Easy Ratline Template 3mm-pitch for model boats

Easy Ratline Template 3mm-pitch for model boats

Artesania Latina 27309

Three templates corresponding to the three widths of the shrouds as they taper toward the head.

3 mm pitch—the finest in the range. Designed for small scales, where the shrouds are close together and the spans are very short.

The shrouds are made in a single continuous run using zigzag stitching, rather than knot by knot at each crossing.

Spacers included: the template stays lifted off the shrouds, and the glue won’t stick it to your model.

This uses much less thread than tying knots, and all the shrouds are at the same height.

Package contents:

Three laser-cut templates made of plywood, corresponding to the three widths of the shrouds as they taper from the deck to the masthead. One is nearly parallel, and the other two are arranged in a fan shape, so that each rests against a different area of the rigging, rather than forcing you to work with a single width that doesn’t fit any of them well.

The two long edges of each template are cut into fine teeth, spaced 3 mm apart. This spacing is the key feature of the product: it determines the distance between one shroud and the next, from bottom to top. It’s actually engraved on the template itself; so, once you have several sets, you won’t need to measure a notch to know which one you’re using.

The set also includes small spacers that attach to each template. They keep the template slightly away from the struts, which is more important than it seems: when you apply a dot of glue at each intersection, the template won’t end up sticking to the model.

Instructions

You only need to read these instructions once to remember them forever.

• Place the template behind the shrouds, with the teeth aligned with the first spreader knot.
• Run a single thread in a zigzag pattern in front of the shrouds, letting it drop into each pair of teeth.
• Check the alignment and apply a dot of glue at each intersection between a stay and the thread.
• Once dry, remove the template and trim the ends flush on both sides.

This gives you a continuous row of knots spaced 3 mm apart—a task that used to take the time it would take to tie a dozen knots. And since the wire runs from one knot to the next without being tied or cut at each intersection, you use only a fraction of the amount of rigging wire you would otherwise have used.

Why 3 mm, and how do you choose the spacing?

The spacing between the rungs isn’t purely decorative: on a real boat, they’re the rungs of a ladder, spaced a little over a foot apart. Scale this down, and the spacing will adapt to the scale of your model. The smaller the scale, the closer together the rungs are.

3 mm is the finest pitch we offer, and it’s intended for small scales, where a 5 mm pitch would look like a rope ladder with rungs spaced one meter apart. If you’re building at a small scale and find yourself staring at a 5-mm template, wondering if it’s too coarse, this is the one you’ve been looking for.

The entire range of Artesania-Latina rope-making templates (see “Accessories” on this page):

• 27309 — 3 mm — 151 × 100 mm — Small-scale models. The finest pitch in the line, and the newest model.
• 27310 — 5 mm — 300 × 150 mm — The flagship model in the catalog and the most common choice.
• 27311 — 6.5 mm — 300 × 150 mm — Large-scale models, with more widely spaced shrouds.
• 27312 — 8 mm — 300 × 150 mm — The largest models, where the rigging is built nearly full-scale.

Feel free to measure the distance between two shrouds on your own model and compare it to the width of the templates: the spacing that looks correct on the plan is the one that will look correct on the finished boat.