Hey Kids,

My young wolf is maturing nicely. Sea vents and limber holes have been correctly, uniformly carved out, as paint has been applied. All that really remains include rigging, the ensign question, and detailing the guns and the gear on tower (compass, fernsprecher, and so on), as well as copying and transfering the infamous Cat Times 3 emblem to a decal sheet. I have obtained drawings for the deck and AA gun, and have developed a pretty cogent strategy to build convincing arm rests and all. But I am a little baffled about the hand wheels.
It has been suggested to me that a good option is to pick up some N scale break wheels from Walthers, or a local hobby store. The problem is that the whells I have been able to locate look nothing at all like those featured on Germany's u-boats, which
had only four spokes exclsuively. So, I am soliciting counsel to see if there is another way, or if I should just resign myself to this inaccuracy.
It may interest you to know that the local train store is probably going out of business, so they are not taking special orders at the moment. And it may be a bit cost-prohibitve to pay $6.00 shipping for $2.00 in merchandise, as would probably be the case if I were to order from Wlathres or some otehr web-base merchant. And yes, I checked HR fittings, drydock.com, and none of them have handwheels. Again, any suggestions most welcome.
As a final note, I am also interested in knowing what fellow contributors might suggest about the rigging, particularly the pullies that suspend the lines in front and back of, as well as on the sides of tower. And article I read suggested beeds, but I am not absolutely persuaded by this; thus, any input you may have on this issue would also be beneficial.


Warm Regards,

Einsamer Wolf