homemade 3 strand flipline

[ZinTrees]

anybody using 3 strand to make homemade wirecore fliplines?

im looking at usint some 1/2" treemaster or safety blue and threading a cable thru it, two spliced eyes, and the cable just lays in the straight section (i.e not spliced thru the eye)

adjusted with a hip prusik, I think it should work well, I see people running the cable thru the eye as well, but I dont think that is a big deal, since with my design it is NOT load bearing, its just for the stiffness


any thoughts?

 

[tree MDS]

anybody using 3 strand to make homemade wirecore fliplines?

im looking at usint some 1/2" treemaster or safety blue and threading a cable thru it, two spliced eyes, and the cable just lays in the straight section (i.e not spliced thru the eye)

any thoughts?

I’d work on your throw line air cannon first. Get that dialed in.

 

[ZinTrees]

I need to at some point, currently my potato cannon is sorta a no go on a throwline, since 1: its huge, about 7ft long, and 2: it needs a battery to operate

I will for sure (hopefully by the end of the year, its not like I have much schedule) have a proper one built, Metaspencer on Youtube made a super nice one from an old compressed gas cylinder, 15 or 20cu-ft iirc

 

[ZinTrees]

im just looking for ideas on a flipline, since I am workin my way up to bigger trees, I have a 15ft samson 16strand 2 in 1 soft core that I made, it works nice and the extra diameter is great on larger stems, just a mild pain in a tree with rough or "sticky" bark

 

[ATH]

No line is going to be easy to flip up on a shagbark hickory

It just takes practice. Longer line does help as you can flip it further away from the tree.

I'd think the difficulty of moving friction hitches on 3 strand more than outweighs any stiffness gains. There is a reason the newer ropes are so much more popular!

Why not just get a regular wire core flipline if stiffness is the goal? I don't think stiffness is the answer...bit if it is, I'd use my wire core...but it has been several years ain't that has left my bag.

I don't think fishing a wire through is a good idea. What does that do to the strength???

 

[tree MDS]

I can think of better things to be “homemade” than my life support devices. Just saying.

 

[ATH]

I've made plenty of lanyards/flipline...but I use the eye splice instructions provided by the manufacturer.

 

[ZinTrees]

reason for 3 strand is its easy as **** to splice, and pretty safe, and I dont think threading a small cable thru it will affect strength any more than im worried about TBH

 

[ZinTrees]

Why not just get a regular wire core flipline if stiffness is the goal?

one is $30, the other is close to $100

and I dont have $100 to throw at stuff right now

although I did try my 16 strand lanyard on a larger oak, worked amazing with a western roll

did have a nasty gaff out, especially when rolling a flipline id suggest starting low and slow, and practicing gaff outs + catching yourself with your lanyard, since you have 4-5ft slack in it when rolling, you have to yank it tight

 

[mikewhite85]

Sometimes you can't afford not to buy the right stuff.

 

[ATH]

If you can't control the flipline/gaffs, you should seriously consider setting a climbing line above too.

 

[Hddnis]

Your problem is going to be keeping the wire rope and the three strand indexed to each other. All my wire core lines are looped and crimped on the ends.

Wire won't stretch, the three strand will. Once that happens your wire termination is going to start making a hole on the three strand and wearing on it, cutting it away over time, even if this is up in a section below your loop.

 

[ZinTrees]

Your problem is going to be keeping the wire rope and the three strand indexed to each other. All my wire core lines are looped and crimped on the ends.

Wire won't stretch, the three strand will. Once that happens your wire termination is going to start making a hole on the three strand and wearing on it, cutting it away over time, even if this is up in a section below your loop.

can you explain

im thinking of just running the wire up to the base of the eye, not thru the eye
although I will probably just buy a wirecore, pulley and spare hitch cord

 

[Hddnis]

can you explain

im thinking of just running the wire up to the base of the eye, not thru the eye
although I will probably just buy a wirecore, pulley and spare hitch cord

You need some way to connect the wire to the eye so they move together. The rope on a wire core flipline is so your adjuster has something to grab, it really isn't load bearing beyond traction.
If the two different materials are not attached at the end they move separately. Same with a hollow braid rope, fibers in the core don't stretch as much and the jacket can pull over the ends, leaving you with a tail that is jacket only.

 

[ZinTrees]

You need some way to connect the wire to the eye so they move together. The rope on a wire core flipline is so your adjuster has something to grab, it really isn't load bearing beyond traction.
If the two different materials are not attached at the end they move separately. Same with a hollow braid rope, fibers in the core don't stretch as much and the jacket can pull over the ends, leaving you with a tail that is jacket only.

ahh I see

I will most likely just buy a flipline at some point, did some climbing with my 16strand lanyard and it rolls really nice, but im thinking a wire core will be better when im in big stuff

 

[ZinTrees]

update: I got a proper 1/2" wirecore flipline, im kicking myself for not doing it sooner

If you can't control the flipline/gaffs, you should seriously consider setting a climbing line above too.

??? I can indeed control a flipline and spurs pretty damn good


and, the reason I learned spur climbing is because half the trees im in setting a line is NOT possible
(45 degree hill, with thorn bushes for the first 15ft, good luck with a throwline)

 

[ZinTrees]

I can think of better things to be “homemade” than my life support devices. Just saying.

I trust my own splices more than anyone elses TBH

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Zin, settle down. In the words of my mentor, "there is no room for ego in the trees, cause they don't give a ****, and neither does gravity." You are getting good advice from some vets that have climbed more trees and made more sketchy rigs than you can imagine. We are trying to help you and keep you safe as you learn.

On a side note, don't tell me a throwline can NOT be set in a tree... it just means YOU don't have the skills to do it yet. How many hours a week do you spend practicing with your throwline? I used to spend at least an hour every night until I could hit a crotch 40' up, pinch the line, and put it back at my feet.... not bragging, just giving you an idea what is considered acceptable throwline skills down here. I know plenty of guys way better than me.

In this business it is important to realize that what you don't know, or what you think you know, but don't know that will you get busted up or dead.

 

[ZinTrees]

Zin, settle down. In the words of my mentor, "there is no room for ego in the trees, cause they don't give a ****, and neither does gravity." You are getting good advice from some vets that have climbed more trees and made more sketchy rigs than you can imagine. We are trying to help you and keep you safe as you learn.

On a side note, don't tell me a throwline can NOT be set in a tree... it just means YOU don't have the skills to do it yet. How many hours a week do you spend practicing with your throwline? I used to spend at least an hour every night until I could hit a crotch 40' up, pinch the line, and put it back at my feet.... not bragging, just giving you an idea what is considered acceptable throwline skills down here. I know plenty of guys way better than me.

In this business it is important to realize that what you don't know, or what you think you know, but don't know that will you get busted up or dead.

im not going to argue your sound words


and yes, I do NOT have the skill to hit a 60-70ft crotch with vines and brush for the first 15-20ft across the forest floor

 

[TheJollyLogger]

im not going to argue your sound words


and yes, I do NOT have the skill to hit a 60-70ft crotch with vines and brush for the first 15-20ft across the forest floor

Yet... keep practicing