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Posted (edited)

Olha Batchvarov has a nice demonstration of attaching a block to an eyebolt (I see now that I should have added the block to the eyebolt before adding the eyebolt to a mast or yard or bowsprit). 
 

It’s Ep. 17 of her Lobster Smack build (yeah it says “PAINTING” but she also does masts and blocks) starting around 1:13:16. 

 

Edited by palmerit
Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, palmerit said:

Does this have a name?

The "loop" is a "becket" and the block would be known as a "single block with becket". In the case of Ranger, the blocks are rope-stropped (rather than built around a metal structure), so the becket (by which the standing end of the tackle is attached) and the eye (by which the block is fastened to the bowsprit) are both made from a single loop of rope. In full-size, that should be a grommet, made by laying up a single strand to make a loop, but at scale you will, of course, tie it off as you would any other block.

 

Full-size, both the becket and the eye would have thimbles in them to prevent chafe of the grommet. Whether you want to go that far at scale is up to you!

 

 

Trevor

Edited by Kenchington
Posted

For simply attaching a block to an eyebolt, Olha simply ties a knot at the bottom of the block (adding some thin CA, and later some shellac, and cutting the loose ends flush). She does add seizing between the eyebolt and the block.

 

I found this as another (likely more challenging approach thanks to @Thanasis. Maybe someone like this would work allowing for a becket (loop) below the block, adding seizing between the block the the loop at the bottom and a seizing between the block and the loop around the eyebolt at the top.

image.png.da434c1c33239e7f0fac74ab2faec805.png

Posted

I would try middling the line (that is to become the block's strop) around something like a thick needle, then catch the two ends together with a series of half-hitches in fine thread (representing a seizing). Add a dab of glue if necessary, then slide out the needle. That leaves your becket.

 

Place the block into the crotch between the two ends of the strop and either tie those with a half knot (half a reef knot) held with a dab of glue or else apply another "seizing". Then lead the free ends through the eye of the bolt and tie in place, trim the ends and hide them under more "seizing" if you choose.

 

That way, all the fiddly stuff is done away from the rest of the model, while all the mess is hidden between block and eyebolt, where the full-size vessel will have had sister-hooks or shackles or some such -- all of it too complicated to replicate at 1:64 but giving every excuse to represent with an excess if thread.

 

Trevor

Posted

 Or you could strop your blocks with wire. Here's how I do it, page 12, post #352.

 

 

Current Builds: Sternwheeler from the Susquehanna River's Hard Coal Navy

                            Wood Hull Screw Frigate USS Tennessee

                            Decorative Carrack Warship Restoration, the Amelia

 

Completed: 1870's Sternwheeler, Lula

                      1880s Floating Steam Donkey Pile Driver                       

                       Early Swift 1805 Model Restoration

 

 

Posted (edited)

Absolutely...  I have attached all my blocks using this approach. Once you get the hang of it, it is very tight and clean final look.  Here is one example which can be applied everywhere, like fixing blocks to ropes and spars.  A very versatile knot.

 

For the Sizing:  I now do a variant that look like the real thing BUT easier to do:  1/2 square knot in front the 1/2 at the back of the rope. At each step, tie smugly.  Repeats 3 times and finish with a full square knot.  Look like below, which was done the traditional way of sizing but easier to execute in thigh area, like on the ship itself.

 

Note: I even don't use the needle anymore.  I use the tip of a fine forceps in the hole of the block for positioning.

 

image.thumb.jpeg.30fefa73ee0a3948c23adf5865e7001b.jpeg

Edited by Loracs

Completed Build: Chinese Pirate Junk, Amati

Current Build: HMS Revenge, Amati

Completed Build: Bireme, Greek Warship, Amati

Posted

First, thanks for the build log and details.  Great progress and commentary.

 

One of the great things about these build logs comes from seeing different aspects of the modeler's setup. For example, they're workbench setup.

 

I looked again at your paint booth set up (post 73 edited June 5). The hose goes into a bucket in what looks like a piece of filter paper.  Is that correct?  

Do you have a top for the bucket with a center hole for the vent and some smaller holes in the top, hence the dark spots that we see?  The filter would cover the holes, it appears.

 

I am looking at a similar set up since the temperature in my garage varies so much (like up to 100 degrees this week) and I need to bring my painting operation into a more controlled environment. 

 

Thanks for taking a side trip in your build to answer these questions.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Chenoweth

 

Current Build: Maine Peapod; Midwest Models; 1/14 scale.

 

In the research department:

Nothing at this time.

 

Completed models (Links to galleries): 

Monitor and Merrimack; Metal Earth; 1:370 and 1:390 respectively.  (Link to Build Log.)

Shrimp Boat; Lindbergh; 1/60 scale (as commission for my brother - a tribute to a friend of his)

North Carolina Shad Boat; half hull lift; scratch built.  Scale: (I forgot).  Done at a class at the NC Maritime Museum.

Dinghy; Midwest Models; 1/12 scale

(Does LEGO Ship in a Bottle count?)

 

Posted (edited)

In Tennessee we’re almost as hot. I have a window right next to the airbrush booth but being in a 130 year old house, most of the windows do not open and even if they could I would not want the hot air coming in. For a while I painted in our cellar but then searched and found this setup. 
 

I learned the setup I have from this YouTuber:

 

I found others with similar setups. The bucket is from Home Depo or Lowes (I painted my bucket and lid black). It has a snap on tight lid. You see in the video that there’s a large hole for the exhaust vent in the lid and then smaller holes in the lid to let out the exhaust air. Most of the paint fumes stay in the bucket. There’s a few inches of water in the bottom and some detergent. The exhaust hose ends a few inches above the water. I try to wash it out about once a month. The filter at the top sits over the smaller holes in the lid to catch anything that might carry out. I now have fish tank filters that I cut to size. 
 

I use this for acrylics (Vallejo). I would not use spray enamels in the house. I hope that helps. 

Edited by palmerit
Posted

I would add a word of warning about stropping blocks (and other things) with seizing.

 

I used polyester rope with very fine silk thread for seizing. After wrapping the seizing tight I soaked it with white glue. After the glue dried the seizing was very solid. But the glue did not stick to the polyester rope, and it easily pulled out of the seizing if any strain was placed on the assembly. This left a nice tight hollow tube of seizing around one end of the rope, and a failed rigging. This happened to seizing that had been made weeks earlier when I started adding the rigging to the model. This caused a lot of difficult repairs!

 

I tried several different glues to fasten the ends of the polyester rope together. All failed except CA (cyanoacrylate or super glue).

 

After wrapping the rope around the block (hook, eye, etc.) I place a small amount of CA on the two strands of rope. Then I wrap the seizing around it.

 

If I try to tie the seizing over the wet CA I cannot wrap the seizing fast enough before the glue hardens. The result is a lumpy seizing. I spread the CA evenly and let it harden before starting the seizing.

Phil

 

Current build: USS Cape MSI-2

Previous build: Vanguard Models 18 foot cutter

Previous build: Albatros topsail schooner

Previous build: USS Oklahoma City CLG-5 CAD model

 

Posted (edited)
10 hours ago, Dr PR said:

I tried several different glues to fasten the ends of the polyester rope together.

I've read a bunch of posts about how to glue rigging lines and tried a few things.

 

I tried white glue and it does take a while for it to hold. Not working well with polyester thread is another problem. Thanks for that.

 

I might try using a little thin CA instead to set the line. 

 

Others have recommended instead using shellac. I wonder if there's any problem using a little CA to set the line and then using a light touch of shellac after the rigged piece is done (line and block). Shellac seems a little slow to set. A combination of little CA to set the line and shellac over some rigging (including a mast or yard) seems to be what Olha is doing in her builds too.

Edited by palmerit
Posted
21 hours ago, palmerit said:

In Tennessee we’re almost as hot. I have a window right next to the airbrush booth but being in a 130 year old house, most of the windows do not open and even if they could I would not want the hot air coming in. For a while I painted in our cellar but then searched and found this se
 

I use this for acrylics (Vallejo). I would not use spray enamels in the house. I hope that helps. 

Thanks. I plan on using acrylics.  I want catch all 'overspray' since I will be using inside a room.  Great video, thanks for the link. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Chenoweth

 

Current Build: Maine Peapod; Midwest Models; 1/14 scale.

 

In the research department:

Nothing at this time.

 

Completed models (Links to galleries): 

Monitor and Merrimack; Metal Earth; 1:370 and 1:390 respectively.  (Link to Build Log.)

Shrimp Boat; Lindbergh; 1/60 scale (as commission for my brother - a tribute to a friend of his)

North Carolina Shad Boat; half hull lift; scratch built.  Scale: (I forgot).  Done at a class at the NC Maritime Museum.

Dinghy; Midwest Models; 1/12 scale

(Does LEGO Ship in a Bottle count?)

 

Posted

Shellac will hold the seizing, but it doesn't adhere to polyester rope. It hardens and appears t hold the rope - as do other glues. But if you put a strain on the rope the polyester will just slip through the glue like it was greased!

Phil

 

Current build: USS Cape MSI-2

Previous build: Vanguard Models 18 foot cutter

Previous build: Albatros topsail schooner

Previous build: USS Oklahoma City CLG-5 CAD model

 

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