Tools for rigging

I have also found that small electronic wire leads with clips on end, like other spring loaded tools.

Sometimes you can find them online in electronic supply stores, I just cut the wire off and use the spring hook end which can be small and light weight, but enough to hold tension on a line for the need at hand.

Amazon has this 20 piece set for under $10, and it comes in multiple colors if needed to coordinate work.

 
Kurt Konrath said:
I have also found that small electronic wire leads with clips on end, like other spring loaded tools.

Sometimes you can find them online in electronic supply stores, I just cut the wire off and use the spring hook end which can be small and light weight, but enough to hold tension on a line for the need at hand.

Amazon has this 20 piece set for under $10, and it comes in multiple colors if needed to coordinate work.

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Thank you Kurt ,
You are realy a wise guy. With your post threaded i remembered that i allready have similar gadgets for my electronic soldering works (see attachment).Because i am no more doing sany oldering work on my hifi devices since a long time i completely have forgotten them.Good idea to use the longer one for rigging. Before getting your post i already ordered 2 pieces by a friend in Washington,who brings them by his next visit to istanbul.I will not cancel the order I think the more tools in the workshop the better ,it does not harm ;) Pirate Flag
Thanks again
Cheers

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HughLo said:
As I inch closer to my first rigging, what are the basic tools I need plus some tools that just make it easier.
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For me, it's not so much the tools you use but do all the rigging you can on the masts and yards before mounting them on the model. Study the plans carefully to figure out what blocks and lines can go on early. Rigging in tight spaces can be a nightmare.
 
HughLo said:
As I inch closer to my first rigging, what are the basic tools I need plus some tools that just make it easier.
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I've made some of my own tools consisting of larger sized sewing needles stuck in thin dowels. Two were cut into a small hook for pulling and two were cut into fork shape for pushing. One of each was bent at a 90 degree angle.
Other than that. Tweezers, hemostats and lots of patience.
 
I have used this simple homemade tool to assist in seizing blocks for all my models. All you need is alligator clips, some lengths of dowel, some good old duct tape and a base to mount them in. One clip holds the block with the line wrapped around it, another holds those lines taut and the third holds the loose end of the line you are using to do the wraping, out of the way. I am sure it could be made fancier, but it has served me for years just as you see it!
If you must use reading glasses, as I do, more than one magnification was helpful for me in different situations. And by all means attach as much as possible on yards, etc. before mounting on the model. Hope this helps, good luck and happy modeling

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Korsan said:
Thank you for your guidance.l do have similar sets.I actually need a tool which holds the end of the thread fix till this end is brought to its final position.while using a tweezer you have yo apply force to hold the thread all the time while processing.I sometimes use surgical clamp pliers but they are to thick for the riggings leading.Rigging tools, hooks or with specially formed ends etc. i have in my toolbox but they are not that practical.Unfortunately i couldn’t find a seller in internet for these carving spring hooks in the old continent,the direct delivery cost from USA is much more than the product itself.
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Hemostats can be acquired in a wide variety of sizes, as well as straight, curved, and even ones that are long but only have a very small bit at the end that actually opens and closes. They're called "alligator hemostats", and here's a link to an example on Amazon so you can see what I'm talking about. They're great for reaching into tight areas. Alligator Hemostat They can't clamp onto the end of a line like conventional hemostats, but I use small bulldog clips to hold the finger handles together when I need them to clamp and hold in place while I'm using my hands elsewhere., I have quite a few hemostats in a variety of shapes and sizes for that exact purpose.
 
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Tangopapa said:
Interesting, but disgusting, fact:..these EXACT same tools are $52.46 at Amazon Canada instead of $6.99 at Amazon in the US.
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Here's a potential better option which might work well for some of the other folks on here that are outside the US. Going to Amazon for your given country, so a search using the string "stainless steel dental tools", and you'll find a wide variety of inexpensive items that might work for you. Here's a link to one package of six (mostly double ended) tools in a nice case for under $11 CAD. Stainless Steel Dental Tools

Or, you could order the ones you were referring to from the US Amazon site, and pay the $12 CAD shipping fee. You still come out under half the list for it on the Amazon.ca site. But yeah, its frustrating, and there seems to be little logic behind the huge price differential for same items sold on the Canadian site. Even including exchange rates, the Amazon.ca equivalents can be orders of magnitude more expensive. So I consider using Amazon.com on a case by case basic, taking into account shipping costs and perhaps having to pay import duties when it arrives.

Another option to consider, if you have a bunch of stuff you want to order at reduced cost to US customer addresses, have them shipped to your name via a redirection service (UPS offers this), and then just pay for the UPS or USPS shipping fee plus the $5 handling fee. I do this with a UPS store in Great Falls, MT frequently. I get multiple items shipped to their store location under my name, and once they all arrive, they contact me with the cost options to ship to me via UPS or USPS. I make my choice, and then they package it and get it on its way to me. If I need an excuse for a nice drive in the summer, I drive down to pick them up personally. That's obviously not the economical way to do it. lol

So, nattering aside, I'll try to get back on track... depending upon where you're located in Canada, touch base with a UPS store in a US city closest to you, and ask them about redirection services. It's a good option to have when you need it.
 
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seadeep said:
Hemostats can be acquired in a wide variety of sizes, as well as straight, curved, and even ones that are long but only have a very small bit at the end that actually opens and closes. They're called "alligator hemostats", and here's a link to an example on Amazon so you can see what I'm talking about. They're great for reaching into tight areas. Alligator Hemostat They can't clamp onto the end of a line like conventional hemostats, but I use small bulldog clips to hold the finger handles together when I need them to clamp and hold in place while I'm using my hands elsewhere., I have quite a few hemostats in a variety of shapes and sizes for that exact purpose.
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I am using microsurgical needle holder which can be locked
 
I am using microsurgical needlle holder ehich can be locked ,curved or straight types,
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...p_id=20240302121215172952666563600001134870_1
Imho better control for thread guiding with this tool,it is very slim and long enough like a tweezer (attachment).The reason why i want to buy carving spring hook tool (recommended by Corsair from the community)is ,compared with spring hook this lockable type tools or with tweezers ,even if you unlock the tool the yarn stil is attached in the hook so you continue guiding of the yarn without any interruption for example putting the threadend on a belaying pin .

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I would put planning at the top of the "tool" list, but I am no pro like a lot of the folks here. I spend some time troubleshooting situations I have created.

I use super glue on string ends and will glue to unusual shapes to get through unusual situations I have created by poor planning, then once I have rigged it through the trouble spot you just cut the stiff super glue bit off. Beeswax and watered-down white glue are very important to me. I do a lot of my knots and tying on the bench, and put pieces up semi-complete. Mecanics wire to make custom tools, and very very good lighting. Tiny drill bits to increase the size or clean up the holes in your dead eyes and blocks etc. I just do them all before I tie them to spars or what have you, having learned the hard way in the past.

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seadeep said:
Here's a potential better option which might work well for some of the other folks on here that are outside the US. Going to Amazon for your given country, so a search using the string "stainless steel dental tools", and you'll find a wide variety of inexpensive items that might work for you. Here's a link to one package of six (mostly double ended) tools in a nice case for under $11 CAD. Stainless Steel Dental Tools

Or, you could order the ones you were referring to from the US Amazon site, and pay the $12 CAD shipping fee. You still come out under half the list for it on the Amazon.ca site. But yeah, its frustrating, and there seems to be little logic behind the huge price differential for same items sold on the Canadian site. Even including exchange rates, the Amazon.ca equivalents can be orders of magnitude more expensive. So I consider using Amazon.com on a case by case basic, taking into account shipping costs and perhaps having to pay import duties when it arrives.

Another option to consider, if you have a bunch of stuff you want to order at reduced cost to US customer addresses, have them shipped to your name via a redirection service (UPS offers this), and then just pay for the UPS or USPS shipping fee plus the $5 handling fee. I do this with a UPS store in Great Falls, MT frequently. I get multiple items shipped to their store location under my name, and once they all arrive, they contact me with the cost options to ship to me via UPS or USPS. I make my choice, and then they package it and get it on its way to me. If I need an excuse for a nice drive in the summer, I drive down to pick them up personally. That's obviously not the economical way to do it. lol

So, nattering aside, I'll try to get back on track... depending upon where you're located in Canada, touch base with a UPS store in a US city closest to you, and ask them about redirection services. It's a good option to have when you need it.
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I wish I could do this in Mexico, but forget about typical mail delivery…
 
Gotta say that I’m thankful for all the replies. I thought I’d get a few, but this just keeps getting better and better.
 
Hi, Hugh: The photo shows some tools that may be unorthodox, but I've used with some success. locking tweezers to hold blocks while finishing them. Plastic dental flossing gizmos for threading blocks. Home-made u-shape for manipulating line - "u" is a needle cut off through the eye and mounted on an old paint brush handle, A small, thin Exacto tweezer - it provides you a "portable free hand " to keep your line tight. Two "spring hooks" of a different sort from Corsair's.rigging_tools.PNG And don't forget a bar of bee's wax (not pictured).
 
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