Ash blocks

[grumpydog]

My apologies if this has been posted before - I suspect it has. We need a dozen or so single ash blocks (for 14mm line) to rig our 1932 Hillyard Billy Blue. We can't afford to pay £30/£40 a shot for them, which is what they cost new. We don't mind if they're in a really ropy state, as we can work on them over winter - the boat is temporarily rigged with some cheap secondhand modern blocks. Any ideas?

 

[Poignard]

There was a firm that used to sell kits to make your own, I can't remember the name but someone here will know it. I think they might have been based in Chatham Dockyard

You might find some secondhand ones at the Chandlery Barge

 

[monkey_trousers]

been someone selling quite a lot of them on ebay recently 10 to 15 quid a pop

its a question I need to answer myself soon(ish) as well, Pansy due to get re-rigged in the new year

 

[Casey]

You can make your own. I had a design for such once and I will do a search for it as soon as I get some other admin stuff out of the way. It didn't appear too difficult.

 

[Captain Coochie]

Id be interested to see that as i have a stack of ash off cuts .

 

[Seanick]

Use tufnol. They are a quarter of the price. Last forever and no maintenance. As and when vanity strikes you, clad them in a teak shell, glued on. Then, if you really need some more maintenance, varnish them.
At-a-glance most won't notice!
/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Peterduck]

I made about 30 or so blocks from scraps of Jarrah and Elm, using normal woodworking tools that most of us would have. They were outside-stropped using 4mm wire rope relaid into a grommet, served with tarred marline. This is absurdly simple to do, and results in a very light block which costs pence.
Peter.

 

[cliffordpope]

Me too. Dead easy, just look at a block and copy it.

 

[monkey_trousers]

I'm possibly going to sound really dim here... making the block facings, fair enough, what about the runners etc??

 

[DownWest]

One tip, I think in an art. in WBF, was to glue up the housings as one long bit. Then cut it up into slices. This assumes they wll be the same size. For sheeves, I bought delrin from directplasticsonline. not pricey and they also sell Tufnol if you go that way. I like the look of Tufnol, so am making the winches and jammers out of it.
A

 

[Peterduck]

I resume that by "runners", you mean some way of attaching the block to the boat. The easiest way is to make up a grommet of light galvanised wire rope, of the circumference required [having measured this around the block and thimble of the becket with a cord], and then serve it with light tarred marline. Lay the grommet in the cheek grooves and around the thimble and sieze with more marline at the throat, between block and thimble. Job's done; on to the next one!
Peter.

 

[monkey_trousers]

not just the runners, I'd maybe have a go at making some out of galvanised steel strapping..... was thinking about the actual pulley and shaft

 

[DownWest]

Have a look here. www.duckworksmagazine.com/02/articles/woodenblocks/woodenblocks.htm This is the one on roped blocks. Making ones with metal frames in the wood (can't remember the terms) would mean gluing them up around the frame. Bit more complex, or strap them on the outside with galv. strip and rivit.
A

 

[ccscott49]

Have a look at <www.Toplicht.de> they do some cheap wooden blocks which are rough as blazes, but sanded/rounded/smoothed off and varnished look great, galvanised bindings, might be worth a go. I have bought them in the past and done just that, still going strong.

 

[Roach1948]

Agree with Nick, use Tufnol.

I have to admit I did get the vanity bug and buy two cheapish ash blocks from Classic Marine and varnished them myself - but these are "in view" as a jib downhaul. Tufnol for anything up the mast, as nobody will ever notice anything varnished up there. I have a tufnol ratchet block for the main which is worth its weight in gold in terms of single-handing.

 

[ccscott49]

I also agree, all my blocks at the top of the mast etc. are tufnol. All those you see are Dragonfly marine ones, ash/bronze beautiful.

 

[srp]

All the blocks on my last boat were sourced from boat jumbles, usually just 2 or 3 pounds apiece. I stripped them all down and sent the straps off to be re-galvanised (might be worth sending an anchor or two with them, to make up the minimum weight charge that most galvanisers seem to have).
I personally wouldn't try and make anything with tufnol without a lathe, bandsaw and disc sander, and if you've got those machines you might as well use ash anyway. I wouldn't put tufnol blocks on a traditional wooden boat anyway.
I remember having problems finding thin gauge copper rivets of a decent length to assemble them - I think Moray McPhail at Classic Marine helped me out with some old stock he happened to have.