Tichy offers a simple way to make ladder assemblies of varying lengths and number of rungs. Below is pictured a ladder made using their 18″ ladder rung detail (#3062) beside a Tichy molded one-piece ladder of what looks more like 15-16″ width,

Here’s how I did it…

First I took a piece of 18mm Tamiya Tape about 1-1/2” long.  I placed it sticky side up on a 1×2 wood block.  I held it down with 10mm Tamiya Tape all around.

Next, I cut a strip of .020″x.188″ about “.50″ long – this doesn’t have to be accurate.  I placed it on the sticky face of the tape.

I measured the distance between the stringers/styles and made up a piece of styrene strip to this width. I did this by gluing a .010″x.020″ strip to a .020″x.188″ strip to get the desired width – actual size measures to .020″x.201″.  This strip is cut square on one end; the other end doesn’t matter. When dry, I laid this strip on the sticky side of the 18mm tape perpendicular to the first one laid.

Then, I cut two strips of .020″x.030″ styrene for the stringers/styles the same length.  The ends of these parts can be rounded with a file like some freight car ladders, but I did not do this.

I placed these strips snug against the first strip and cross strip on the tape.  I marked the rung locations on one of the stringers.  I used a pencil, but divider points set at the desired pitch and ‘walked’ along one stringer/style is an alternative. After this, I removed the first (center) strip which then leaves room to glue the rungs.  The Tamiya Tape is low tack – I used the point of No. 11 blade to pry up on the end.

The rungs were removed from the sprue with a sprue nipper.  A small vestige results but it is hard to file off but it might “melt” away anyway when the glue is applied.

A rung is positioned on a mark on one stringer and Tamiya Extra Thin Cement is very sparing applied (not much is needed).  The bottle brush and barrel can hold a lot of cement, so I wiped them around on the inside of the bottle neck to remove most of the excess cement.

Being styrene, this is perhaps the best part in that one has a lot of time to work.  I adjusted the rung to be perpendicular to the stringers/styles and when satisfied, I cemented the other end in place. The other rungs were added the same way.

After the cement sets (which isn’t long), I lifted the assembled ladder from the tape using a No. 11 blade.

Pro’s

  • Fine rung diameters include the mounting bolts at the ends.
  • Allows customized number of rungs in a ladder.
  • Molded in styrene, it allows easy construction with styrene strip stringers/stiles using a thin glue like Tamiya Extra Fine Cement.

Con’s

  • Tichy offers rungs in 18” width only.  This limits what ladders can be made.
  • In the packages I have, a few rungs are broken and some others are not fully formed (a molded “short shot”).
  • Not really a con…they are very small and require patience to handle/assemble.