Run line through blocks on main top before installing the blocks?

[HardeeHarHar]

Blocks under the main mast top.  I just finished seizing the blocks to eyelets and bored the sheave holes out a little with my set of broaches.  Do people thread line through the blocks with the appropriate length of rope (approximately) prior to gluing the blocks in place so they don’t have to do it later when it is more awkward?!?

[RossR]

I did on my first attempt at rigging cannons recently, but I haven't on the masts.

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by RossR

[HardeeHarHar]

18 minutes ago, RossR said:

I did on my first attempt at rigging cannons for the first time recently, but I haven't on the masts.

 

Interesting, I didn’t do that when I rigged my cannons, but now that you mention it…. I just can’t see waiting until the mast is installed to run the rigging through the tiny holes in the blocks, and that made me think “well why not just do it before you even glue them into those new nicely drilled holes on the top”.

[BANYAN]

I think this is a case of 'horses for courses'.  I find that the more pre-rigging of the tops and yards you do the easier you make it on yourself later - BUT some of these lines will need to be coiled and kept out of the way.  More importantly, you need to be somewhat selective on which lines you pre-rig.  This will depend on the ship (type of rigging specifically) as some lines will simply get in the way if pre-rigged.  So, as with my "Endeavour" build in particular, I had to go through the rigging well in advance to see what would be beneficial, but still not obstruct, the fitting of the yards and other rigging, by pre-rigging some lines beforehand.

 

With some blocks I elected to set-up a small length of leader line (small) that I could pull the actual line through when needed rather than pre-rig the entire line.  All that said, if I recall this still only accounted for a small number of lines as clearance was required to do the rat lines etc before rigging some of these lines.  So essentially; your call after some analysis of which of these lines would or not interfere with other rigging processes such as doing the rattlin.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[HardeeHarHar]

56 minutes ago, BANYAN said:

With some blocks I elected to set-up a small length of leader line (small) that I could pull the actual line through when needed rather than pre-rig the entire line. 

Ahhh, this sounds like a good approach.  Keeping the line coiled was part of my plan too.  Thanks Pat!

[Bob Cleek]

2 hours ago, HardeeHarHar said:

Do people thread line through the blocks with the appropriate length of rope (approximately) prior to gluing the blocks in place so they don’t have to do it later when it is more awkward?!?

Sure, that's even going one better than doing it with the block attached to the mast or top. You don't have to approximate the entire length of the line, standing part and fall, but only the length you will need to belay the fall to the belaying pin or cleat when the standing part is set up to wherever it's going. The remainder of the fall is most easily made up in a coil and glued to the pin or cleat in such a way that it conceals the cut end of the fall and appears to be all one piece of the fall. It is important to make coils of the proper length of the fall, though and these will vary depending on how far the block is from the pin or cleat. You don't want a skinny little coil on a pin running to the mast top when it would take a lot more line in real life. Doing it in two pieces, fall and coil, reduces the amount of line you have to coil up at the block before you install the mast. These little temporary coils can start adding up pretty quickly sometimes. You'll want to devise some way of binding up the temporary coils on the mast. Some use masking tape. There is an instrument that orthodontists use to stretch and attach little quarter inch diameter rubber bands on orthodontic braces which I've always thought would be just the ticket for binding little coils like that, but I've never gotten around to getting one. What I've found works are common women's hair "bobby pins." They can be spread open with one hand to slide onto a coil being held in the other hand... if you don't mind your model looking like it's setting "spit curls" while you work on it. 

 

Here you go. I found that too. I'd have to play with one to be sure it would work easily for rope coils, but just maybe. Remember, "He who dies with the most tools wins!"

 

See: https://www.amazon.com/Separating-Placing-Orthodontic-Elastic-Bracket/dp/B09FQ4HL8V/ref=sr_1_8?adgrpid=1343603773294172&hvadid=83975306774136&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=43893&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=p&hvtargid=kwd-83975580350394%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=28288_11087873&keywords=orthodontic+tool+for+rubber+bands&qid=1689559059&sr=8-8

 

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Edited July 17, 2023 by Bob Cleek