Chain plate sets for model ships

One of the most interesting assemblies in building a model ship is the chain plate assembly.

Chain plate assemblies and dead eyes were part of the standing rigging of a sailing ship. These were to join the lower ends of the shrouds to the side of the ship. Shrouds were the ropes that stabilized the masts and held them firmly in place. The ropes of the shrouds pierced the holes of the dead eyes. In this way, they could be periodically tightened while still tightening the masts. Conveniently, the shrouds provided a kind of ladder, rat lines, that allowed sailors to climb to various levels of the masts.

All countries used dishes in the early 17th century. Chains became frequent until the mid-17th century, after which some countries such as Great Britain returned to plates. Chain plates get their name from old wooden boats that used to use tarred manila or hemp rope along with dead eyes and cords to tighten rigging. Chain plates can be one of several iron strips, chains, or a combination of iron links and straps. A dead eye would be attached to the end of the room, while the other dead eye would be chained to a chain or link that would be connected to a plate that was attached to the crossbows (helmet). This dish was called the chain.

Through the use of chain plates and other rigging devices, sailboats are better able to support complex rigging systems and components. The weight of shrouds and other stays on a sailboat is distributed along the hull, along the deck, and against the frame components through the use of chain plates and dead eyes. Multiple holes in the body of a chain plate allow travel between various bolts where the chain plate is attached to the hull.

Construction:

A chain plate is the thick iron plate bolted to the side of the ship to which the chains and dead eyes are attached. The chain plate and chains normally consisted of 5 parts, the lower dead link and the upper link, an intermediate link, a foot link, bolts and a preventive link (or chain plate). The top link surrounds the bottom dead eye, the middle link connects to the top link at the top and the foot link at the bottom. The foot link is connected to the preventive link. The prevention link was bolted to the exterior decking.

The lower dead eye has to be sharpened with metal. The length of the metal loop at the bottom depends on whether you are using plates or chains. Also consider that the channel or chain guides are used to keep the assembly some distance from the hull, so make sure they are wide enough on your model boat. Interestingly, the mizzen mast channel was quite rudimentary and often did not even exist. If you are using chains, the loop should be long enough to go well below the bottom side of the channel and act as the first link in the chain. If you are using dishes, the loop just needs to be long enough to hang just below the channel and allow the dish to hook into it. The ship shaper can form the scourer using wire and starting from the bottom of the dead eye and moving upward. Start by creating the loop and then wrap the wire around the dead eye that ends at the top. Drill two small holes at the top of the dead eye and thread the ends of the wire through the holes.

The lower dead eye can sit in a channel slot, directly in the channel, or raised just above the channel, depending on the age of the model ship you are building. The first plate in the chain should be perpendicular to the mast starting from the end of the bow and moving toward the stern. The balance of the chain plates should be slightly tilted as the assembly moves aft.

The ship modeler has several options when it comes to building chain plate assemblies. As usual, take into account the age and nationality of the ship model you are building. If you choose to use a solid piece of metal, regardless of the shape, there should be at least two holes, one on top of the other, to attach it to the rafters. And don’t forget to simulate the caulking around the bolt holes with drawing ink. The top center and toe links can be the same size or vary in length. Often the toe link will be the shortest.