(Right Click on this page and choose Print from the Menu that comes up) "Here is the way I made my block stropping fixture. (three piece construction)" The base is a piece of maple 3/4" by 3" by 4". I drilled a blind hole in the center of the base 1/4" Diameter by 1/2" deep. The upright is a piece of hardwood dowel 1" Diameter by 4" long. The upright was drilled for a 1/4" hardwood dowel by 1" long. On center. Now, a tongue was created by milling, and leaving a flat 1/4" wide by 3/4" high. A slot was cut across the 1/4" tongue to accept a block snugly. I will give no dimension here, because this is a universal block, and can be altered to suit your particular size block(s). The slot should be central to the 1" Diameter. Now, drill a close fitting hole for the locating pin in the bottom of the slot, and the center of the 1" dowel. You can drill it about 3/16" deep. The hole size shall also vary according to the hole in your block(s).Pins can be obtained and used by cutting or breaking off the shanks of carbon steel number drills.When assembled with the pin pressed into the central hole,the pin should be higher than the block to make it easier to load. Now, here is the heart of the fixture. When the block is on the pin, and in the slot, creating a No Fly Zone :) , the bottom of the slot of the block must be coincidental with the top surface of the 1/4" tongue. Why? Because when you go to strop the block and wrap the line or wire around the block, the top surface of the tongue will cause the stropping material to follow the surface right into the groove of the block. Voila! That is, until I thought of an upgrade since I made this fixture. Some of you might say "hey!, what about beckets?" And, you would be right. So, here is my idea for beckets with a simple modification. It is not on the photos that are shown in the Photos Section, because I hadn't thought it up yet. Picture this. In the center of the 1/4" tongue and extending from it's top surface, down to the base radius that forms the tongue, I will cut a vertical "V" that will hold a "Becket Pin". It will be on both sides of the tongue so beckets can be formed on either end of your block(s). There will be a strap going across the tongue with two screws to secure the Becket Pin Clamp. And there you have it! Yes, you have to make a dedicated fixture for each block , but so what? With time, and wear and tear, from aggravation and frustration solved, you will wonder how you go along without it."