Rigging the Constitution. Making Beckets.

by John

Clumsy fat fingers. Poor binocular vision. Impatience. That’s me.

So attaching a block 3mm long to 0.25mm black thread, AND forming a Becket (a Becket, not Thomas), is a challenge.

I won’t say that I have developed the ideal method, but I have a method of sorts.

First, this is a block (a rigging pulley on a ship) with an loop at one end, and the other end is fastened to a mast or spar or standing rigging cable.

A becket. Not Thomas a’Beckett.
Step 1. Tie the thread with a square knot (reef knot) to a stick with the diameter of the interior of the becket. In this case, a toothpick. The block is 3mm long. I have lost count of the number of those which have vanished after being dropped.
Step 2. Hold the 3mm long block at the points of spring loaded forceps (these have nylon tips, designed for soldering. I find them very useful for holding delicate parts without marking them. And also for CA gluing, which does not stick to the nylon.
Feed the thread around the groove in the block and tie it. One throw only! Turn the foreps and blocks over to ensure that the thread is sitting in the block groove on all surfaces.
Finish that knot making sure that it sits at the opposite end to the becket. In this case I want the block to sit a few mm away from the mast, so I have twisted the thread tightly, tied another knot at the end of the twisted section, and applied CA glue to the 3 knots and the twisted section. Remove the toothpick before applying glue to the knot at that end.

It is now ready to be installed on the model.

See the blocks, the beckets and the (white untrimmed) halyards?

This post is almost certainly of no interest to anyone, except possibly me, so I can refer to it next time I have to make beckets from thread. An alternative method is to use copper wire and that is much easier, but not appropriate in this position. the black mark on the spar is a penciled guide line which I must remember to rub out.

I have spent the last 2 weeks rigging the foremast of the Constitution. It, the foremast rigging, is close to finished. Then the mainmast and mizzen to go. When I say 2 weeks, I mean 5-6 hours every day, at least 5 days per week. So I will be glad when it is finished. I think that this model is pushing the limits of my patience.

However, I received a mail reminder from my optician for an eyesight check, which I had 2 days ago. It seems that the sight in my left eye has deteriorated significantly in the last 2 years, and that apparently explains my struggling with binocular vision. I am looking forward to some new glasses in the hope that will improve my rigging of the Constitution. I asked why my left eye has deteriorated. “75 years old” was the answer. Amazingly my right eye, which experienced the retinal detachment and cataract 9 years ago, is now 20/20.