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| Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic |
David Plotnikoff
Mountain climber
Emerald Hills, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 2, 2010 - 07:23pm PT
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I've somehow ended up with more potential poundage on the rack: A short set of BD slung hexes. The accessory cord on them now looks short and a little sketchy. I'm going to replace with Bluewater 5.5 mm Spectra webbing.
So how to tie these off? With long runs of Bluewater 1-inch tubular nylon, I always go with a water knot (ring knot, oldtimer) plus two fisherman's knots to back up. Because the water knot dresses nice and flat and pretty. And it gets tighter the more it's fallen on.
But conventional wisdom is saying, "Dave, you're not so bright. Use a triple fisherman's knot to resling chocks."
Remember this is flat, slippery webbing, not round accessory cord. Which way would you go?
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Spectra is nothing but EHMW polyethylene (Extremely high molecular weight milk bottle material)
About the only thing slipperier is Teflon!
DONT! tie knots in it!
Yer gonna die!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Double fisherman's works for me and is a better knot for webbing like 9/16" supertape. Nice streamlined knot and the industry standard all the way back to when nuts were pebbles. Lots of choices in cordage too!
I avoid the spectra thinness personally. Super-strong fibers can work harden and behave strangely under duress.
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Disaster Master
Social climber
Born in So-Cal, left my soul in far Nor-Cal.
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I would use spectra CORD 5.5mm instead. If the holes are the older large diameter, use surgical tubing, threaded through the holes in the hex to take up the extra space. the cord goes through the tubing. Tie with a triple fisherman's knott,
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JBC
Trad climber
Tacoma, WA
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Mountain Tools will do sewn slings for $7.95 ea if you have the larger holes. With smaller ones I believe they use the 5.5mm cord.
Jim
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Kevin C
climber
Ridgway, Co
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I've used 5.5 spectra cord, Bluewater recommends a triple fisherman's with that stuff. if i did it again i would probably use blue pro-cord.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
SoCal
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Retire the hexes and use dynamic camming devices for cracks. Saves a load of time. (Friends, Camalots, Dragons, Tricams, etc.)
I used hexes since '74. Then a fellow that could climb better than me said, "Why are you doing that?"
I had my realization. They just handicap you.
If I were to resling my hexes I would only use perlon with a double fisherman's knot. I've heard spectra can come untied.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Get rid of the spectra & dyneema.
go with nylon. Period.
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froodish
Social climber
Portland, Oregon
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I got a few of mine sewn with webbing (12mm Ultratape) a while back and like it a lot better than thick cord. More flexible and takes up less space on a racking 'biner.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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save weight and time. leave hexes at home. Life is too short to deal with them.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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How's that polyethylene Spectra fiber with respect to UV rays?
A big plus for perlon cord is the mantle shields the core to a certain extent.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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How's that polyethylene Spectra fiber with respect to UV rays?
About the same as a milk jug or Nalgene. Maybe a bit worse.
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MisterE
Social climber
Bouncy Tiggerville
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Dare I say it?
LEAVE THE COWBELLS ON THE FARM!!111669
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David Plotnikoff
Mountain climber
Emerald Hills, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 3, 2010 - 12:16am PT
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Go to all cams?
No. No way. No how.
Look: I got a fever. And the only prescription is MORE COWBELL.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!
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Folks re-sling those things? Who'd have thunk it?
I have no idea how old my hex slings are. Hey, wanna go climbin'?
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Any kind of flat stuff, I use double fisherman's. But I prefer cord for stoppers and hexes, and tie them with a triple fisherman's with minimum 1" tail beyond the knot after it is tightened with pliers and by weighting and bouncing.
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MisterE
Social climber
Bouncy Tiggerville
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Look: I got a fever. And the only prescription is MORE COWBELL.
You go with your bad hex-slingin' self!
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Way back in the Day, Coonyard said that 5.5 kevlar was the stuff to use for his Hexes and Stoppers. About as strong as a lead rope, and almost impossible to cut, that stuff was pretty good.
When did polyethylene become better than kevlar? I've never heard of anybody mixing polyethylene with carbon fiber for a superior homebuilt composite airframe. Or, for that matter, any propeller company that wraps their wooden props with polyethylene.
Or, any tennis company claiming that polyethylene rackets are what the tour pros prefer.
Polyethylene is great, where it belongs. I don't think it belongs on the rack, even if it is UHHHMW and is linear-strained until it's "strong", but its fracture toughness is almost zero.
What I want to know is: where is the polyester webbing? Sailors have known for years that polyester is better against UV than nylon, and most other synthetic fibers. Almost nobody makes nylon sails, except for parachutes that are intended for occasional use.
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| Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic |
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