rigging lines through blocks

Joined
Aug 21, 2011
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Location
Phoenix, AZ
I don't know about you but I had always found that the hardest part of rigging (at least for me anyway) was trying to get a pretty good sized line through a tiny hole. What I do now is to take a small amount of crazy glue for wood and leather (or any CA glue) on the end of the line then wiping the excess off with my fingers (yes it does make the end of your first finger and thumb a bit crusty). When nice and dry I cut the very tip of the line on an angle taking the line almost to a sharp point. I found that it allows me to grab the line with my tweezers and get it through the block very easily. Works for me anyway. :D
 
I have to try that myself when the time comes. Have you tired just plain bees wax?

Donnie
 
I still bees wax the lines but the crazy glued end really makes it real stiff and easy to go through those tiny holes
 
A little late to the conversion I know, However a good method always has room for more words. waxing the line as normal and wipe glue on the end to stiffen is the best way I have found to get the line thru blocks . Plus not only will the line not bend , the tips will not frae causing that acridian effect just when you finally got everything lined up. I Also use small drill bits to ream out the holes prior to rigging, wood shrinks , glue, m wax dust ect can block the holes so its just an added step
 
Another problem is that kits supplied rigging blocks and lines are out of scale ,too big.
 
Absolutely agree, you do run into some kits the blocks, deadeyes, line are not in scale, too big or even too small plus sometimes the quality of the blocks are not what we want, for this reason I tend to buy from a supplier. Of course I always go back to the sites build logs looking who might have had issues with items from certain kits, also I have been given great advise on scale from builders “who have been there” rigging a certain ship. In some cases the correct kit scale just does not work for some rigging , in this case I was advised to go slightly larger in scale, example going with 3.5 mm blocks virus the kits 3.0mm for selected lines. Again trial & error follow what works for you and reference the build logs.
 
Long handle eye needles, spot on for on ship rigging. your so right no tweezers, which means allot less fouling of the lines already in place. As we all know what a pain when you snag a tight line pulling it out of place.
 
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