Thread: Jarrah Block and tackle set

Rob they look great.

Can you post some in situ photos and maybe some action shots lifting.

I figured out how I would make them by studying some pictures taken off eBay .
The design was based on how big I wanted them and the Bronze bush or bearing
material { I'm not sure of the right name } that I found that George White & Co sells.

The Bronze is 33 outside diameter and 16mm inside diameter ,With some 16mm
bright rod I had an axle that the Bronze fitted , I drilled a 33 mm hole into my Elm
Sheave's and pressed the Bronze bearing into them.

The steel inner and outer straps I heated up with my forge and shaped on the anvil and a pipe held in a vice.
They were then welded together at the top , wooden spacers were fitted in between and the holes drilled on the drill press.

The Old forge is a hand cranked type , it's a bit of fun for a while cranking it by hand but I got a bit over it ,
and made up the electric powered one that has an air gate operated by the lever.
The forge is a Canedy otto , I'm quite attached to it , I bought it and all the Blacksmith workshop contents,
Anvil and tools off an Antique dealer about 25 years back. It was a ute full of rusty steel when I first saw it.

Rob

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Rob they look great.

Can you post some in situ photos and maybe some action shots lifting.

I have some action shots that I will add.

The first picture is the clearest I have of the welded straps.
I added some component names to my plan as well, in the second picture.


The Elm sheaves were first machined to the right thickness with enough length for two, center
punched and the outside diameter drawn on them, then drilled to take the outside diameter of the bearing .
then cut out over size with the band saw.
With a face plate attachment on my lathe I screwed a piece of pine veneered chipboard on,
I switched it on and marked a center then took it off, drilled a hole in the center and added an
over size piece of cherry [ by the look of it ]. When it was dry, I fitted it back to the lathe and
turned the cherry down to match the 33mm hole in the Elm.
The Elm blank gets put on and a prepared turned cup pushes it on with the tail stock.
The sheave was first turned down to its outside diameter then was shaped to take the rope.

I had pre bought the rope on eBay , that detail should have been in the post about what the design was based on.
It was based on the size I wanted the bearings and the rope I could get.


I went with Elm because it's tough stuff and I have plenty , and a friend told me
," in the really really old days ,before they made wagon axles out of iron they used Elm "
I think he was talking about England .

Lightwood, Peter, gave me a bit of Chinese Elm and it's a lot tougher again than the local stuff I have.

Rob

Looking at the first picture [ I had forgotten this ] I first routed the slots in the Jarrah to fit the straps,
I then lined up the slots glued the cheek material together with paper in between so it could be split
later, it was then cut and split , then shaped with spoke shave and scraper.

All fitted up the are then skew drilled through and four steel pins hammered through ,trimmed back and peened .
Then French polished
A brass plate made up and stamped and skew pinned in flush with the cheek, this retains the main steel 16mm pin.

Rob

Great WIP. Is there a reason you didn't oil blacken the metal or give it some sort of treatment??

The action shots .
I have attached each of the blocks with a chain over a beam which is over a Triangular truss section in the roof.
I fitted some Bow shackles.
And I bought some proper lifting straps that are not pictured.
The main use is for big solid Oak Table tops, the one pictured is Cypress pine , it's edge is 62 mm thick , 3255 long x 1365 wide
Lifting that sanding machine off a piano trolley [ oh there's the lifting straps]
When I fixed up that Servian sander just the motor was a heavy two man lift by itself , once the rest was bolted to it it could not have been done with out some way of lifting.
I now have tie off points on the wall that the rope slides through.

Rob

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Great WIP. Is there a reason you didn't oil blacken the metal or give it some sort of treatment??

Yes , I'm not taking them to the south pole.

They live in a workshop and have a roof over them .
If they some how rusted I would be giving them a rub
back with linseed oil and turps to clean them up but
leave the rust there , that dark look,
that type of patina would suit me.


Rob

very impressive

Rob,
You just warmed the hart of an old sailor. So much nicer than a chain block.
Keep an eye out for original old ones in junk shops as some had lignum vite sheaves.
Regards
John

Originally Posted by orraloon

Rob,
You just warmed the hart of an old sailor. So much nicer than a chain block.

Ha Ha , Thanks John, nice to know . Yeah cant have chains rattling over the woodwork .
Not till it's half polished any way , for when it's getting an aged look.

Originally Posted by orraloon

Keep an eye out for original old ones in junk shops as some had lignum vite sheaves.
Regards
John

Ive not ever noticed many nice old wooden ones for sale here , a few 30 years ago but I never even picked them up.
Lignum Vite ,I never knew that. I have seen a bit of that in old furniture castor wheels before.

Rob

Saw these in an "Antique/Collectable/Junk" shop on sat and immediately thought of this thread.



IMG_4855.jpg


IMG_4860.jpg

IMG_4859.jpg

IMG_4858.jpg