April 23, 2026
Description
The ship I am modeling was rigged with "turn-buckles" more commonly known then as "rigging-screws." They were functionally a little different than turnbuckles are today.
Unable to make functional ones of metal mostly because I couldn't find reverse-thread taps & dies so small, I opted to print them.
I didn't need them to operate, so I looked into having them cast in brass, bronze, or even aluminum, but the cost for the 60 or so I needed was just too much, so I'm using these printed in Siraya Tech Build resin.
In my case they're going on a working RC model, so they're installed in a way I can replace any that may break fairly easily.
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I'm posting the model here so anyone building a model of a US warship of the late 1840s through the 1860s, such as the Cumberland or the Hartford, will have proper rigging-screws for their ship.
The model is in 1:36 scale, but should scale down to any common ship modeling scale, 1:100, 1:96, 1:76, etc. To re-scale in your slicer; divide 36 by the scale you want; for instance: 36/76 = .474 or 41%; 36/96=.375 or 38%, etc.
The pictures are of the models I've printed and how they will be installed on my model, and an image of the real thing in place on a ship built6 in the mid 1850's.
It's hard to find data or images of these things, but the top part of them can be glimpsed in a few Civil War era photos taken on-board ships.
License:
Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial