Tying hooks to blocks - Tips??

[daddytotwo]

Hi everyone.  I am just getting into doing my gun rigging on my Connie. I am trying to come up with a good wat to tie the metal hooks to the blocks. The blocks are 3mm and I am having a hard time making them look good. It also took way too long to do just one. 

 

Does anyone one have any tips or tricks to doing this?  Videos would be great!  

 

Thanks!

Edited April 26, 2019 by daddytotwo

[Gregory]

May not be the best method at this size, but here is a method I use sometimes..

 

Blocks With Hooks or Eyes

 

There are some caveats  as far as penetrating into the sheave area, but it takes a little extra care and a good glue joint..

[vossiewulf]

This is the little jig I have been using, it works well enough. The little prongs that are holding the block are carbon fiber rod, I don't know of anything else stiff enough at this scale. Also I use fly-tying thread that is very thin for the seizing. Add the hook after the loops are made. In this case the hooks were pretty large as these are the catfall blocks.

 

First step is putting a tiny drop of CA on one side of the loop, and using that to attach the fly-tying thread about in the middle of the length of the thread. Once that sets up, wrap both ends of the thread around the loop a couple times, and pull tight to bring the stropping together at the bottom, this forms the loop. Glue it again with CA. Cut off one end of the thread at that point, and continue wrapping with the remaining thread until it looks correctly seized. Glue one last time and then cut off the excess.

 

I'm putting another example below, of one of the anchor buoys I made that shows what the loop should look like before you start seizing.

 

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by vossiewulf

[Gregory]

Those hooks and blocks look very neat...  I swiped your pic for future reference...

[vossiewulf]

2 hours ago, daddytotwo said:

I am just getting into doing my gun rigging on my Connie.

Looking at your pic, one more suggestion since your hooks aren't like mine, where I'm making them out of wire and can slide the loop onto the hook after the loop is made. In your case it looks like you have premade hooks. In that case, go ahead and make the loops as I've described, but once the loop is made and seized, add thin super glue to the top of the loop so it will soak in, and after it dries, cut it with a sharp knife right at the top of the loop. Pry it open a bit to add the hook, then use CA to glue the cut ends back together.