I am building the Trumpeter San Francisco with the GMM photo etch kit. The PE set includes yards for the fore and main masts. The foremast yard has little pulleys for the signal halyards, with tiny holes in them to rig the signal halyards! This is the first I have seen that! That is great. I had taken to making little pulley eyes from twisted fine wire, but these will be smaller and look better. I hope this feature spreads to other sets in future for modern warships.
Given that those are probably 5/8" signal halyards, the blocks are going to be about 6-7" long to house a 5-6" sheave–then that’s some tiny stuff.
But, I applaud them for including that tiny detail.
Stand by for loss of vision!
Is there any way to build up the yard itself to make it round?
Like perhaps dipping it in a shallow tray of something that could allow layers be made to the correct thickness? Then you could file or sand it to shape? Would CA glue allow that?
The yard is three pieces of PE that you glue together. The laminations add some thickness. I use a full-bodied primer (Krylon). I plan to give it a few extra coats (though masking off the pulleys). That may help.
This poses another problem–to show the signal halyards doubled, or as single lines?
Which then gets to how to model 1/350 5/8" line (0.0018" or 0.005mm)
While on this topic, should one want to fly signal flags (the radio call signal is flown when the radio was manned). SF’s was November-India-Juliet-Zulu, per NavSource.
Signal flags are fitted with a 5’ (1524mm) lanyard. This makes for uniform spacing. It also allows for signals needing spaces. Like Speed 15 Corpen 90.
Personally I like them doubled. I think it makes a better appearance. I use a five mil monofilament, fairly translucent which makes it look a bit thinner than it really is. Big thing is to avoid pure white or black rigging. One a line is thinner than the eye can resolve, its visibility is driven by its contrast, so we need to reduce the contrast to make it look less prominent and hence look smaller than it really is.
Signal halyards see a lot of use, and they get replaced frequently (better to replace one, that having it part in use). Thus, they can stand out in color photos a bit. With the change from manilla line to mantled line.
Of course, it’s up to modelers’ discretion as to which hues and tones are best…
Now, if only there were better references for how the flag bags and the Signalsman station is set up.