Gegen den Wind [FERTIG]

  • I noticed a whimsical paper model that would be just perfect as a gift for any family member who loves sailing. It is one of Walter Ruffler's paper machines published in Bremen, Germany.


    A wide range of Ruffler's models work on the same principal; a crank turns a cam that activates a push rod of some sort. In this case, the skipper of a sailboat is tossed about as he leans out to counterbalance his boat in a strong wind.


    Model: "Sailing into the Wind"
    Designer: Walter Ruffler
    Size: 13 x 22 x 38.5 cm high
    Number of Sheets: 5
    Supplied with Kit: 3 round wooden toothpicks
    Instructions: German

  • Thank you Wilfried.


    I am already impressed with the fine engineering of parts. You are right. The sense of humour in the piece really draws you in.


    We begin with the crank handle which will provide a means to power the model.


    I have chosen to reinforce the crank handle and the crankshaft with a strip of 3/8" balsa for two reasons; first, to make the parts more robust, but more importantly, to keep the parts rectangular and square in profile. I am demonstrating in the second photo, that the rectangle when folded up is not rectangular. The glue tab pushes one side of the part outward making it not parallel with its opposite side. However, if that tab were to be cut off, opposite sites of the crank handle would come parallel when the part is closed up. Because the strip of balsa is exactly the correct size, the offending tab is not needed at all, solving the problem.


    You can see the balsa filler in photo one. Two pieces of 3/8" square stock glued up side to side, make the perfect rectangle. The balsa filler also ensures that the part has nice crisp edges.

  • Hi John,


    IMG_9039 looks all too familiar to me. The effect is quite dramatic when parts are small relative to the paper thickness.
    I guess a simple butt joint wouldn't hold when you start rocking the boat.


    Cheers,


    Bruno

    Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations

  • Hi John,


    You have really surprised me with the choice of this model, seems to be so different to your usual architectural gems. But nevertheless I appreciate it a lot, as the creator of it lives nearby, and I have visited a very interesting little exhibition of functional card models 3 years ago.


    Walter Ruffler himself led us through the exhibition, which was formed partly by his own models, but also by a lot of other ones (many coming from the UK). I wrote a little report about this visit.


    The last two photographs might be of some interest ...


    Cheers .... Wolfgang

  • Yes, Bruno, I'm looking forward to rocking the boat!


    Hello Wolfgang,


    Well, you've done it again! You've added something to the thread that really adds to the enjoyment of making the model. Thank you so much! The report is bang on for the thread. I now have seen Walter! The collection of his work is a joy to view in your pictures. Good stuff!


    You're right Wolfgang. The model is a departure from the norm for me, but it will be a birthday gift for my brother-in-law.


    Now, getting cranky again...


    The first part of the crank handle is designed to create sockets at both ends. In these pictures the handle is being tested for fit in the socket. The red triangles are registration marks.

  • Two triangular bearing blocks support the crankshaft. The front block is deeper to bear the pressures that will be applied by turning the crankshaft.


    They are reinforced. You will note that one of the reinforcing plates has to be added from the bottom after the block is glued up. It covers the tabs inside.

  • Hello Thomas,


    Thank you. I did not know that you have built this model and written a construction report. This is my first 'Special Interests' build. Hopefully, I can put a different spin on the construction and build our 'skipper' in a different manner.


    Your construction report is excellent!


    Cheers ... John

  • The platform of the base is on. The close-up shot of the platform shows the location of the hinge that will fasten to the bottom of the boat. This will allow the boat to pivot up and down. You can also see the push rod or ram in the square tube, flush with the surface of the platform.


    ToKro is quite right. The model works just fine without the reinforcements I have added. I made a test model and used the clever method of reinforcing the beams designed by Walter Ruffler. Two extra folded segments are added to the four sides of the beams. The fifth segment is the usual glue tab. But a sixth and seventh segments are added. The sixth segment is a diagonal and the seventh is a segment that reverse folds to travel inside up one side of the beam. Very strong!

  • The gudgeons are formed up by rolling up the webs between the two rudder and transom parts. They are rolled around a toothpick provided in the kit and pinched closed with a pair of pliers.


    This technique brought back memories of an old Percival Marshall softcover book entitled, "Modelling Tudor Ships" by R.K. Battson, published in 1950. I found it downstairs. Sure enough, on page 32 there was,


    Fig. 14. Rudder fitments.


    The text read, as you can see in this photo, "The rudder can also be made at this stage ... and the pintles and gudgeons made from tin or brass strip, with an eye crimped in the ends with round-nose pliers ..."


    And here it is in paper!

  • The jib-boom and the mainsail boom are joined together with joining strips that wrap around each other. The mainsail has loosely fitting rings. They're strips that circle around the sail and fasten with tabs at the sail's outer edge on the backside. They actually look as though they pass through the grommets in the sail. Nice artwork.


    This little craft is beginning to look very functional...

  • This mechanical model is entitled "Sailing into the Wind", so it's seems fitting to really fill the jib sail with air. Getting a full curve that seems to be under tension was fun to achieve. It took a number of dry trials to get it to attach properly at the bow, the rail and the mast.


    I think this sail will give our skipper a good challenge.

  • The kit comes with three wooden toothpicks. We have seen one of them used for the pintle on the rudder. The others are used for pivot points and for fastenings.


    I have chosen to use split brads for the fastenings. At Michaels Arts and Craft store, in the scrapbooking section, I found coloured brads. They should work well.

  • Our skipper will lean outboard to counterbalance the pressure on the sail when the crank causes the boat to heel over. A link is required to keep his seat firmly in place as his upper body leans back.


    Here is the linkage to achieve that. I had to find a smaller punch to suit the diameter of the wooden toothpick axle. The one shown in the picture is a vintage one. My mother used it over 50 years ago. It was one of her leather punches.

  • Thanks Herbert.


    You are right. It is pretty. The colours are most appealing; bold and bright.


    Well, here is our project to date. I am most impressed with the design and precision of this model so far.


    The photo on the right shows where the action will heat up now. The two white tabs - the one on the gunwale and the other on the end of the link arm - will attach to our skipper.


    Onward into the wind...

  • Good morning ToKro,


    Scrapbooking is a very popular craft now. I'm sure you will have no difficulty finding these brads. I was surprised to see them available in so many sizes and shapes - square heads for example.


    There are some very tiny sizes available. Black was not included in the assorted colour pack I bought, but you can buy them in one-colour blister packs. I wanted to get an assorted pack for the yellow of our skipper's squall jacket and the blue parts.


    Anneke, you must post a picture of your dragon here!

  • And finally, we have the skipper!


    His arms and legs were printed on only one side, so I made an extra copy of the parts and added them where possible. The palms of his hands came from a copy of the neck piece and the back of his lower arms came from his squall jacket.


    Hopefully the fingers of his hand will fit around the handle of the tiller and the fingers of his right hand will grip the gunwale. They look rather wooded left straight.

  • This is really interesting and fun to see. John, did you change your taste for paper modeling?
    If there is a pretty blond girl standing on the jetty and winking cutely at the captain... I want to build such a paper model someday.....
    Thank you for your inspiration


    Cheers,
    Yu

  • Sailing into the Wind is finished. This model has been a delight to build. It was just good fun.


    I think the subtlety of the humour in the piece is wonderful. The pièce de résistance of the model for me, is the bird perched atop the masthead. The bird is totally ignoring the skipper. The implication is that he has every right to be perched there and there is nothing the skipper can do about it. The passive face on the skipper shows me he is quite aware of this. This tableaux gives the model its charm.


    Ich finde der subtile Humor bei diesem Modell ist einfach wunderbar. Das Besondere an diesem Model für mich ist der Vogel, der hoch droben auf der Mastspitze sitzt. Der Vogel ignoriert den Skipper komplett. Man kann daraus schließen, daß er jedes Recht dazu hat und der Skipper rein gar nichts dagegen tun kann. Der passive Gesichtsausdruck des Skippers zeigt, daß er sich dessen wohl bewußt ist. Diese Darstellung gibt dem Modell seinen Charme.


    Walter Ruffler has given permission here to post his website:


    http://www.walterruffler.de/index.html


    I highly recommend viewing this site. All items are also available with English cover and instructions. Some of his kits are also available in America: http://www.brooklyn5and10.com


    Walter also indicated that he has a collection of paper automata from all over the world, from the 19th century till today. His marvellous work is found in museums in Germany and Northern Italy.

  • Hi John,


    Beautifully executed.
    Personal time invested in a gift always makes it special. I'm sure it will be highly appreciated by the receiver.


    Cheers,


    Bruno

    Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations

  • Dear John,


    Very nice model! It was great fun to see this unusual model, for a change from the super detailed builds seen otherwise in the forum. Such models prove how much can be done with paper modeling.


    Have a nice weekend,


    Matthias

  • Hi John,


    Congratulations! It´s been a pleasure again to follow your report, you are always able to highlight certain aspects of a model that are new and/or quite surprising.
    Must have something to do with your former occupation ... (which you share with Walter Ruffler, by the way).


    The receiver of this gift is surely privileged.


    Cheers .... Wolfgang

  • Thank you everyone, for the positive comments in this thread. As I said, this model was fun!


    Thank you Jan for the translation.


    I leave you all with one last picture before leaving the thread. The model has to be safely delivered and safely stored. It can not be simply placed in the box.


    Here's my solution. This should keep our skipper and his feathered friend safe and happy.


    Cheers All,
    John