The Ship Model Forum

Katana,

Thank for the extra photo. Now it seems to be that the top arch of the tube is drilled through and the wire appears to go right through. Their must be an anchor bolt on the inside of the tube holding the wire. It's hard to say in some of these photos because of the shadows and poor lighting underneath some of the decks.

Keep up the good work. Really enjoying your presentation. This is really going to be a good addition to the modelers reference.

It's going to be interesting to see what additions Skulski's new book with have. Maybe some rigging drawings if we get lucky. I guess we can find out in May!

Jim

Hello , Baseballbrat.

I didn't find a better picture of the bent tube , although I have a lot of pictures.

But I found a nice picture of his cousin ( same size) at both sides of the funnel....

This tube is installed with his bottom-up. And that bottom is not hollow shaped.

Please take a look at it : they do not look alike. But apart from the retaining ring with the hole, they look alike.

It is obvious that the rigging at the Funnel is not the same as the one on the Front Bridge.

I guess it's worth to compare these.

Greetz

Katana,

I would say they're identical, just used differently. Same elbow tube, but this time the bottom is turned upward and inserted through a plug and anchored with some type of bolt or anchor. I recall seeing this in the photos I have too. I assume you will be covering this in one of your next installments. Thanks!

Jim

PS: If you look at the photo that was in question, you will notice the looped wire is inserted right down the center just like the photo you just offered.

Kantana,

I am also wondering if a lot of the vertical wiring even with insulators are only being used to secure the long horizontal wires down the ship from swinging into the taller structures on deck. Are they supports or used to conduct?

Baseballbrat wrote :
" Kantana,
I am also wondering if a lot of the vertical wiring even with insulators are only being used to secure the long horizontal wires down the ship from swinging into the taller structures on deck. Are they supports or used to conduct? "

To be honest , I have no idea anymore after I compared so much different wirings with each other.
Sometimes you would say : aha ! : here they use a vertical wire and at the top they use a white insulator, so this must be for conducting.
But a little next to it , they use another line also going vertical and that one is showing 4 brown ball insulators.
And one wire is then leading to a searchlight platform while the other one goes from the funnel to the side mast arms.
Very difficult to conclude if a specific wire somewhere on Yamato is only "support" or used to "conduct & support".

Are there any ship-electricians around?

Cheers

Hey guys, requesting help from other forum members here that have knowledge of rigging wires on Yamato. What are they used for and are they all antenna or are some support wires? How can you tell the difference? Katana is spending a lot of time going through the rigging for us all, so it would be nice if someone that knows about this subject could tell us what this all means. Rigging is the only subject that hasn't been covered on this forum in detail and this is the only place on the net where modelers can go to get the best Yamato references. I've been asking members here for sometime now on rigging Yamato and have been looking far and wide with no luck. Now's our chance to be the one and only site to provide this information to the public, so please offer any insight about the mysteries of rigging wires, so we can all help Katana put all the pieces together. Thanks for your efforts!

Jim

The Yamato class was a relatively new design, so chances are that, aside from some possible guy wires for the mainmast, everything is radio aerial related.



Many IJN ships used similar arrangements. Below, from the GPS book on IJN cruisers:


FWIW, I still think this excellent set of postings deserves its own thread, or else it's eventually going to get lost in the larger CASF Yamato class thread. Either as a sticky, or as a FAQ. Very thorough work, Katana.

Dan,

Do you have other drawings like the one you posted that have turnbuckles, insulators and any other rigging brackets in that book you have on IJN Ships?

Thanks!

Jim

Well, here's something on turnbuckles. Would all be the same, regardless if for aerials or mast stays. I'll see what else may be available.

Thanks Dan! Much Appreciated!!!

Thanks Dan, for the very clarifying pictures..
Appreciate it very much.
This is the kind of feedback that I am dreaming of.
It makes a topic " living " and becoming interesting by all the adds.
Hope to get other replies from you if the opportunity shows.
All best wishes,
Katana

My pleasure. I don't see anything else right now on rigging in the GPS volumes.

CHAPTER 02. BRIDGE
Step 02.01. Rigging Main Cables 1&4 at the Bridge Main Yard tips - Revision 01 of 20 April 2024

Gentlemen,
today we will talk about the Rigging of Main Cables 1&4 at the Bridge Main Yard Tips.
The Main Yards, as referred to, are the 2 beams that are located on the Aft Upper side of the bridge, at the same height as the binocular deck.
They are located on the port and starboard side at the Bridge, at the Aft side. The 2 Main Yards are pointing diagonally backwards and have a slightly inclined plane from their root at the bridge towards their tips.

The pictures.
I introduced 17 pictures from different angles, some of them are enlarged detail-shots. I recommend you to use the zoom function.
The colour codes I used are the same in all the pictures:
Blue arrows : MC Nr 1 trajectory.
Yellow arrows : MC Nr 4 trajectory.
Blue ovals : Brown Ball Insulators on MC Nr 1
Yellow ovals : Brown Ball Insulators on MC Nr 4
Red Arrows : MC1&4 Main Yard tips with double Bottlescrews


Rigging Procedure.
1. The Main Yard Lug Rings.
The Lug Rings are installed on the outside of the Yards, right under the bottom plate of the big lanterns installed on each Main Yard tip. On the top of both Lanterns, a wind direction- and intensity transmitter is installed.See Pic 001-002-003-012-013-014-015. Please use your zoom !
Lug Rings are installed facing the OUTside and perpendicular to the axis of the ship.
They are welded in a horizontal position on the Main Yard tips, enabling the 4 bottlescrew attachment rings to be attached in the best possible way.
2. Rigging devices on MC1&4 (Main Cables 1&4).
MC1&4 are coming from the Foreship to the bridge and nearby the Main Yard tips, both cables are cut.
Both cut ends are attached with a loop to one side of a bottle screw. The other side is attached to the Lug Rings on the Main Yards.
This way, the 2 front halves of MC1&4 are fastened to the Main Yards. From this point on, both Main Cables will be extended.
To achieve this, 2 new cables are equipped with a loop and attached to a second bottlescrew.
The free side of the second bottlescrew is, (just like the first one), attached to the Lug Rings on both Main Yards.
Summary :
We have 2 main cables coming from the Foreship. At the Main Yards, they are both cut and equipped with a botllescrew that is attached to the Main Yard Lug Rings.
Two new cables are prepared at the Main Yards and equipped with a second bottlescrew. The free end of the bottelscrew is also attached to the same Main Yard Lug Rings.
From there, both Main Cable extensions continue their path towards the Side Mast tips.
See details in Pic 001-002-003-012-013-014-015.

Notice :
When looking at the pictures you will see that the bottlescrew rings are shown in a vertical plane (with the ring opening facing the camera). The reason why they appear in that vertical popsition is because they are attached to the Lug Rings that are welded horizontally on the Main Yard side tips.
At the Main Yard tips, a total of 4 bottlescrews are involved.
The 4 Main Cable halves are completely separated at the Lug Rings: they do not touch each other anymore.
The front bottlescrew is pulled to the front side of the Lug Rings by the cable weight above the Foreship. The second bottlescrew is pulled to the back side of the Lug Rings by the weight of the Main Cable extensions towards the Side Mast Arms tips.
See Pic 012-013-014-015.

3. Insulators on Main Cable Nr 1&4 at the Bridge.
In Pic 001-002-004-005-006-007-008-009-010-011-012 you will notice that little before, and little after the Main Yards, a pair of Brown Ball Insulators is installed on MC1&4.
These Brown Ball Insulators are part of this rigging step.

Insulator Count
On MC1&4 , right before and right after the Main Yards, a pair of Brown Ball Insulators (BBI’s ) are installed. There are 4 locations where these Insulator pairs are installed.
Total of insulators used in this rigging step : qty = 8 Brown Ball-Insulators.

This is the end of step 02.01. Rigging Main Cables Nr 1&4 at the Bridge Main Yard tips.
Next rigging step : 02.02. Rigging Main Cables Nr 2&3 at the 60cm Searchlight Platforms.

Gentlemen,
have a nice day

Gentlemen,
This is the rest of the pictures from step 02.01. Rigging of MC Nr 1 & 4 at the Bridge Main Yard tips - Revision 01 of 20 April 2024

Katana,

Do you have any photos of how the lines are being spliced? Example: Photo #9, forward and rearward before it connects to the stanchion. Also the T-bracket. It's the lines where the two ball insulators are on.

Thanks!

Jim

Baseballbrat wrote :

" Katana, Do you have any photos of how the lines are being spliced? Example: Photo #9, forward and rearward before it connects to the stanchion. Also the T-bracket. It's the lines where the two ball insulators are on? "

Hello baseballbrat ,
If I'm right you are referring to the Main Cables Nr 2 & 3 that go to the extending T- bracket on the edge of the searchlight platform ?
This is the subject of the next rigging step : RIGGING MAIN CABLES NR 2 AND 3 AT THE 60CM SEARCHLIGHT PLATFORM
Actually , I'm finishing the article. And there will be plenty of pictures.
Greetz,

CHAPTER 02. BRIDGE
Step 02.02. Rigging Main Cables 2&3 at the 60cm Searchlight Platforms - Revision 01 of 22 april 2024

Gentlemen,
Today we will talk about Main Cables Nr 2 & 3 at the 60cm Searchlight Platforms on the Bridge.

The pictures
There are 10 pictures on which you can see the 60cm Searchlight platforms and the nearby rigging devices.
The colour codes are common for all pictures :
Yellow = port side items. Blue/Light blue = starboard side items.
White circle ( Pic 001) = 60cm Searchlight platform
1 = Front split point on MC 2&3
C = Branch to the Range Finder platform
A = Upper Split Support
B = Lower Split Lug Ring
2 = Aft joint on MC 2&3
Blue/ yellow circles = Brown Ball Insulators on Upper Split Line
Yellow arrows = port side trajectory MC Nr 2
Blue arrows = starboard side trajectory MC Nr 3

The 60cm Searchlight Platforms. See pic 001( white circle).
These are the 2 oval surfaces just behind the binocular deck. At the aft edge of the platform where the big lantern is installed, the Main Yards extend from the searchlight platforms. In the middle of the platform, a 60cm searchlight is installed with its lens facing the outside of the ship.

The Front Split Nr 1. See pic 001-004-005-006-007-008-009-010
Nearby the Binocular Deck and little before reaching the searchlight platforms, at split point Nr 1, MC2&3 are split into a front Upper and front Lower split Cable. These 2 split cables form a triangle that ends at the Upper Split Support “A” and the Lower Split Lug Ring “B”.

Branch to the Range Finder platform”C” . See pic 003
Little before the T-bracket, an additional split is made in the Upper split cable. In fact, this is a branch because the new cable member departs to another destination on the Bridge.
Branch “C” is part of a separate rigging step and will be discussed in the near future.

The Upper Split Support “A”. See pic 002.
The Upper split support is a T-shaped bracket, at the outer edge of the searchlight platform. This “T-bracket ” is in fact a solid rod, approx. 2 times as high as the platform railing and it is welded to the vertical outer wall of the searchlight platform structure.
Notice: the bracket is not installed ON the searchlight platform but to its side wall.
At both sides of the T-bracket main rod, just above the platform railing, 2 reinforcement-legs are attached. They spread downwards and are welded on the right and left side of the T-bracket main-rod, on the vertical wall structure. The top of the T-bracket is in fact a short horizontal tube. In this tube, a short cable is installed, with at both cable-ends : a reinforced loop.

The Lower Split Lug Ring”B” . See pic 003
This is a firm lug-ring that is welded onto the vertical structure of the searchlight platform edge.
In this picture, the (shiny) Lug Ring is standing upright and it is located above and just next to the main rod of the T-bracket.
The front and aft Lower Split cables are attached to the Lug-Ring. At the left, the aft lower Split Cable is connected with a bottlescrew and a hook. At the right side, the front Lower Split Cable is attached with a loop.

The Aft Joint Nr 2. See pic 001& 010
This is the point where the Aft Upper-and Lower Split Cables are brought together , and by doing so, MC2&3 get back their original shape before they arrived on the Bridge : one solid cable.
From the Aft Joint Nr 2, MC2&3 continue to the port and starboard Side Mast Arm tips. But that’s another future rigging step.

The Insulators.
When you look at Pic 004 & 010 (blue circles) and Pic 005-006-007-008 & 009 (yellow circles), you will notice the Brown Ball Insulators.
There are 2 Insulators installed between front split Nr 1 and Upper Split Support “A”.
And between Upper Split Support “A” and Aft Joint Nr 2 we have 2 more insulators on the aft upper split cable.
Notice : the 4 Brown Ball Insulators are installed Only on the Upper Split Cables. The lower split cables do not contain Insulators.

Rigging procedure :
Main Cables 2&3 come from the Foredeck to the Bridge. See pic 001.
Little before they reach the bridge, at station Nr 1, Main Cables Nr 2&3 are split into an upper and a lower split cable.
The upper split cable leads to support “A” and the lower split cable goes to Lower Lug Ring “B”.
Near the Upper split support “A”, the upper split cable ends in a single loop. See pic 002. In this loop, a new short cable is attached that goes to the tube on the Upper split support. See pic 003.
At the left side, the short cable is attached to the Aft Upper Split Cable that leads to the Aft Joint Nr 2.
The lower split cable is attached in the Lower Lug Ring “B” with a loop. See pic 003. In the Lower Lug Ring, a hook with a bottle screw is attached at the left side. The bottlescrew is attached to the Aft Lower Split Cable that leads to the Aft Joint Nr 2.
In Aft Joint Nr 2, the Aft upper & lower split cables are linked and form again the original shape of MC2&3.

Insulator Count.
There are 4 Brown Ball Insulators installed on the front and aft Upper Split Cables at port and also on starboard side.
Total amount of insulators used in this rigging step : qty = 8 Brown Ball Insulators.

This is the end of step 02.02. Rigging Main Cables 2&3 at the 60 cm Searchlight Platforms.
Next rigging step: 02.03. Rigging Cables over Horn Surface Radar platforms to Rangefinder platforms.

Gentlemen,
Have a nice day.

CHAPTER 02.BRIDGE
Step 02.03. Rigging Cables over Horn Surface Radar Platforms to Rangefinder Platforms. – Revision 01 of 27 April 2024

Today we will talk about the Cables that come from the 60cm Searchlight Platform, passing over the Horn Surface Radar Platforms to the edges of the Rangefinder Platform on the front sides of the Bridge.
For all pictures the same colour code applies : Yellow markings = port side and Blue markings = starboard side.

Branch “C” at the 60cm Searchlight Platforms
In Pic 001-002-003-004-005-006-007 you will discover Branch “C” which is the start point of this rigging step. See also previous rigging step 02.02. for more details.
In Branch “C”, a new Cable is added to Main Cables 2&3 on the Searchlight Platforms. Because the split is done right in front of the Upper Split Support T- bracket, our new cable is free to dive downwards to a Cable Lug “D”on the front edge of the Horn Surface Radar Platforms.

The Horn Surface Radar Platform Cable Lug “D”.
The Horn Surface Radar Platform is located in front and lower than the 60cm Searchlight Platforms.See Pic 015-016-017-018-019.
On the front edge of the Radar platform, a big Lug Ring “D” is installed. See Pic 007-008-009-010-011.
Lug Ring “D” is the transit-point where our new cable from Branch “C” is passing through, direction: the Aft Lug Ring “E” on the Rangefinder Platform underneath.
But it is also the anchor-point for another (new) cable that leads to the Front Lug Ring “F” on the Rangefinder Platform.
Notice:
As already mentioned before: our new cable comes from Branch”C” and passes through the Lug Ring on the front edge of the Horn Surface Radar Platform.From there, it leads to the underneath aft Lug Ring “E” on the Rangefinder Platform.
In Pic 009 & 010 you can clearly see that the cable is NOT attached to the Lug Ring. It’s hanging loose in the Lug-Ring without being fastened.
Also visible in Pic 008-009 & 010 : another cable that is attached with a loop to Lug Ring “D”. In Pic 008 it’s the cable on the left side that goes down to the Front Lug Ring “F” on the outer edge of the Rangefinder Platform.

The Rangefinder Platform.
See Pic 008-012-13-014-015-016-017-018-019.
The Rangefinder platform is located below and in front of the Horn Surface Radar Platform. It contains a small Rangefinder and a crew-railing. For detail, see Pic 015-016-018-7-018-019.
At the front (bow-side) and Aft (stern side) of the platform edge, a thick Lug-Ring is attached to the vertical wall structure. See Pic 008-012-013-014 for detail.
The Rangefinder Platform Aft Lug-Ring “E” is the end-station of the first cable coming from Branch “C” at the 60cm Searchlight Platforms. See Pic 008.
The other Lug Ring ”F” is the end-station of another cable that is attached to Lug Ring “D” at the Horn Surface Radar Platform. From there it leads straight to the front Lug Ring ”F” where it is attached with a loop. See Pic 008-012-013-014 for detail.

Rigging Procedure :
At Branch “C” on the 60cm Searchlight Platform, a cable leads downwards to Lug Ring “D” on the front edge of the Horn Surface Radar Platform. The cable passes through the cable- eye of Lug Ring “D” and goes 1 level lower, to the Aft Lug Ring “E” on the Rangefinder Platform.
Also on the Horn Surface Radar Platform, a new cable is attached with a loop to Lug Ring “D” and from there it proceeds to the Rangefinder Platform where it is attached with a loop to Front Lug Ring “F”.
Remark:
In this rigging step I saw a few matters that are worth to mention. When you look at the way how the rigging process on a battleship (like Yamato) is done, you have to admit there is a kind of “rigid “ discipline how these things are put in place. The way cables run from point A to B to C…. The exact place where the Insulators are installed. The location of Brackets, Pulleys and Lug Rings.
All these matters are done following a well determined scenario. In connection with that subject I have a few questions to raise.
In this rigging step, a cable passes trough a cable-eye without being fastened, enabling the cable to move. And when it moves, it does so on a platform where a Horn Surface Radar is located. Is it smart to have a moving cable nearby a Surface Radar ? What about the wind, or rain showers or storm and hail that can make this cable move ?
This same (loose) cable continues down to the Rangefinder Platform where it is attached without any tension, near a Rangefinder. It hangs loose above the platform.
Same story here : What if any plausible cause makes the cable move ? What influence will this have on the rangefinder?
And to make things worse, there is a second cable that arrives in the other Lug ring of the Rangefinder Platform that is ALSO hanging loose (in the wind).
Maybe somebody can confirm that a loose cable in the proximity of a Rangefinder or Radar can do no harm, but I really have my doubts on that. Is this lay-out historically correct ? I don’t know.
Anyway. I still have the intention to hold my promise of old times : In this rigging guide, I describe what I see on the 1/10th scale model in Kure. And on all these pictures, my Yamato rigging guide is based. Period. Which does not rule out I’m always open to suggestions & remarks from you all, on things that I don’t know and can be corrected in my articles. End of my remark.

Insulator count :
It’s quite simple: In this rigging step NO Insulators were used.

This is the end of step 02.03. Rigging of cables over the Horn Surface Radar Platforms to the Range Finder Platforms.
Next rigging step: 02.04. Rigging of the 2 Aft Mid Bridge Cables.

Gentlemen,
have a nice day

CHAPTER 02 BRIDGE
Step 02.03. Rigging Cables over the Horn Surface Platforms to the Rangefinder Platforms.
Gentlemen,
Here is the rest of the pictures

CHAPTER 02. BRIDGE
Step 02.04. Rigging of the 2 Aft Mid Bridge Cables - Revision 01 of 28 April 2024

Gentlemen,
Today we will talk about the 2 Cables that start in the middle on the AFT side of the bridge and go to the Upper Lugs at both outer sides of the Side Mast arms.

The pictures:
In this rigging step, I introduced 15 pictures. The method I used is this one: I first show a general view of our subject and immediately hereafter you get the detail picture of the same spot.
And as in all previous rigging steps I use the same colour code : Yellow arrows & tags = Port side items.
Blue or light blue arrows & tags = Starboard side
Blue or yellow circles: Brown Ball Insulators.

Rigging procedure:
As mentioned before, we start at the rear side of the bridge.
More specific : little under the 2 windows that are located right under the Mid-yard , on the right side of the stairway and on the left side of the small platform. See Pic 001-002-003-004-005-006-007-008. Pictures 014& 015 are detail pictures. You will see that the 2 Aft Mid-Bridge cables are attached to the vertical bridge wall with a bottlescrew. Let’s focus on Pic 001& 014 & 015 where you see clearly the departing stations “G” on the Aft side of the Bridge. In point “G”, the 2 bottlescrews are attached with a hook in a Lug Ring that is welded to the Bridge Vertical Wall. Please use your zoom.
From the bracket , you see 2 massive (static) cables going straight upwards , on the OUTside of the bridge wall, passing through a massive eyelet, aside the first window on the right and aside the second window on the left. Then both cables are going higher than the windows, through a similar solid steel eyelet where they bend over, inwards. From there , they go to the window edge were they disappear in the left and the right upper window corner.
So far the starting place of the 2 Aft Mid Bridge cables.

Let’s find out where these 2 cables go to.
Already in Pic 008 you get an idea of the trajectory these cables follow : The yellow arrows follow the port side trajectory while the blue arrows indicate the starboard side trajectory. From the yellow and blue station “G”, quite narrow, the 2 cables head to the Side mast Upper Lugs, station “J” on the outside of the Side Mast arms. We can say that the cables from their narrow start stations “G” on the Bridge “spread out “ to the Upper Lugs on the Side Mast Arms.

What are the Side Mast Arm Upper Lugs ?
Definition in rigging step 03.00. Mast Assembly :
The Side Mast Upper Lugs are located on both Side Masts, slightly under the (white cord) triangles and also little under the connection of the Side Mast Arm with the Upper Reinforcement Triangle.
See Station “J”, in Pic 009 - 010 ( starboard side) and in Pic 011-012 ( port side).
Pic 013 is the only picture where you can see the complete trajectory of the port side Aft Mid Bridge Cable. It departs in station “J” where it soon encounters a first pair of Brown Ball Insulators (yellow circle). It proceeds towards the Side Mast Upper Lug and in the middle of the trajectory another (single) Brown Ball Insulator is installed(yellow circle). From there it goes further and little before the end-station in the Side Mast Arm Upper Lug , another pair of of Brown Ball Insulators is installed on this cable ( 2 yellow circles).
The 2 Aft Mid Bridge Cables are attached to the Upper Lug Rings with a simple loop.
Notice :
Very hard to see , but when you look close , you will discover the Mid-Brown Ball Insulator on the Aft Lmid Bridge Cables in Pic 008-009-010-011-012 & 013.

Insulator count :
On each Aft Mid Bridge cable, there is 1 pair of Brown Ball Insulators installed near station “J”, then a single Brown Ball Insulator can be found in the middle and another pair of Brown Ball Insulators are installed near the Upper Lug of the Side Mast Arms. We see 5 Brown Ball Insulators on 1 cable.
The same process is applied on port side and on starboard side.
Total amount of Insulators used in this rigging step : qty = 10 Brown Ball Insulators.

This is the end of step 02.04. Rigging of the 2 Aft Mid Bridge Cables.
Next rigging step : 02.05. Rigging from the Signal Deck to the Main Yards and back.

Gentlemen,
have a nice day.