This is a timely thread for me, because I would like to make a new set of blocks for my Tom Gilmer "Blue Moon" yawl.
I've been trying to find information on building both metal and rope stropped blocks (I need both). So far, Brion's book has the most comprehensive info (the reason I found this forum), and there is some info on the Wooden Boat forum and Duckworks, but it seems to me someone must have written a book back in the 30s or even earlier that gave detailed info on building blocks, various kinds of cleats, etc.
Unfortunately, I haven't found one, yet!
In particular, I'd like to see something that showed how to build something more complicated than a single, rope-stropped block. I need to build at least one metal-stropped triple, with becket, for example.
I *think* I know how to make one, just by inspecting a few from the outside, but it sure would be nice to have a book that showed some of the tricks that may not be obvious to non-experts. For example, why does Davey & Co put the becket off-center on their double and triple blocks? That makes no sense to me, but I am guessing they have a good reason. Maybe an old book would explain it.
So, anyone know of such a book? Even an out-of-print one?
TIA: John
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