Reference · How-tos · Deck fittings

Turning and fitting rail stanchions for the ladderway

Turn walnut stanchions on the lathe, exactly to size, with a pin in the bottom to fix them into the deck and a brass ring at the top for the rope, which you let sag with water and a small weight.

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1. 1Learn from the first two attempts

   Expect more than one attempt. Attempt one, from thinned-down round sticks painted black, came loose halfway through the model builders' day in Hillegom. Attempt two in walnut with brass rings already looked good, but the stanchions were still uneven. So only turn the final set once you have the measurements exactly.

   

   

   Tip from Herby63: The fact that they are not 100% identical shows that it is handwork and gives the satisfaction of having made it yourself.

   Watch out: Satay skewers are rubbish wood: two evenings wasted. And stanchions that are only glued come loose as soon as the ship is transported.

2. 2Measure the stanchions precisely

   Decide in advance on the height, the thickness and the position of the curves, and keep to those measurements for all four stanchions. That is the difference between attempt two and three: with fixed measurements they come out fairly uniform.

3. 3Turn the stanchions on the lathe

   Chuck a scrap of walnut from the display stand and turn the stanchions on the lathe. Turn the thickness first, then the curves at the measured positions.

   

   

4. 4Compare and touch up

   Lay the four stanchions side by side and compare height, thickness and curves. Touch up the places that differ until they are fairly uniform; in reality you do not see small differences, only in the photo.

   

5. 5Drill the holes and glue pins into the bottom

   Drill a hole in the top and bottom of each stanchion. Glue a pin into the bottom and then cut it very short, so a small spike remains to fix the stanchion with.

   

6. 6Fit the brass rings

   Use the brass rings that come with the smallest Caldercraft hooks; those were too big for the guns and you have plenty left. Push the ring into the top hole with a minuscule drop of CA glue.

   

   Watch out: The black rings of attempt one were far too big, as I was also told in Hillegom. The brass rings are smaller and look classy.

7. 7Drill holes in the deck and fit the stanchions

   Drill holes in the deck at the four corners of the ladderway. Then the stanchions with their pin points drop neatly into place and stand straight. Thread the brown rope through the rings.

   

   Tip from Pingu57: I would try to get the two stanchions at the front of the ladderway a bit straighter.

8. 8Let the rope sag

   Wet the rope and lay something a bit heavier on it, a drill bit for instance, so that it starts to sag. If need be with some white glue worked in, but just water and a small weight is already enough. A tightly strung rope does not look realistic.

   

   Tip from Hans Groenenberg: Wet the rope and lay a heavier drill bit on it, for instance, then it will sag a little. If need be mixed with some white glue so it takes that shape.

   Watch out: The rope was strung fairly tight between them, so it did not sag much. Leave a bit more length when threading.

Result

It was nice, but now it is nicer: the stanchions are fairly uniform and fixed in place, and the rope sags realistically. I tried black rope too, but brown won, because my black rope was simply less attractive.