Climbing Rope

[spin101]

I need some advise on preventing frays in my climbing rope and also how to decide if it is still safe to use. I feel that it is still safe but would like some ideas on how more experienced climbers make that safe to use call. I use arbormaster 16 strand .5".

Thanks Spin

 

[spin101]

Also some suggestions on what i should do if my rope is too frayed to use.

Thanks

 

[Blakesmaster]

Every couple months I'll cut the last few feet off the end of my climbing line as that gets the most wear and tear. Eventually when the whole thing starts looking iffy it becomes a small wood lowering line and I get a new one. It's your call. It's your life.

 

[spin101]

What do you do with the freshly cut end to keep it from fraying out? I know these may be stupid questions but i want to be as safe as possible.

Thanks Spin

 

[Blakesmaster]

Stick it up me arse. No, just kidding. I wrap the rope in 3 inches of electrical tape and cut in the middle. Seems to last awhile. Sometimes I'll have to rewrap it at a later date as well.

 

[spin101]

Awsome i thought maybe that was what folks do but was unsure.. Thanks for the reply

 

[2FatGuys]

Use a heated blade to cut and seal the end and then whip the end. It keeps you from having to deal with the sticky residue left behind by electrical tape.

 

[Toenan]

I would and will next time start with 200' of life line. So that you can cut off 4' to 5' as it gets worn. Or in my case as friday brought to my attention, that if your ground crew nicks your 150' of 3 week old High-Vee 50' from the end... You will still have a nice piece to use.
I also have a couple of rigging lines that are the same, So i bought colored electricians tape to code each end. That way my ground crew and I can KNOW that we are talking bout the same line.

 

[tomtrees58]

6 months we by new ones its a good rule if you climb ever day tom trees

 

[pdqdl]

Use a heated blade to cut and seal the end and then whip the end. It keeps you from having to deal with the sticky residue left behind by electrical tape.

Good advice, but most folks don't have a heated rope cutter. Use a soldering gun, that does the job nicely. 400 watts or more is best.

Alternative: cut with SHARP knife, then melt the end into itself with a flame. While still hot, roll the melted end between two pieces of cold metal to shape the melted end into a taper. Unless you like the melted knob on the end as a permanent stopper knot.

 

[Job Corps Tree]

To Cut off or just to keep the rope from Fraying Take an Old Knife , Heat it ( just lite red)with a Propane Torch Cut Melt it through Than Whip-it ( see old Sherrill Catalog). They have pic of how to Whip

 

[2FatGuys]

Good advice, but most folks don't have a heated rope cutter. Use a soldering gun, that does the job nicely. 400 watts or more is best.

Alternative: cut with SHARP knife, then melt the end into itself with a flame. While still hot, roll the melted end between two pieces of cold metal to shape the melted end into a taper. Unless you like the melted knob on the end as a permanent stopper knot.

Notice... I said "HEATED BLADE" not heated rope cutter. Everyone has an old sharp knife or razor blade. Most people have access to a propane torch, gas grill or kitchen stove. Heat the BLADE, use pliers / gloves to hold the blade, and cut the rope. Modern climbing lines use a variety of materials in the construction of the rope. Many ropes have different core materials and sheathing materials. Sometimes the melting point is different. Melting the end with a flame works for many rope types, but will cause unequal melting in others.

I agree with JCT that whipping the ends is by far the best way to finish them off! A melted end tends to eventually start fraying after hard use.

 

[2FatGuys]

.... Or in my case as friday brought to my attention, that if your ground crew nicks your 150' of 3 week old High-Vee 50' from the end... You will still have a nice piece to use.

I ended up with a 60' and a 90' Arbormaster that way!!

 

[Job Corps Tree]

climbing rpoe

the ground guys love to cut climbers rope, I would (Bag) mine and try to keep it up in the Tree with me. they can't feed it into the( Chipper) that way

 

[Blakesmaster]

the ground guys love to cut climbers rope, I would (Bag) mine and try to keep it up in the Tree with me. they can't feed it into the( Chipper) that way

Had that happen a few weeks ago. P@#%#ed me right off. I saw it hooked on the end of a branch going towards the chipper, started yelling and waving as I knew what was going to happen, was about ready to unclip my saw and huff it at the little prick but thought it better to lose a $100 rope than a $650 saw.

 

[(WLL)]

dont forget about the old dip the tip it in gas and light er up trick. its not my preferd method but it works.

 

[Frax]

A couple of other tricks that I have found helpful

You can pass a lighter or a torch gently across frays that happen mid-line and melt them down flat in less than a second. This is small frays - not large nicks!
Also, reversing your rope at regular intervals is good. This means taking off the hitch and re-tying it, but that is also a good idea to reduce glaze and wear on the hitch. If you are using a Blake's with a split tail - very simple to do.
And - you are using a cambium saver/false crotch - right?

 

[Job Corps Tree]

When i once told someone about that , they started calling 1 dumb SOB. When I would take the (same rope I still have ) out of the Washer and it was still very wet , I would draw it over some clip up above my head and as I brought down I would just Little over it with a Propane torch just to burn off the fine hair. than hang it to air day. had that hank of HyVee for over 10 years. Granted I do not climb on it all the time but it is still my own My Line. I need that 150" rope it at home and Clean. H#$$ when I started the rope to have was Tree Pro 3 strand and they just started with that ArborFlex( Yuck). The HyVee has some bad feet on the far end I mean 145" down from the Eye Splice. I know it may not be safe ,but it keeps my trainees guessing. They get hands on it they ask why my rope is so much fatter than the new ones they get . I give them a line of Cr@& about it is an old rope and it should be fat it's older. just been through the washer so many times the core fibers and all rolled up it has swollen a bit

 

[ClimbinArbor]

gorilla tape

like duct tape but black. long enough to wrap where you wanna cut and leave the good 3/4 of tape. stuff is awesome. just use a sharp knife and lighter.