Block attachment thread color

[Matt H]

I am very new at building model ships and am in the rigging stage on the 18th Century Longboat by Model Shipways. I am also doing a lot of reading and research on various topics for my next build the Model Shipways Syren. I believe I understand the difference between running and standing rigging, running is basically any rigging that moves to control the sails, standing is the support rigging that holds up the masts, it does not move.

 

Pardon my incorrect or lack of terminology, my question is, the thread or rigging used to attach a block to a mast or boom, etc, should it be black since that part of the rigging wouldn't move? Wouldn't that part of the rigging permanently hold the block at that location on the mast and the hole through the block or wheel/pulley on a real ship, would be for the tan running rigging? 

 

So should I be using black or tan thread to attach the blocks to a mast? What about a block that would have an eye for a hook or other rigging line to run through it?

 

Thank you much!

 

Oh and one other quick side question, I see the word "strop" used often, but can't quite figure out what it means. I have looked in the various guides or books in the Articles Database and that word is not listed in either the Steel - Art of Rigging or Biddlecomb 1848 - The Art of Rigging.

Edited August 4, 2019 by mjh410

[wefalck]

Strop is a piece of rope spliced into a ring and used to attach things, such as blocks, for instance. If a block is going to have a hook at the end, the strop is going all around the block and through the eye of the hook. It is then tied together between the hook and the block.

 

Strops and the likes are usually tarred. In fact, the strops may be also 'wormed'. The tar until the early decades of the 19th would be derived from the destillation of different barks/woods and dark brown in colour, rather than black. 'Pitch-black' tar only became available as a waste product from the destillation of coal to obtain gas for street-lighting in the 1820s or so.

 

In consequence, it might be better to work with natural colour 'rope' and dye it a dark brown.

[druxey]

'Strop' is sometimes written as 'strap' in the older texts.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

In the context of a block in the age of wooden sailing ships the Strop is the rope that permenantly encircles the block and is the part that provides the attachment point where the block is positioned in the rig. It’s nearly always a Rope Grommet that has the block itself seized within it with its extra length formed into an eye. Often the strops were wormed served parceled and tarred to give them the greatest possible longevityand this made them black. But if you google “stropped block” today you get modern photos of rope stropped blocks which nearly all appear to be made for demonstration or decorative purposes and all of these are just the color of the rope, tarnish brown.

[Matt H]

Thank you both, very good information and pictures, thank you very much.

[Roger Pellett]

True strops for blocks are easy to make:

 

1. Using a piece of soft wire strop the block and the thing that you intend to attach it to.  Straighten out the wire, measure the length and divide the result by three.  This is the diameter of the strop.

 

2. Find a short piece of dowel close to the calculated diameter.

 

3.  Wrap three turns of thread around the dowel- using a needle, the third turn should be a series of overhand knots “sewn” around the other two.  Tie off the ends of the thread around the three thread turns.

 

4.  Thread a piece of thinner thread to a needle and serve the twisted rope turns around the dowel, and tie off the ends of the serving.  A dab of clear nail polish is good for securing knots.

 

5.  The finished product will be a served grommet.  This is then slipped over the block and seized as Frankie shows above.

 

6. It is easy to add a hook by passing each wrap in step 3 through the eye of the hook.

 

This procedure is easy and quicker than it sounds.  It provides a much mote realistic appearance than a tied knot.

 

Roger

 

 

[Matt H]

6 hours ago, Roger Pellett said:

True strops for blocks are easy to make:

 

1. Using a piece of soft wire strop the block and the thing that you intend to attach it to.  Straighten out the wire, measure the length and divide the result by three.  This is the diameter of the strop.

 

2. Find a short piece of dowel close to the calculated diameter.

 

3.  Wrap three turns of thread around the dowel- using a needle, the third turn should be a series of overhand knots “sewn” around the other two.  Tie off the ends of the thread around the three thread turns.

 

4.  Thread a piece of thinner thread to a needle and serve the twisted rope turns around the dowel, and tie off the ends of the serving.  A dab of clear nail polish is good for securing knots.

 

5.  The finished product will be a served grommet.  This is then slipped over the block and seized as Frankie shows above.

 

6. It is easy to add a hook by passing each wrap in step 3 through the eye of the hook.

 

This procedure is easy and quicker than it sounds.  It provides a much mote realistic appearance than a tied knot.

 

Roger

 

 

Thanks for the info, I'm still a bit confused though. I'm lost on step 3 and the third turn with overhand knots. Then on step 4, do we keep those 3 turns of thread on the dowel and use the needle to go under those threads and wrap them with that thinner thread? 

 

I looked up what serving is and found pictures of jigs that hold a straight thread taught while you wrap it with another thread. What your describing doesn't sound like what I saw in those photos so I'm confused there on step 4. 

 

Thanks again, there is so much to learn. Not only how to actually build these ships, but the lingo behind it all. I'm about half way done with the rigging on the 18th Century Longboat, just did my first shroud and 2 sets of deadeye's, I think it turned out well, I'm enjoying this hobby very much.

Edited August 5, 2019 by mjh410

[Roger Pellett]

The attached rather crude sketch shows my setup and shows how the third turn is “sewed” around the first two in step 3.

 

Step 4 is tightly sewing a thinner thread around the grommet made in step 3. To serve it.

 

It’s easier to do than to describe.  Try it.

[Matt H]

36 minutes ago, Roger Pellett said:

The attached rather crude sketch shows my setup and shows how the third turn is “sewed” around the first two in step 3.

 

Step 4 is tightly sewing a thinner thread around the grommet made in step 3. To serve it.

 

It’s easier to do than to describe.  Try it.

Thank you for the sketch, I understand now, I will try it.