rigging question

[heartland]

Curious what type of rope you guys use for attached balancing situation. Specifically, for the

a. balancing rope
b. prussik loop

I'm looking to aquire these items and appreciate any insight you more experienced guys may have.

For the sake of conversation, let's say the limb being removed is Oak, 6-8' long and 1' diameter.

 

[ORclimber]

I've always just tied the limb at the center of balance with a lowering line, but apparantly there are better ways. Here's a link 165 passed to me earlier tonight for something else, I think it might have what your looking for.

http://www.wtsherrill.com/SHTML/sli.shtml#lp

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I use a 3/8 tenex balancer with a long brummel eye.

I fix this to the rigging line with a krutzklem and then secure it and the rigging line to the load. I can then adgust the friction hitch for optimal balance.

I buy Tenex in bulk so if it costs me .35 per foot and I use 15 feet thats 5.25 plus maybe 20min time.

I made a buddy one with a full bury, 20 ft long used 30 ft cost 10.50. Can't remember what I charged, maybe 20.

Rigging line is Stable Braid.

 

[treeguy347]

For prusik loops, check out Titan cord. I got some from a rock climbing shop a couple years back. It is very thin but is unbelievably strong due to a spectra cord. It also does not stretch.

 

[heartland]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
I use a 3/8 tenex balancer with a long brummel eye.

I fix this to the rigging line with a krutzklem and then secure it and the rigging line to the load. I can then adgust the friction hitch for optimal balance.

JPS - Not sure what a brummel eye is...

Krutzklem is like an upside down klemheist?

Any way you can draw me a picture of this?

 

[Bradley]

An old piece of climb line with a bowline in one end tied around the lower line with a klemheist.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i think exact center of balance is hard to hit sometimes... That these balancers allow you to come close but not exactly have to be right on the CoB for the same effect of balancing it horizontally on the line.

Mostly i find that useful for keeping the limb horizontal, specifically during a certain part of it's path, usually i can find similar solution in arcing a spar horizontally around on it's hinge and rigging line in tandem to keep the spar horizontal during that part of it's path. i use various strategies to give the hinge strength and line tightness to float the load like this, until tearoff. At which time there usually isn't any impacting on the line as the hinge softly handed off the load to the line. Sometimes pretightening the line as the hinge slowly gave over control and weight of load to the line. Sometimes looking to add more length and weight for more power to perform the task! Whereby, length and weight can be empowerments of mass and leverage, to power the line to work for you.

The tilting and adjusting of all that does't work as well with the upside down "Y" of a balancer. Personally, i favor the other characteristics of theat single line over the balancers.

 

[seanlarkin]

 

[Greg]

I like double braided ropes for all rigging situations I use 1/2 inch 99% of the time and have 100ft of 3/4 that i rarely use. I have a 20ft length that I use as a balancer, using a 1/2 12strand for the prussik. It is rare that I'll pull out the balancer however, takes a little more to set up -- no need to use it in most situations. I tip or butt tie 99% of the time when rigging.
Greg

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Brummel is a type of spliceed eye.

 

[heartland]

Thanks for the clarification. Also, thanks to everybody who responded. This was really helpful.

seanlarkin - the pic is always worth a thousand words

JPS - I assume the pic is similar to the way you described, with the blue line being the equivalent of your Tenex. Correct me if I'm wrong

 

[seanlarkin]

You're welcome. You can just call me Sean, and save yourself some typing.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Yup, that's it. Sean's just picking up my slack

That is the exact Kotwica art i was going to find and post off the Sherrill site.

I think BK will be back there in a week or so to start catalog work for the '03 edition, no?

 

[heartland]

JPS - excellent. Your reply helps solidify things in my mind. I appreciate it.

But there is still one lingering question: what is a Krutzklem?

 

[Kevin]

inverted klemheist .

 

[seanlarkin]

That image I posted is not on our website. I went to the link ORclimber posted, and saw that the we still had the older Spider Leg image up, so I posted the this new one. I think "beardy" arrives this weekend.

 

[heartland]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
I use a 3/8 tenex balancer with a long brummel eye.

JPS - is this what your balancer looks like?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

pretty close, mine is green

I call BK "Moutainman" whenever I first see him.

BTW anyone know some good rock climbing near Greensboro? BK is a rock fananic.

 

[treeguy347]

slightly off topic...

Check out "The Art and Science of Rigging" put out by the ISA. I just purchased it. I'm halfway thru the eight tape set and they seem to be pretty informative.