old rope

[old timer]

looking through my old rope bag found 50mtrs three strand nylon , used about 75 times ,stored in dry dark conditons smells feels as when bought, thinking abought turning in to two way lanyards with rope snaps . looking at my records it is about 20years old. i have put it the tree i use to practise in and it feels fine to climb on same amount of bounce etc your advice please old timer

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i think that once a rope is opened into open air it starts to degrade. This would especially be true of Natural fibers wicking moisture(and thereby contaminates) from the air. But also true for synthetics as well; especially nylon, as much and as quickly as it takes up water (for a synthetic). Of course pollutants/ garage conditions and/ or sunlight etc. would give more aggravated conditions.

Rope with any use has had a chance for internal damage and contaminates taken in too; i'd think.

i'm not sure if all that would effect tensile strength or elasticity more; but there are certainly compromises to the situation; especially surpassing 4-7 years IMLHO.

Perhaps this line would better be used for less critical use; such as dragging, tie-downs etc. or less loading of compression jig (non-impacting and line tensions of less than 200#; through a 5x; giving 1000# service)etc.

 

[old timer]

thanks tree spyder

will downgrade my old friend ,to the mercy of the mad man on the ground] old timer

 

[SRT-Tech]

^ good call OldTimer! never trust old rope, even if it looks new, especially for life support or fliplines.

i just (it hurt to do so) retired a pricy climbing line (rockclimbing). Looks brand new, smells brand new, no fuzzing etc. had lots of climbs (rock) on it, never had falls loading the line....but it is over 5 years old. I felt it was time to retire ir, much to the DELIGHT of da, who got several pieces for his truck!

 

[ironpig70]

not a pro by any means but what does a chunk of rope like that cost versus having it break in a critical situation.

 

[SRT-Tech]

around 180 CDN $$. I based my decision on the fact that the INNER core of the rope was getting stiff & 'crunchy" in spots, from the rope aging. Stored indoors, in a rope bag, in a closet. Still aged...

 

[ironpig70]

around 180 CDN $$. I based my decision on the fact that the INNER core of the rope was getting stiff & 'crunchy" in spots, from the rope aging. Stored indoors, in a rope bag, in a closet. Still aged...

don't know what 180 cdn translate to but say you used it to tie off to a tree to direct its fall and said rope snapped and let tree fall into a car or home. i'm not a faller by any means but i do know how expensive it would be to fix said car or home and i do have an idea what a judge would say.

 

[SRT-Tech]

^ BINGO! or your life in the case of rockclimbing

 

[prosopis]

Into a creaking old age.

I'll have to check the cert of conformity for my arb rope but if it is anything like rope for rock climbing its use by date is calculated from date of manufacture. It might be apocryphal but a bunch of us were told, by Martin Atkinson, when he worked for Mammut (pity that they haven't gotten into making arb ropes as far as I know) that as the rope ages its static strength only reduces slightly but its ability to sustain dynamic loading reduces greatly. Oh and if your rope relies on nylon fibres for its strength don't let anything urinate on it.

Matt.

 

[SRT-Tech]

. Oh and if your rope relies on nylon fibres for its strength don't let anything urinate on it.

uh oh


:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[SRT-Tech]

hey Oldtimer, you can use that old rope of yours for fliplines, i just would'nt use it for a climbing line anymore....