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Storing rigging line and blocks

Rob444

Rob444

Joined
Dec 20, 2020
Messages
1,298
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Location
Connecticut, U.S.A.
Hello all. Just need some advice. In just 2 years or so I have managed to getting quite a collection of different rigging line and blocks from different manufacturers. I have the blocks in one plastic bag and the lines in another. I was wondering how others stored them, so they might be a bit easier to access the ones you want.

Thanks for the input!

Rob
 
Hi Rob, I keep blocks and all manner of other bits and baubles in small tackles boxes for fishing. I'm up to 8 now :rolleyes:.

Mine seem to have been discontinued but something like this: Fishing Box

I have nothing intelligent to say about ropes. As I look at my bag of rigging line it appears that my solution is to make hundreds of knots thus rendering the whole pile unusable...
 
I sort the blocks by size and single, double or triple or other.
Each different category gets a seperate small zip lock bag. Eventually, I'll get a card box and make dividers for them.
 
dockattner said:
Hi Rob, I keep blocks and all manner of other bits and baubles in small tackles boxes for fishing. I'm up to 8 now :rolleyes:.

Mine seem to have been discontinued but something like this: Fishing Box

I have nothing intelligent to say about ropes. As I look at my bag of rigging line it appears that my solution is to make hundreds of knots thus rendering the whole pile unusable...
Click to expand...
Paul,

Thank you for the great suggestion these look perfect for blocks, pins etc. Now if someone has a good idea for storing the rigging line. I am afraid my line is approaching the state of yours but I do try to keep different line in smaller bags. It is just sorting through them is driving me crazy
 
I use these. I don’t know if you get them in the states, but I’ve been very happy with the quality and price and the 60 drawer versions are the perfect size for my range of blocks and deadeyes. Each drawer has a separator so you get 120 compartments in total. The material is reasonably bendy, it’s not that hard, brittle plastic that these things used to be made from.

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For odd lengths of laid up line, I use "zip-loc" plastic sandwich bags. I coil the line loosely and place it in the bag along with a standard index card with a notation of the length of the line, the color, size, and material (by manufacturer's code numbers) and brand of the thread it was made of, and the description of the lay-up, e.g.: "LH (left hand) 1x3 (3 single threads)" or "LH (left hand) 2x3 (3 doubled threads.) I keep them flat, stacked in a box. An example of the total card information would be:

35" Gutermann Mara Polyester 120, Black #696, LH 1x3

If it's left-over line from a build, I will make a notation of that, as well, identifying which model and what lines it was used to depict on the model and, if I had "scaled" it at the time, I'll note that, too, e.g. Tern Schooner, halyards, 1:96 1.25 inch line."

I can go through my stack of plastic bags and find what I want without having to handle the line unless I'm going to use it.

When I use it up, I tape a short sample to the index card and save it in case I want the "recipe" to make more of the same stuff.
 
Bob Cleek said:
For odd lengths of laid up line, I use "zip-loc" plastic sandwich bags. I coil the line loosely and place it in the bag along with a standard index card with a notation of the length of the line, the color, size, and material (by manufacturer's code numbers) and brand of the thread it was made of, and the description of the lay-up, e.g.: "LH (left hand) 1x3 (3 single threads)" or "LH (left hand) 2x3 (3 doubled threads.) I keep them flat, stacked in a box. An example of the total card information would be:

35" Gutermann Mara Polyester 120, Black #696, LH 1x3

If it's left-over line from a build, I will make a notation of that, as well, identifying which model and what lines it was used to depict on the model and, if I had "scaled" it at the time, I'll note that, too, e.g. Tern Schooner, halyards, 1:96 1.25 inch line."

I can go through my stack of plastic bags and find what I want without having to handle the line unless I'm going to use it.

When I use it up, I tape a short sample to the index card and save it in case I want the "recipe" to make more of the same stuff.
Click to expand...
Thank you good idea! I have kept mine also in plastic bags with a label. I think maybe I'll find some kind of shelf with vertical slots that I can store the bags side ways by color and diameter. Something like how people arrange letters. Something like this.

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Rob
 
Last edited:
Rob444 said:
I think maybe I'll find some kind of shelf with vertical slots that I can store the bags side ways by color and diameter. Something like how people arrange letters.
Click to expand...
If you want to get really fancy, you can buy empty CD "jewel cases" online cheaply and store flat coils of line inside those. The CD cases can then be stored in any standard CD rack. CDs seem to be going the way of the dodo these days with music stored digitally on iPhones and such, but the stuff is still readily available for the moment. (I just bought a 2025 automobile. Everything is computerized. No CD player on board, but fully equipped with Spotify, Pandora, and Bluetooth linked to your cell phone. "Nobody buys music anywhere other than digitally online these days." I was told. Hell, I still have all my vinyl records. You know you're old when your junk starts getting collectable. They called me a hoarder, but who's laughing now? ROTF
I believe the jewel cases come in varying thicknesses. Some are thicker and will hold two CD's. If you remove the inner tray, you get more capacity in the things.
1767399852884.png

1767399970005.png

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Bob Cleek said:
If you want to get really fancy, you can buy empty CD "jewel cases" online cheaply and store flat coils of line inside those. The CD cases can then be stored in any standard CD rack. CDs seem to be going the way of the dodo these days with music stored digitally on iPhones and such, but the stuff is still readily available for the moment. (I just bought a 2025 automobile. Everything is computerized. No CD player on board, but fully equipped with Spotify, Pandora, and Bluetooth linked to your cell phone. "Nobody buys music anywhere other than digitally online these days." I was told. Hell, I still have all my vinyl records. You know you're old when your junk starts getting collectable. They called me a hoarder, but who's laughing now? ROTF
I believe the jewel cases come in varying thicknesses. Some are thicker and will hold two CD's. If you remove the inner tray, you get more capacity in the things.
View attachment 567889

View attachment 567890

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Click to expand...
That's a great Idea. You can label the cases to make things a bit easier. Thanks for the suggestion!


Rob
 
For blocks, the best thing you can use is pharmaceutical pill containers. Get them at the pharmacy. Small individual compartments and the bottom is curved so it's easy to grab one block. But yes, if you have a big collection you may need several of these.
 
I keep my stuff in little boxes similar to tackle boxes and my threads are on spools, labelled by size. But even with this sorting, I still double check the size of my blocks before using them. I also have a box with miscellaneous fittings and castings that I am not sure what to do with.
 
I make all my own rigging lines, in several colors and several diameters each. Typical lengths off my ropewalk are about 15 feet. I find it very convenient to store the made-up lengths by wrapping them around empty plastic 1/2 liter Pellegrino bottles (we use a lot of Pellegrino!!). A small piece of tape at each end secures each length in place, and another piece of tape can be labeled with the diameter, etc. The circumference of the bottle is about 9", so about 20 turns per full length. One bottle can hold about 7 lengths, depending on diameter. The lines don't get knotted or take a set like with many other storage methods. Bottles are also easy to store on a shelf, and taking inventory is a breeze.
 
All these Ideas for storage are great. I do have a multi space clear box my wife used to store different colors for her diamond art work. I may "Borrow" one of those for the blocks. Wrapping the lines around a bottle or some sort of cylinder is very intriguing especially since they don't get "set".

Jack, whatever you do with those miscellaneous fitting do not throw them out! Whenever I do that I find I need whatever I discarded a few days later!

Rob
 
Hey Rob! When I started model building (roughly 50 years ago) I kept my parts in a parts box w/drawers, similar to this:
71g+DvjbYgL._SL1482_.jpg

Then it fell from the shelf and all the parts fell out. What a mess! So now I use sectioned parts boxes made for beaders, with the parts in zip bags:
DSC_0010.jpg

I currently have 4 parts boxes.
 
I use embroidery floss organizers or bead organizers. Some of the floss organizers have 36 compartments, some have 18 adjustable compartments. Amazon offers a variety but find a 2-pack, 36-grids economical (e.g. OUTUXED 2-pack-36 Grids Clear Plastic Bead Organizer Box, Fishing Tackle Box Compartment Organizer). Have also started to sort my drill bits and label the compartments for the small bits that will fit and an organizer with adjustable compartments for the larger bits.

​

 
I use boxes for small parts without holes. For parts with holes (blocks, dead eyes, etc.) I use wire.
Bend a loop on one end and string parts. Fold the wire through the loop to close.
Single and double blocks of the same size can be kept together. In this pic 8 inch single and double blocks (1:48 scale) are tapped together.
Untitled-1.jpg
 
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