Internally stropped blocks

[allanyed]

I have made blocks with internal iron strops a number of times but am not  really satisfied with any of the methods tried,  especially when making the smallest ones.  I have made them using laminations with the strop laid in, that being close to the method used in full size,  and from solid pieces drilled to take the strop on each side of the sheave opening(s).   I have drilled in the top (and bottom when needed) to take an eye which is totally wrong but passable at the smallest sizes once the eye is shaped a bit so as to not be round, but rather u-shaped or triangular.  If anyone out there has a favorite method that yields excellent looking internally stropped blocks that they would like to share, I am all ears and eyes.   

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Allan

[russ]

Allan:

What sizes are you looking at? Shell length? Scale?  

[allanyed]

Hi Russ

 

The current build of the Effie M. Morrissey /Ernestina is 1/4" scale.  The blocks range from 5" to 12" (just under 1/8" to 1/4" long shells.) Most are singles and doubles with a couple triples in the largest sizes.     I have recently written to the Ernestina.Org group and hope to hear from them on rigging sizes, but in the meantime I am using the list of blocks from Chappelle for the Columbia as a guide.

 

Allan

[russ]

That is about the smallest scale I would even think of trying to make such blocks. I have made them in larger scales with little difficulty. I use a 4" table saw with a zero clearance insert and the blade lowered to make the grooves on the inside face of the shell for the strop to fit into.

 

Russ

[Chuck]

How quickly do you need them Allan....?

[twintrow]

Anyone have a photo of an internally stropped block.  Having a hard time visualizing one.

thanks

Tom

[russ]

Here is a photo of a double sheaved block I made a while back for a model.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

Logic would suggest to me that you should go with the sandwich method as in actual practice? But you said you tried that and didn't like the results. what was the down side to building up the blocks from individual pieces? -aside from the time it takes.

[allanyed]

Russ,

Very nice!

 

JCF, the time to make these is indeed long, but not the problem. Making them so they are consistent in appearance across 50 to 100 blocks is my problem.   I am  looking for ideas that others may have tried and wound up with blocks that looked as they should, even at the smallest sizes.

 

Chuck, couple months probably. 

 

Thanks to all

 

Allan

[JerseyCity Frankie]

Philip Reed has some amazing models and written some how-to books. He uses hollow oval shaped punches to knock out identical blocks. He says he makes the punches himself on a lathe. His work is much smaller than 1:48 but I imagine the technique would work on a larger scale? I suppose he drills out the centers to some depth then tapers the round stock to meet the hole and then sharpens. He gets them oval by tapping them on two sides with a hammer. (Page 85 Period Ship Modelmaking)  I would LOVE to have a set of oval punches but I doubt I am ever going to have a lathe.

Edited February 4, 2016 by JerseyCity Frankie

[Chuck]

I have a design for them which could be laser cut....I think the smallest I could comfortably go is 5/32" long though.   I just havent had time to laser cut them and try building the prototypes.   I probably wont be able to do that for a few weeks.

 

I am also having a problem sourcing brass strip thin enough and the correct dimensions for the strops at these various sizes.

 

Its been something on my to-do list for some time.

 

Chuck

[allanyed]

JCF, Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

 

Chuck,  Brass shim stock can be found down to 0.001 at McMaster Carr, (and probably some other places.)  I think they still have one of their DCs not far from Exit 8A off the NJTP so could be will called or at your shop in a day or 2  if shipped. 

 

Allan

[Chuck]

Thanks for that.

 

Chuck