Jump to content

When were blocks changed?


Recommended Posts

In Popeye's build of the Gothenburg a member posted pictures of blocks recovered from the wreck (see here) .  These blocks from 1745 have wooden pins.  When were blocks made with metal pins? 

 

Bob

Edited by Cap'n'Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bob,good question.

 

I think that both types of pin were in use all of the time. Lees quotes wood pins (lignum vitae I would think) for small blocks and Iron or Brass pins for large blocks used in English ships. Marquardt quotes pins being made from Lignum Vitae,Cog-Wood (Laurus chloroxylon),Greenheart and Iron in his book 18th Century Rigs & Rigging which covers other countries as well as Britain. Neither of these books mention anything about dates of change from wood to metal.  

 

Hope this is of help to your question.

 

Dave :dancetl6:

Edited by davyboy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you guys talking of sheaves or really of the axles, i.e. the pins on which the sheaves run ? I have never heard that the axles were made from anything else, but metal. The friction of wood on wood would be rather to high and they would very quickly wear down without constant greasing.

 

I think there has never been a complete shift over from wood to metal as far as blocks for organic and man-made fibres is concerned. The sheaves of blocks for wire rigging to my knowledge have (almost) always been from cast iron. The wire rope would simply saw into wooden sheaves. Also, wire rope requires relatively large sheaves that would be quite expensive to make from wood.

 

wefalck

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you guys talking of sheaves or really of the axles, i.e. the pins on which the sheaves run ? I have never heard that the axles were made from anything else, but metal. The friction of wood on wood would be rather to high and they would very quickly wear down without constant greasing.

 

 

wefalck

 

I would tend to agree with you but it is obvious from the pictures the pins were made of wood.

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/889-gothenborg-by-popeye-the-sailor-billings-1100-scale/page-8

 

Click and scroll down.

 

Bob

Edited by Cap'n'Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't doubt the use of lignum vitae, it is an extremely hard wood.

In the late seventies I had a piece of it in my hands and I couldn't find a tool able to score it.

As for friction I can tell you it was part of a propshaft bearing on a 10 000Hp bulk carrier, operating at 122RPM,

so you can figure out the resistance to wear.

In that capacity it was water cooled, but on the other hand it would get more friction in one minute than a block in one

hour, so I believe there would have been no problem

 

All the best

Zeh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 years later...

Never ... well, I think brass or perhaps rather bronze or cast-iron came into use when wire runners came into use, for which even Lignum vitae was too soft. I believe expensive brass sheaves and ball-bearings came into use also on later 19th century yachts.

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an old block from the early 20th century that is internally stropped and has a sheave that is LV, not brass.    Perhaps there were options/choices depending on the circumstance.

Allan

 

 

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wish we were a little closer to discuss face to face.  We're over in Wailea this week,  but checking in on MSW for the important stuff 😀   As to internally stropped blocks I need to look at my books when we get back home but I know they were common by the late 19th century so probably quite some time earlier.  I am sure there are members here with some contemporary based information.  I hope so, as I am curious about this as well!!  

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Henry, you bring up a great point, LV had a variety of uses.  The bearings for the propellor shaft where it went through the hull on all the ships I sailed in the 60's had LV sleave bearings.   I am sure that has changed, but it served us well for many decades well into the 20th century, perhaps longer.

Allan

PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series.   Click on http://trafalgar.tv   There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time.  THANK YOU

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...