# Good Old fashon Wire core climbing rope .



## tramp bushler (Jan 31, 2010)

I was thumbing thru a sale flyer .. Who can figure out which one !!! And I got to thinking about my need for a climbing rope . Modernly called a flip line .. .. Can the old Manilla 4 strand , wire rope core climbing rope still be bought , and if so where ???? Thank You ..


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## hammerlogging (Jan 31, 2010)

I've only seen a 16 strand style rope that has a wire core. Sherrill has them.


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## tomtrees58 (Jan 31, 2010)

they dont sell it aney more tom trees


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## brisawyer (Jan 31, 2010)

Wesspur has them in the 2009 catalog.


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## 2dogs (Jan 31, 2010)

Yep, Wespur has manilla wire core flip lines. However they are not climbing rope! Those are two completely different things.


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## brisawyer (Jan 31, 2010)

Sorry the way I understood the first post he was calling a flipline a "climbing rope"


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## tramp bushler (Jan 31, 2010)

2dogs said:


> Yep, Wespur has manilla wire core flip lines. However they are not climbing rope! Those are two completely different things.


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. In Southeast Alaska , tower loggin with a Madill , or a Berger ,or Washington ,or a Skagit and with wood trees and Shore Line A frames .
.The 4 strand Manilla wire rope core rope that has a sliced eye in one end , is woven thru the climbers belt ,thru all the D rings , goes around the tree and is tied in the eye ,usually on the right side near D rings , with a CATS PAW hitch .

.Thats a climbing rope !!!.
.
. Thank you very much for bringing WesSpur to my attention!!!!!!!
. Look on the front cover of the book ( Never Chop Your Rope ) . 
. Well just remember they been hangin riggin in trees way before Nylon and Polyester were invented ...... I bet Humptulips should have a pic of him climbing ....


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## Humptulips (Feb 1, 2010)

Just saw a spool of it at Harbor Saw and Supply in Hoquiam the other day. (360)532-4600 You would be better to splice your own eye in it though if you get one through them. They don't seem to have a clue how to make a nice eye.
Sorry no pics. My climbing gear is here but no camera.

I have a bit different way of doing my rope. I splice a short piece of climbing rope right into the d-rings. An eye on each side spliced into the D-rings. You have to get the length just right but you leave a little extra slack and it never digs into your back. Then I have an eye on each side and tie a catspaw on each side. Makes it easy to adjust your rope to the size of the timber so you don't have so much end to work with if you are cutting around limbs. Also makes it quick to upend the rope to get even wear.


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## 2dogs (Feb 2, 2010)

tramp bushler said:


> .
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> 
> ...



Thanks for the explanation Tramp. The lingo you guys in foreign countries use can be confusing at times.

BTW like Hump said it is easy to lay a piece of 1/4" wire rope into a length of 3/4" manilla rope. You can probably find 1/4" stainless steel wire rope since you are near the ocean. Use a Flemmish eye and at the bitter end silver braze or solder to keep the wires tight. The wire rope will outlast the manilla rope so you can swap it into a new piece of rope every few years.


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## tramp bushler (Feb 2, 2010)

Humptulips said:


> Just saw a spool of it at Harbor Saw and Supply in Hoquiam the other day. (360)532-4600 You would be better to splice your own eye in it though if you get one through them. They don't seem to have a clue how to make a nice eye.
> Sorry no pics. My climbing gear is here but no camera.
> 
> I have a bit different way of doing my rope. I splice a short piece of climbing rope right into the d-rings. An eye on each side spliced into the D-rings. You have to get the length just right but you leave a little extra slack and it never digs into your back. Then I have an eye on each side and tie a catspaw on each side. Makes it easy to adjust your rope to the size of the timber so you don't have so much end to work with if you are cutting around limbs. Also makes it quick to upend the rope to get even wear.


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Sometimes the replies don,t show up in my mail box .. Thanks for the # Hump .I can definatly see what you are saying about doing it that way and it not digging into your back !!! I will give them a call in a while ..

2 Dogs , I have noticed on here there is alot of difference between Calif. and PWN/ Alaska As far as terms and ways ....... What are fallers called in California ??? Other than alot of bad words :help::hmm3grin2orange: There are only 2 ropes on a yarder side in Alaska .. The climbing rope and the pass rope .. There is only 1 cable , The skyline cable ....There are lots of different lines and every one has it,s own name .......
. Thats one way to tell when a guy was new in Southeast .He wouldn,t know the words ........and his rain gear coat would prolly have a hood :deadhorse::deadhorse:


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## 2dogs (Feb 2, 2010)

Fallers are called fallers. We use the terms yarder engineer, choker setter, skyline or skyline cable, haulback, drop line, skid line, grapple cat or sometimes tracked skidder, chew, beer (Coors, Coors light or Bud), fag beer (any thing else unless it is free), tamarak (lodgepole pine), Cummins (Dodge pickup), dude (can mean anything, it's all in how you say it), chainsaw (Stihl), fish cops (dept of fish and game, very bad news), bug (any of a billion species de jour that can shut down logging or grazing), hot ( temp over 72o), cold (temp below 72o), water (comes in a little plastic bottle)
More to follow.


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## RandyMac (Feb 4, 2010)

TB, what do you call a bull-prick in your woods?


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## slowp (Feb 4, 2010)

RandyMac said:


> TB, what do you call a bull-prick in your woods?



Maybe they use a motorized carriage or butt rigging? In a classroom or field trip situation, it is called The Stop. There are not many people using a Christie anymore. 

Around here, a Tamarack is a Western Larch. 

Bugs are the talkie tooter things that you use.

I need more coffee...


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## tramp bushler (Feb 4, 2010)

RandyMac said:


> TB, what do you call a bull-prick in your woods?


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.The bull prick is the hydraulic ram that begins the tower up of a 009 Madill 90 foot tube .


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## tramp bushler (Feb 4, 2010)

slowp said:


> Maybe they use a motorized carriage or butt rigging? In a classroom or field trip situation, it is called The Stop. There are not many people using a Christie anymore.
> 
> Around here, a Tamarack is a Western Larch.
> 
> ...


.. Bugs are whistles are Talky Tooters


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## tramp bushler (Feb 4, 2010)

Ya know what loggers call a wicker bill plastic hard hat in Southeast don,t ya ??


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## hammerlogging (Feb 4, 2010)

I dont know but this cracks me up..... I was describing to my wife how its a little silly how our hookers, under the jammer, say "2 (pause) 2" on the chest radio, since 2 is go ahead on the talkie tooter (which she prefers to refer to as "talkie tootie"- I didn't happen to mention that we also say "1" or "4". Anyhow, she thought i meant that the hookers were saying "toot toot" to fully mimic the talkie tooter.

Toot toot say the grungy ass chokersetters. Toot toot.


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## Humptulips (Feb 4, 2010)

Tramp,
You know the way to limber up one of them ropes? They can be stiffer then all get out if you try to use them as is.


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## tramp bushler (Feb 5, 2010)

No , How ...This I gotta hear !!!!


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## joesawer (Feb 5, 2010)

Humptulips said:


> Tramp,
> You know the way to limber up one of them ropes? They can be stiffer then all get out if you try to use them as is.




Lol the places I could go with this!


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## Humptulips (Feb 5, 2010)

tramp bushler said:


> No , How ...This I gotta hear !!!!



The trick is to work some of the core out of the rope. Pull a bit of the core out and put it in a vice. Then with the end of the rope, taped of course, work the rope down the core untill you have at least a foot of core sticking out of the end. Work that slack down the rope equaly along it's length. I like to really tight wrap some more tape on it then but you don't have to. It really makes it limber.
Now don't go cutting that core off though. Get your torch out and melt the end of the core so it won't unravel but you need that core. The trouble with climbing rope is when it gets wet the hemp will shrink and the core won't. I've seen where guys didn't do anything to it and the core would pooch right out the side of the rope. If it gets wet it will start to get stiff. You pull some more core out and it will limber up although never as good as dry. You need that extra core for something to get hold of if you want to work some down.
When it drys out work it the other way. 

Sounds like a lot of work the way I put it down but just takes a minute to work it which ever way it needs to go.


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## 2dogs (Feb 7, 2010)

Humptulips said:


> The trick is to work some of the core out of the rope. Pull a bit of the core out and put it in a vice. Then with the end of the rope, taped of course, work the rope down the core untill you have at least a foot of core sticking out of the end. Work that slack down the rope equaly along it's length. I like to really tight wrap some more tape on it then but you don't have to. It really makes it limber.
> Now don't go cutting that core off though. Get your torch out and melt the end of the core so it won't unravel but you need that core. The trouble with climbing rope is when it gets wet the hemp will shrink and the core won't. I've seen where guys didn't do anything to it and the core would pooch right out the side of the rope. If it gets wet it will start to get stiff. You pull some more core out and it will limber up although never as good as dry. You need that extra core for something to get hold of if you want to work some down.
> When it drys out work it the other way.
> 
> Sounds like a lot of work the way I put it down but just takes a minute to work it which ever way it needs to go.



It's kinda like milking the bull rope. You just have to do it now and then to relive tension.


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## tramp bushler (Feb 7, 2010)

The past few years I have been using chain as my climbing rope which is real hard on the fingers when you spur out with lineman gaffs in climbing around burls and knots ... good old manilla climbing rope was way more comfortable .. I put Harbor Saws # in my phone and will give them a call in a month or so ... . I will prolly also get a 8' modern flip line , wire core obcourse ........ I don,t climb close enough to power lines to get zapped ..........Come summer time I hope the tree service picks up here ..


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## 2dogs (Feb 7, 2010)

tramp bushler said:


> The past few years I have been using chain as my climbing rope which is real hard on the fingers when you spur out with lineman gaffs in climbing around burls and knots ... good old manilla climbing rope was way more comfortable .. I put Harbor Saws # in my phone and will give them a call in a month or so ... . I will prolly also get a 8' modern flip line , wire core obcourse ........ I don,t climb close enough to power lines to get zapped ..........Come summer time I hope the tree service picks up here ..



I remember reading an article in one of the tree service magazines about a guy who used 1/4" alloy chain as his flip line. That was probably 15 years ago and I don't remember how he adjusted it. It seems like a good idea but only for an independent owner. Since OSHA sets the rules only commercially available gear can be issued to an employee.


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## tramp bushler (Feb 7, 2010)

I just use regular light aluminum caribiners .. The kind you clip your keys or a water bottle to a belt loop with . I go around the tree in thru the dee ring then clipit back into itself .. That way I only have half load on the biner .. Sometimes I use the steel ones you can buy in a hardware store ...... I use a good old fashion shackle to secure the chain to my left side dee ring .. My climbing belt is the same one I bought in 1983 . Just a Klein safety belt that I have done 3/4ths of all my climbing with .. When I first got it it wound be buckled in the last holes and there wounld still be room for it to ride up .. It got so I had to really suck up to get even the first 2 holes for a while ... I,m on my way toward a sensible middle now ....


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## 2dogs (Feb 7, 2010)

tramp bushler said:


> I just use regular light aluminum caribiners .. The kind you clip your keys or a water bottle to a belt loop with . I go around the tree in thru the dee ring then clipit back into itself .. That way I only have half load on the biner .. Sometimes I use the steel ones you can buy in a hardware store ...... I use a good old fashion shackle to secure the chain to my left side dee ring .. My climbing belt is the same one I bought in 1983 . Just a Klein safety belt that I have done 3/4ths of all my climbing with .. When I first got it it wound be buckled in the last holes and there wounld still be room for it to ride up .. It got so I had to really suck up to get even the first 2 holes for a while ... I,m on my way toward a sensible middle now ....



Yeah, my saddle shrunk too. I would not use those fake carabiners. They are not made to any specifications. Some dude in Red China bangs them out for a 1/4 cent apiece and ships them over here. And you realy need a locking carabiner. Your posts are entertaining and informative. It's hard to type with a limb sticking out of your chest.


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## joesawer (Feb 8, 2010)

2dogs said:


> Yeah, my saddle shrunk too. I would not use those fake carabiners. They are not made to any specifications. Some dude in Red China bangs them out for a 1/4 cent apiece and ships them over here. And you realy need a locking carabiner. Your posts are entertaining and informative. It's hard to type with a limb sticking out of your chest.





+1 On the caribeaners. That is no place to skimp. Those hardware store ones are a death trap waiting for a place to happen.


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## tramp bushler (Feb 8, 2010)

The big ones won,t fit thru the chain links ..


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## Humptulips (Feb 9, 2010)

Ever think about using a quick link?


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## tramp bushler (Feb 9, 2010)

Whats a quik link ???.. By the way , I,m going to use the milking the core trik to soften up my rope .....


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## Humptulips (Feb 9, 2010)

Wish I was good at putting up pictures.
They are a chain link that opens up on one side with a threaded kind of like a nut. Not a very good explanation.
Any place that handles RV supplies or trailers will have them not to mention a hardware store.


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## tramp bushler (Feb 9, 2010)

Humptulips said:


> Wish I was good at putting up pictures.
> They are a chain link that opens up on one side with a threaded kind of like a nut. Not a very good explanation.
> Any place that handles RV supplies or trailers will have them not to mention a hardware store.


.

. OK , Ya , I know what you mean ... I guess that would work .....I,ll put a bunch of them on there ..


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## joesawer (Feb 9, 2010)

tramp bushler said:


> The big ones won,t fit thru the chain links ..





How small does it need to be?
I have a small rated caribeaner that I will mail you if it will fit through your links.

Here is a link to a quick link. It is at the bottom of the page, listed as a 7mm oval screw link.
http://www.baileysonline.com/search.asp?catid=32&skw=KW109


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## 2dogs (Feb 9, 2010)

Humptulips said:


> Wish I was good at putting up pictures.
> They are a chain link that opens up on one side with a threaded kind of like a nut. Not a very good explanation.
> Any place that handles RV supplies or trailers will have them not to mention a hardware store.



You should use a load rated link. Most arborist suppliers have them.
They look like this;http://wesspur.com/carabiners/clips-links.html


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## tramp bushler (Feb 9, 2010)

Ya , that 5/16 th pear link would prolly work well ... I know I need to get a saddle and a bunch of the right stuff . But it has to pay for itself also ........ At least I,m not useing a regular rope ....WWAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH splat . pretty hard to saw thru a steel chain ...... I,ve sent my climbing rope up to my partner who was 110ft up a hemlock because he got all but 2 strands and half the wire core of his rope ...He never even had to come down ... till he got it all topped and down ........


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## Spotted Owl (Feb 9, 2010)

I used to use an old linemans belt. Now I use a newer linemans belt. Pads the back better and seems to ride good for what I do in a tree, either rigging or cutting. I never could get used to a saddle and all the rope every place I needed/wanted to work with the saw. 

On my left D I quick link the chain on and then on the right I have a chain slide then when adjusted I have a double clip to hold the extra slack chain to the tension side. Real fast to pull in or let out the slack as you go. pull yourself in with your right hand and run the chain through with your left. The slide is a chunk of 1/4" plate with a hole in it that the chain will slide through easily, then a slot the chain slides into and holds it about twice as long as the link so it doesn't slip or pop out. The chain isn't going anyplace but that clip gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling I guess. I know it can't pop out when the slack is clipped back. The plate has a hole in it that I use a quick link to hold that on my right D.

I can a does get a bit tough on the hands though. Chain also gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that the saw isn't going through all the way. Rope sure is lighter too.

I should know by now how to do the photo thing but I haven't taken the time to learn it yet. When I do get my butt glued to a chair long enough to learn I have piles of photos to put up. This chain slide is one I have been asked about quite a bit it seems.



Owl


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## tramp bushler (Feb 12, 2010)

Owl , that makes good sense ,, Please post a pic so I can get a better idea of it ...


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