1:350 Anchor Chains

Modeling Subjects Ships
1

Hi Guys,

I’m working on Tamiya’s 1:350 USS Missouri and Fletcher ship models. I would like to replace the molded in anchor chains on these kits. What size and type of chain should I be looking for, and where would you all think I could find it?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Jason

2

Jason,

Your best bet for these chains would be a model railroad shop…they usually have several size chains and often they’re already blackened. For a 1:350 scale ship I would probably look for chain with about 24 - 28 links per inch. I recently scratchbuilt a 1:350 fleet oiler and I used 24 link-chain. Another good place to look for chain is a swap meet: check out the old necklaces and stuff, but make sure you get a nice plain chain and not one with flattened links. Hope this helps.

3

Try these chains from Tiger - these are the very fine and look great on destroyer-sized ships and smaller. The smallest model railroad chain is about 45 LPI and these look better. You can go up a bit. perhaps to 30 - 36 LPI for a BB/CV sized project. I’ve seen some models where the modeler went above that and it really looked bad. Its like the modeler was saying look at these - look at what I did. It drew attention away from what whas a decent model to something which was grossly overscale. What you want is subtlty.

4

Hobby Lobby has a selection of chains in their jewelry making section. Some could be used for ship’s anchor chains, I bought some for my Trumpeter/Banner 1/350 Arizona for about $1.99 and have enough to do about 3 Arizonas.

Tracy

5

Thanks for your quick replies! I’ll be checking out all the suggestions you all made. They all sound very usable.

Thanks again!
Jason

6

Most navy anchor chain has an overall oval shape, round link chain of any LPI would look out of place. A 12" long link, in 1/350 would be 0.034" X 0.023", this would serve for a Destroyer anchor chain. I have seen some “oval” link chain in antique jewelry.

Pete

7

Yes, round chain does look a little “funny” even at that scale - IF you know what it’s supposed to look like. If you don’t, and think it adds to the model, then I say use it. I’ve used the flat photoetched anchor chains that come on PE frets for my 1/700 scale ships, and for the small lengths involved, it looks just fine. I well remember the one PE fret that had individual 1/700 anchor chain links you were supposed to join to get the 3-D effect and I thought, “Nope, not gonna go there…”