE EXPLAINED WHY MY HANDS ARE IN THE WAY FOR SO MUCH OF THE VIDEO, HERE IT IS, ONCE MORE. I had two cameras rolling when I made the video. The main camera malfunctioned and very little of the primary view was recorded. I had to use the footage recorded by the camera to my right. Not the ideal way I would have liked to have done this video, but I didn't have the time to shoot it again.

[@rjwh67220]

Why didn’t you have time to do it right? “We don’t have time to stop for gas, we’re late already.”

[@shipmodelguy]

@@rjwh67220 If making videos about building models is all I did, I would have the time. But I build and repair ship models for a living. And, as much as I like to do it over, there are other priorities in my life that take precedence. The video has enough verbal and, yes enough video information for you to get the point of the exercise. I guess this one will just have to stand as my cinematic flop.

[@matthewemmerik7420]

thanks for the video,im struggling now with rigging lines, and this was just perfect timeing and a brilliant lesson.THANK YOU.

[@kevinm3751]

Well crud, I needed this tutorial a month ago. Now I am tempted to pull off all mine and build them the right way...;)

[@colossalbigfoot256]

Great idea and detail. I’ll be using this trick for all rope.

[@crustaceanwilliam1380]

An old scratch builder who appreciates ones attention to detail. This was a great method for coiled rope. My thing is WWII military stuff - tugs and working class ships (Auxiliaries). Recently working on crew lines for a 26' wale boat. Got some great ideas and I'll be back for sure. BTW I'm an ol' Bronx boy myself living in alternative universe in New Jersey.

[@Georgeolddrones]

Excellent video Tom thanks 👍 George in England Uk.

[@sandyb6643]

An excellent tutorial. I'm subscribing now.

[@jackheritage2222]

Awesome Video! I'm doing my first model build & this was one of my greatest hang-ups! Thanks So Much!

[@shipmodelguy]

Glad I could help. Thanks for watching.

[@dominiquebeauvais6811]

Thank you very much Tom, it's really well explained and frankly, I really enjoyed it! Please continue !!

[@shipmodelguy]

Thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying the content.

[@nagrod47]

Second attempt here, my first comment never showed up. Anyway, I like the idea of the elliptical pattern. I've been doing it with just two pins and the results were just OK, like yours much better. Thanks for doing this!

[@brianfoley4328]

Great video...very helpful...good narrative...easy to follow...I'm going to use this technique.

[@shipmodelguy]

Thanks for the feedback, Trish. Let me know how you make out with this. Tom

[@briandenley]

Very nice and helpful!

[@billc.1478]

Hi Tom, I hope you are well. I'm completing the Rattlesnake and I'm at the point of Rope Hanks and your video is very informative. Thanks and please do more videos soon.

[@roberthurst9225]

Extremely helpful.

[@johnnywhite1681]

Great ideas. Thank you for sharing.

[@shipmodelguy]

Thanks for watching!

[@positron949]

It has been my question that how to make such small Beautiful coil for a long time. Finally I gut the answer today. Thank you Tom.

[@shipmodelguy]

Glad I could help.

[@johnlamb1922]

Ingenious way to make to coils and they add authenticity to your model.

[@petemelanyevans9162]

Only no sailor would have ropes hanging like that ....they are stowed in a figure of 8 formation and lashed down ...1 pull will release them for use .

[@xaviermercado2079]

Very nice job!

[@shipmodelguy]

Thanks for the visit

[@carlosasosa4293]

Very helpful thanks!

[@normg2242]

I have exactly that same template! It used to smudge the ink a lot because it had no spacers that lifted it a bit off the paper...lol

[@Truyen-hay]

good job

[@davidhenryandthemysterons3220]

very nice xx

[@stedun77]

This is a great video Tom,,the best for belayed lines I've watched,,one question / suggestion, you think if we put the first drill bit hole inside the circle toward the front for the loop, it would be easier and prevent from having to pull the loop back through, as it would already be there?,,just a suggestion,,also , I love your mock up ship deck , mast and rail its awesome,,thanks again!

[@shipmodelguy]

Gee. It never occurred to me to try it that way, but is sounds as though it should work. I won't have a chance to try it out for quite a while, as I'm in the middle of a project, but if you make your own jig with that modification, I'd love to know how it works. Thanks for writing.

[@claeswikberg8958]

You might want to try having the camera infront or above you. Just to keep your hands from obstructing the view. Stills are great so keep them. And the end result looked nice. I use a needle stuck to the end of a wooden dowel, with the eye cut open as a ca applicator. Its great for hard to reach places. And great for controlling the amount of glue that gets applied. Works best with thin ca glue. And cleanup is done with a lighter. Just burn away any dried excess.

[@shipmodelguy]

I actually had 2 camera going, but the footage was unusable (mic malfunction and even more hairy knuckles). I like to try a Go Pro. As soon as I have $300 I don't know what to do with, I'll pick one up. Thanks for the tip about the needle. I usually use a toothpick, but even that can be too big, at times.

[@claeswikberg8958]

Tom Lauria honestly. Unless you want to strap it on your person or use it as an action cam, its better to get a "real" video camera. I bought a go pro for when i went paragliding and snorkeling. And for that its great. But for desk use there are better options i think

[@shipmodelguy]

As an adjunct to the two cameras I usually use and for the "over the shoulder" type stuff (as in this video would have been useful), I still think is is a viable option. I can attach it to a swing arm lamp and it is small enough that I won't be bumping my head into it. Also easily re-position-able. Seems reasonable to me. But right now my lapel mic is on the fritz, so getting a new one of those is the current priority.

[@BerlinCardYard]

Thanks Tom for the very helpfull video. Sometimes the CA-glue is slithering through the rope and I do get an awful white on the rope. How could I avoid this - gel CA or only whiteglue?

[@shipmodelguy]

Glad you're enjoying the videos. Interesting that it turns white. My problem is that it usually darkens my line too much. I try and keep it to inconspicuous areas. I also use the thicker stuff (Zap-A-Gap), not the "water thin" glue. If you're having trouble with the CA, just use diluted white glue, instead. You may have to wait a bit longer, but it should solve your problem. Another glue you may want to try is a CA by Lok-Tite. I haven't used it yet, but other ship model guys say it's very good. Might be worth a look.

[@Occre]

Awesome 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@shipmodelguy]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Occre]

@@shipmodelguy 😉😉

[@davidandchristinagalloway3584]

Hi Tom, as always, very instructive. One question, what brand / type of line do you use for your models? The standard line I use does not look anywhere near as realistic as yours. Thanks for sharing your great experience. Regards David

[@shipmodelguy]

Glad you find the videos helpful. I always try to use linen fishing line when I can get the appropriate sizes. Just about the only place to find the stuff these days is on ebay. Some of the names you'll see are Gladdings, Ashaway and Sunset. They won't be cheap and the sizes will be limited. you just have to check the listings ever so often and see whats out there. As far as new stuff goes, Syren Models in Connecticut is offering some nice linen line. Go to their web site and check them out.

[@floydkershner6591]

Tom - Thanks for this. Is the process the same if you want a 90 degree turn it the loops. Such as hanging from the fife rail?

[@shipmodelguy]

That's actually harder to do because you have to get the bulk of all the coils to go over the belaying pin and then hang down naturally. It's hard to persuade the all the line to hang down and stay there with putting a ton of glue on it. And that will definitely ruin the effect.

[@robertayres2922]

Love the videos, Tom. One question...where did you get the rigging line. It looks great. I've had a hard time finding decent rigging. Most comes from Blue Jacket which I have to dye (Rit Dye).

[@shipmodelguy]

Glad you're enjoying the videos. I started collecting old linen fishing line (Zane Gray, cuttyhunk linen, etc.) back in the eighties. It was scarce back then, too. Now, I keep an eye out for the stuff on eBay. Used to be fairly cheap, but not anymore. Also, I was lucky enough to inherit a large supply of linen, cotton and silk (suture silk, which I believe is still available) from an old model builder when he crossed the bar. I dye my line same as you, with Rit dye. It's a pain, but what's the alternative...

[@walnutandtungoil1212]

his shop has some really nice rope for a reasonable price.. www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com/miniature-rope.php

[@davidbrancato9724]

Tom...Thanks for the inspiring videos! Would like to ask you where to find information about deck planking, how long to make the planks (AL Virginia Schooner 1819 1:41 scale). Many Thanks...Dave

[@shipmodelguy]

Deck planking patterns varied from time to time and country and whether military or commercial. A general rule is planks were not any longer than 24' (20' being more common). And the pattern was either 4 or 5 courses of planks before the butt joints fell on the same deck beam again. Most of the time, if the planks were not side spiked, the hole for the spikes in the top of the deck were filled with bungs made of the deck material and their grain was oriented to match the surrounding wood, making them VERY low visibility. So the models you see with end grain "treenails" are mostly an aesthetic choice as opposed to an historically accurate rendering of actual practice. Hope this helps.

[@ben8mag]

Thanks, wish me luck. Ha!

[@Aamira409]

What is the mat with measurement called ?

[@shipmodelguy]

It's just called a cutting mat, or a self healing cutting mat. They are available from places like A.C. Moore, Joann Fabrics, Michael's, hobby shops or online. Try micromark.com or Amazon.

[@rickbear7249]

Might be helpful if you started by showing the final result, so we understand what it is you're trying to achieve. That way, newcomers to ship's rigging would be better placed to follow the how's and why's of what you're doing. (I cheated, skipped to the end, then watched from the beginning.) Useful demonstration. Thank you. Rick

[@shipmodelguy]

Eight seconds in, there is a close up shot of exactly what I am trying to demonstrate. It's the shot of two hanked and coiled lines on the belaying pins. And for the first minute and a half, I give a verbal explanation of what the video will be trying to illustrate. I'm not quite sure how I could have made it clearer. If you didn't watch it from the beginning, I could understand your comment, but then you said you went back and watched from the beginning. Did you miss it again?

[@rickbear7249]

@@shipmodelguy Hi Tom, well, I have to say that it did surprise me that you'd not done that, especially considering that the rest of the video is so professionally put together. My problem is you have a video about "hanks", but what are Hanks? I don't know the technical terms, so it's not 100% clear what we're going to be looking at. I now understand that you're looking at the extra loop of line that coils after the line is attached to the belaying pin. But, despite your efforts, perhaps you're not allowing for people like me being dumb. All I'm saying is, please, spend a little more time telling stupid people like me what exactly we're looking at. I'm interested, as I need to learn about this stuff, as I've not done any ship's rigging in many a year and I've got a big project coming up, but I don't know the technical terminology. Anyhow, Tom, thank you for being so generous in making this video. It is really helpful that you take things really slowly, step-by-step, to show us exactly how it's done. Rick

[@shipmodelguy]

@@rickbear7249 If it is still happening, try clicking and dragging the progress slider (the red little moving bar across the bottom of the screen) all the way back to the beginning until you see the title. Hope this helps and that you continue to watch. Thanks for writing. Tom

[@jimmytiler5522]

You got the can in the wrong position.

[@shipmodelguy]

If you are referring to the camera angle, you are right. That video was recorded with two cameras: one in front and one to my right. The main (front view) camera malfunctioned and did not record the bulk of the session. So I had to go with the "B Roll" footage. Hence, the predominantly right side view.

[@jimingersoll7269]

Enjoyed the lesson. Thank you.. If I may add a piece of constructive criticism, Your video would be much more informative from a visual perspective, if you practice your lesson and somehow learn to keep your hand out from being "in between" the camera lens and the project that you are demonstrating. Much of the lesson was obscured and hidden by your right hand. Suggestion: Perhaps it would be better if the camera was on the opposite side? Thanks again for making the video.

[@shipmodelguy]

You are right about the camera angle. That video was recorded with two cameras: one in front and one to my right. The main (front view) camera malfunctioned and did not record the bulk of the session. So I had to go with the "B Roll" footage. Hence, the predominantly right side view.

[@jonathansimmonds5784]

Apart from the fact that the coils are never identical, it depends on which crew person is coiling, their arm span and style dictates the end result, the one thing that is constant is the direction of coil, like turning in deadeyes the lay of the rope dictates if it's clockwise or anticlock. You're using righthand laid rope so the coil will be clockwise not as you have done it, it's important, it allows the line to run without kinking. Also whilst onboard a real vessel you will see that when a line comes from above down to a belaying pin at an angle it always comes into the pin clear of it, you have yours both crossing in front of the pin which would make your clockwise figure of 8 difficult if not impossible. Coils (note, they're not called hanks) should never touch the deck.

[@shipmodelguy]

Well Jonathan, it seems you've taken me up on holding my feet to the fire. And as with your first comment, you do bring up a valid point about the direction the coils run. However, I couldn't find any place in the video where I say they should all be the same size. That would be impossible. I did mention, more than once, this was a demonstration. And, its point was to watch the technique being done. The coil was a bit too long and touched the deck because I may have made the loop at the top a bit too big (my bad). But I'm sure you saw in the photo at 20:22 that neither coil touches the deck. Yes, they are coiled counter-clockwise, but once again, this was a demo and the coils are not permanently installed. Which leads me to address your comment about the way the line approaches the pin. If I understand you correctly, you are taking exception to the coil and pin on the right in the photo. That line does seem to run in front and behind the pin. And quoting Paul Simon, "I'll repeat myself, at the risk being crude" This was a demo and I took those coils off and on that little mock-up half a dozen times during the filming. Luck of the draw they ended up they way they did. I pride myself on trying to make my models appear as close to the real thing as my skills will allow, so I will take your points to heart and include them in future projects. But, it is not always easy to take life sized practices and shrink them down by a factor of 48, or 64. A balance has to be struck between the essence of the thing you are trying to recreate and what may have been done in real life. Serving a line is a prime example. I don't bother to worm, parcel. I only serve. There is no need and the extra steps would add way too much bulk making the process totally ineffective. A question for you: Are you a model builder, as well? If so, I would love to see some photos of your work. I think it would be very instructive to see your solutions for some of the dilemmas that always seen to pop up during a model project. Here's a link to the Contact page of my site: tjlauria.com/contact/ Shoot me a message and I'll email you back. I would look forward to it.

[@woodybear8298]

Great video, but your hand was in the way most of the time.

[@shipmodelguy]

You’re right, Woody. But, I guess you didn’t see my pinned comment where I explain the reason for that. In spite of the hairy knuckles, I hope you got something out of it

[@davidjenkins446]

Tom, I do not know if you actually review your vids prior to upload. If you do not, then you might want to as you are so explicate on detail however when you are showing the public how to actually do the task, your hairy fingers on your right hand is all we see.

[@shipmodelguy]

Thanks for pointing out that I have hairy fingers, David. I hadn't noticed until I read your comment. Next video I'll make sure to shave just for you. OKAY!!! FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OF THE THREE PREVIOUS TIMES I'VE EXPLAINED WHY MY HANDS ARE IN THE WAY FOR SO MUCH OF THE VIDEO, HERE IT IS, ONCE MORE. I had two cameras rolling when I made the video. The main camera malfunctioned and very little of the primary view was recorded. I had to use the footage recorded by the camera to my right. Not the ideal way I would have liked to have done this video, but I didn't have the time to shoot it again.

[@davidjenkins446]

Please accept my apology. I thoroughly enjoy the amount of detail you give and have learned very much. I have recorded several of your vids.Again I am sorry.

[@shipmodelguy]

@@davidjenkins446 No worries, David. I'm just a bit sensitive about my "knuckle warmers" I hope you continue to watch the videos.

[@davidjenkins446]

Tom, I understand where you’re coming from.. I wish to God I would have not said anything rather than become so embarrassed and ashamed of myself for being such an ass. Sometimes it pays to think before you act. A lesson I've well learned....I can assure you I will continue watching your instructional vids. I am just opening a never opened box of the HMS Bounty 1/60 scale I purchased after boarding her when she was in Tampa, Florida. Too many years ago. You inspired me with your talent and very clear instruction. I’m looking forward to the build. Keep up the good work.I sincerely thank you for accepting my apology. Thank you very much. I understand where your coming from. I wish to God I would have not said anything rather than become so embarrassed and ashamed of myself for being an ass. I can assure you I will continue watching your instructional vids. I am just opening a never opened box of the HMS Bounty I purchased 17 yrs ago. Thank you very much. I understand where your coming from. I wish to God I would have not said anything rather than become so embarrassed and ashamed of myself for being an ass. I can assure you I will continue watching your instructional vids. I am just opening a never opened box of the HMS Bounty I purchased 17 yrs ago. Thank you very much. I understand where your coming from. I wish to God I would have not said anything rather than become so embarrassed and ashamed of myself for being an ass. I can assure you I will continue watching your instructional vids. I am just opening a never opened box of the HMS Bounty I purchased 17 yrs ago.

[@shipmodelguy]

@@davidjenkins446 Like I said, David, "no worries". Good luck with the Bounty model.

[@petemelanyevans9162]

Interesting video ....but that's not how ropes are stowed ...ever . Never have been .

[@shipmodelguy]

Care to elaborate?. And just as a point of clarification. This was not a video to teach people how stow a line on a real ship. It was a video to show a fairly effective way of replicating a ship-board practice at a very small scale. Whether the lines are coiled clockwise or counter-clockwise is of secondary importance to the scale appearance of the finished model. A model, unless built at a large scale AND made specifically as a building guide for a full sized vessel, is a series of compromises to actual practices. This is one way to minimize the appearance of that compromise.

[@thomasnuyts9725]

Turn the rope 3 times around the pin in a figure 8 way, friction will keep it in place, turn the loops clockwise on the deck and move the top of pack of loops against the pin, grab the rope from the pin through the loop towards you and back over the top of the loops ( with or without a twist) and back over the pin: ready ! That is how I was instructed on a seagoing 1896 threemaster last month. Just for your information. Model building is naturally an exercise in compromise and I absolutely adore your craft patience and passion for ship models , thanks for sharing your know how!