KTL Model Shop News

[Kevin the Lubber]

Hello all, just to update that I am now finally listing faux wood deadeyes on Ebay and Etsy, links in my signature below. If you're interested in buying, just be aware that Ebay is cheaper because Etsy takes a big cut, but that, along with the torture of navigating tariffs, couriers and ecommerce platforms in general is a rant for another day!

I've started by listing the faux ebony variants, in five sizes: 3.5mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm. I hope to add the faux teak version tomorrow. They are made, I just need to do the photography. I'd intended to do it today but I like to use natural light. However it was so overcast today that it was too dark in my office and, as it was snowing and I'm no penguin, I decided against a photo session al fresco. I'm undecided whether to include smaller sizes. I have useable prototypes going down to 2mm but need to play around with them a bit more.


I love these ebony blocks. The photos don't quite do the colour justice, but it's a very, very dark brown, darker even than van dyke, just bordering on black but with hints of deep purples.

I've also added a couple of specials recently - some violin and sister blocks - but this remains a work in progress. Each block type presents it's own challenges, all the more so when the range includes very small sizes and to be perfectly honest, I'm about 'blocked-out' right now! As the specials are so niche I'm going to work through these bit by bit, but with the ovals and deadeyes now done, I want to get back to my models, art projects, garden and household stuff, all of which has been quite neglected this year.

Thanks for looking in,
Kevin

 

[Kevin the Lubber]

... and now, faux teak added. Same five sizes as above.

 

[Pat D]

Hi Kevin, I've been looking for some blocks with internal strops for my Bluenose without much success. Your blocks look great but I don't like the groove for external stropping, any suggestions, cheers Pat

 

[AllanKP69]

I've been looking for some blocks with internal strops for my Bluenose

Syren has them but they are in the US so maybe problematic with pricing. https://syrenshipmodelcompany.com/boxwood-rigging-blocks.php#!/c/5764703/offset=50&limit=50 on the second page of their selection of blocks.

Allan

 

[Kevin the Lubber]

blocks with internal strops

Sorry Pat but I don’t have any plans to add these in the immediate future. Sometime next year, maybe. There are quite a few block sellers out there if you google, but as Allan says, cost may be an issue. (I try to make the unit costs affordable for my US/Canada/international customers by discounting for quantity, which of course makes them especially good value for UK builders!)

 

[Pat D]

Thanks for that Allan, they look ideal but a little large for 1:72 and if they were any smaller I wouldn't be able to assemble them, catch 22.
Pat

 

[Pat D]

Thanks for your reply Kevin, guess there's not much call for them. I'm just struggling through shaping the frames at the moment so may be twelve months before I start rigging but will keep an eye on your site as they are the best I've seen and may be able to adapt them. Cheers Pat

 

[Kevin the Lubber]

Thanks for your reply Kevin, guess there's not much call for them. I'm just struggling through shaping the frames at the moment so may be twelve months before I start rigging but will keep an eye on your site as they are the best I've seen and may be able to adapt them. Cheers Pat

That's very nice of you to say so, Pat. You're not the first to ask and I would like to add them as an option, so it's not so much about demand as time. But there are a few other products that I want to bring on stream first. Keep an eye on this thread, this is where I'll signal any new products from here on.
BW, Kevin

 

[Bob Ellis]

Hello all, just to update that I am now finally listing faux wood deadeyes on Ebay and Etsy, links in my signature below. If you're interested in buying, just be aware that Ebay is cheaper because Etsy takes a big cut, but that, along with the torture of navigating tariffs, couriers and ecommerce platforms in general is a rant for another day!

I've started by listing the faux ebony variants, in five sizes: 3.5mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm. I hope to add the faux teak version tomorrow. They are made, I just need to do the photography. I'd intended to do it today but I like to use natural light. However it was so overcast today that it was too dark in my office and, as it was snowing and I'm no penguin, I decided against a photo session al fresco. I'm undecided whether to include smaller sizes. I have useable prototypes going down to 2mm but need to play around with them a bit more.

View attachment 558080
I love these ebony blocks. The photos don't quite do the colour justice, but it's a very, very dark brown, darker even than van dyke, just bordering on black but with hints of deep purples.

I've also added a couple of specials recently - some violin and sister blocks - but this remains a work in progress. Each block type presents it's own challenges, all the more so when the range includes very small sizes and to be perfectly honest, I'm about 'blocked-out' right now! As the specials are so niche I'm going to work through these bit by bit, but with the ovals and deadeyes now done, I want to get back to my models, art projects, garden and household stuff, all of which has been quite neglected this year.

Thanks for looking in,
Kevin

I've bought a shedload of deadeyes and blocks from Kevin of various sizes. They're a lot better than the run of the mill model shops peddle. It's these or a wood equivalent flagship gear from overseas with the associated price hike.
Waiting for the 5 hole forestay deadeyes!!!

 

[Bob Ellis]

Thanks for that Allan, they look ideal but a little large for 1:72 and if they were any smaller I wouldn't be able to assemble them, catch 22.
Pat

I think they'll be fine on 1:72 Pat. Personally I quite like to 'see' my rigging parts. It draws more attention to that aspect of the completed vessel.

 

[Kevin the Lubber]

As it happens, after that last exchange I did do some quick ‘first draft’ prototyping of internally stropped blocks and the results were promising-ish. The range in the photo is 3mm to 6mm, I think, and naturally the larger they get, the stronger they are and the more scope for thinning out the strop. It looks like I broke the little bottom bar on the 3mm triple - it’s hard to convey how thin and tiny that would have been, probably no more than 0.3mm legs, so quite challenging to create enough strength. I’ve thought about making a resin/PE combo but they'd be very fiddly to assemble and more expensive. (And I really do mean fiddly - I think many users would turn to tying ratlines for light relief!). Otherwise, one piece versions is the way to go - the whole thing can be made to look like faux wood but the strops ought to be something that suggests metal, which would need to be hand painted at your end. Anyway, as I have several other projects near completion (news coming here soon) and think interest in these internally stropped fellas would be quite low, I’ll probably still leave this one dormant until I decide to finish off my Cutty Sark, or at least until I’ve cleared the decks.

nb. Bob, thanks as ever, your latest order will go in the post today, I usually drop weekend orders at the local sorting office in the hope that this trims a day or two off the delivery time.

 

[Pat D]

They look exactly like what I've been searching for without success. Get cracking on that clipper!!

 

[Kevin the Lubber]

They look exactly like what I've been searching for without success. Get cracking on that clipper!!

I'm going as fast as I can! Any faster and my little legs would give out!

 

[Bob Ellis]

As it happens, after that last exchange I did do some quick ‘first draft’ prototyping of internally stropped blocks and the results were promising-ish. The range in the photo is 3mm to 6mm, I think, and naturally the larger they get, the stronger they are and the more scope for thinning out the strop. It looks like I broke the little bottom bar on the 3mm triple - it’s hard to convey how thin and tiny that would have been, probably no more than 0.3mm legs, so quite challenging to create enough strength. I’ve thought about making a resin/PE combo but they'd be very fiddly to assemble and more expensive. (And I really do mean fiddly - I think many users would turn to tying ratlines for light relief!). Otherwise, one piece versions is the way to go - the whole thing can be made to look like faux wood but the strops ought to be something that suggests metal, which would need to be hand painted at your end. Anyway, as I have several other projects near completion (news coming here soon) and think interest in these internally stropped fellas would be quite low, I’ll probably still leave this one dormant until I decide to finish off my Cutty Sark, or at least until I’ve cleared the decks.

nb. Bob, thanks as ever, your latest order will go in the post today, I usually drop weekend orders at the local sorting office in the hope that this trims a day or two off the delivery time.

View attachment 576619

Cheers mate