Gibbs # 3 ascender

[husky runner]

Today I took the day off and stopped at a few lawn sales and found a new Gibbs ascender for 10.00 and purchased it , I knew what it was for but Im unsure how to use one as i use saddle and lanyard to secure for climbing I sure want to learn how to make use of all I can, alittle help for a rookie would be nice.
Im sure some guys are saying ? but everyone had to start somewhere.

 

[Frans]

The last post is great advice the only other item I would mention is buying a Large twisted clevis from Sherrills and using that in place of the biner- makes it harder to take on and off but shortens up the distance from the Gibbs to your saddle and does'nt get in the way so much as a biner will. some people wire the pin in place.
Not sure just what model you have but I use the larger gibbs with my 1/2" wire core flip line
Note: If you do use a biner, as always, use a double locking type
Frans

 

[husky runner]

Gibbs Ascender

Thats exactly what I did with it I guess I was On the right track I used it with a 5,500 lb. rated locking biner on my 5/8" lanyard which i hand eye spliced myself with 3 strand ship rope not the cheep stuff this rope is like 3strand arborflex ropeept its used to drag up big ship lines . thanks for the advice guys Im gainin day by day .

 

[Frans]

5,500 Lb. DOUBLE AUTO LOCKING BINER??
Or single auto locking biner?
Frans

 

[husky runner]

gibbs

Actually I come to find out I think this may be a #4 as it looks like its stainless steel and i have 5/8" lanyard in it and i think it may accept 3/4" rope also . anyway i use a biner says rtc 9111 on the side and you have to turn the knurled barrel and press it in to open it i guess its single locking.

 

[TreeMonkey]

One thing I have learned over these years has been to NEVER trust anyone elses gear if it is your life hanging on a rope. Do you know who used the Gibbs before you bought it? Was it ever dropped from a height greater than 3'? As climbers, the safety of our gear is the only thing between going home at 5PM or just being dead. Being prudent and safe means always being in control of your gear and letting no one else use it but you.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Used gear is kinda like used .............used wraps fer cheap futher muckers!

Plastic wire tie(pink of course!) was my final lock of choice on twisted clevis, thought the lock nut, plastic lock insert and tight threads i think are supposed to do it.

The cam can't be too worn, nor bolt, by visual inspection. As mentioned the devices each are made for a certain diameter of host line. There is usually an indent in the cam shell for that diameter of line to fit. The cam is made to torque so much pressure to seat maximized at a certain cam rotation onto a set given diameter. At that point, closed on a certain diameter line, the 2 points of pressure on the cam; of pivot and rope contact are in alignment, not so much opened to kick out as easy i think.

i like the Hip STD (Self Tending Dee? ) strategy for lanyards for 2 way adjusmtent loaded, light, compact, discreet etc, and have shelved my microscender w/twisted clevis. i think speeder Chisholm at TB was the first i heard of with the friction hitch straight to D for lanyard adjuster; but we mighta come up with lacing the tail through the D, to double use the D for mount and tender for the friction hitch; write here at AS; as all these ideas were flyin at once.

 

[Stumper]

Treemonkey, FYI, research by Black Diamond indicates that the 'dropped gear' fear that has so often been repeated in climbing literature is bogus. If the gear showed no visible damage they could NEVER find any invisible damage.-They tested dropped stuff ('biners mostly) to failure and even with minor scratches and dings the stuff always failed ABOVE rated strength.:angel:

 

[glens]

http://www.magnaflux.com/library/faq_liq.stm

 

[TreeMonkey]

Stumper...read the same lit...would you bet your life on it?

 

[TreeMonkey]

Originally posted by glens
http://www.magnaflux.com/library/faq_liq.stm

??? Looked at the site...using liquids to detect flaws or surface openings in metals. Says nothing regarding subsurface fractures.

 

[TreeMonkey]

Originally posted by Stumper
Treemonkey, FYI, research by Black Diamond indicates that the 'dropped gear' fear that has so often been repeated in climbing literature is bogus. If the gear showed no visible damage they could NEVER find any invisible damage.-They tested dropped stuff ('biners mostly) to failure and even with minor scratches and dings the stuff always failed ABOVE rated strength.:angel:

always??...the only two sure, "always" things in life are death and taxes.

 

[glens]

Originally posted by TreeMonkey
??? Looked at the site...using liquids to detect flaws or surface openings in metals. Says nothing regarding subsurface fractures.

I don't much see how you're going to get a stress-induced problem that doesn't reach an outside surface in this type of gear.  I don't know what the going prices are for either the ascender (new) or a kit from magnaflux are, so can't say which would be the cheaper route to take.  I guess I'd be a little too curious, though, to entrust a piece of gear like that without knowing its history or at least whether there are any physical problems.

I've used the penetrating dyes in industrial settings and they're quite informative.

Glen

 

[OutOnaLimb]

Personally, I think its a cool little device, I have piece of Yellow Jacket that my groundie cut with the chain saw and I took about 8ft off of the spliced end, put a girth hitch in the splice around rope snap and then attached it to my Gibbs. This is the coolest lanyard I have come up with yet.

Kenn

 

[TreeMonkey]

Glens...

I guess my point is how can you trust a device without knowing its history?

Gibbs is a very useful device. It is the same principle as the Petzl ascender. I find them most useful in a mechanical advantage system or on a load releasing hitch.

 

[Stumper]

Mike, He is using the existing splice that was already on the rope.-Du...uh.

 

[jkrueger]

I have a Petzl, got it with my first lanyard. Don't know the Gibbs. Have since gone to a friction hitch. Getting used to the idea.

Jack