THE BUFFALO
ArboristSite Lurker
ive spiked my rope with climbing spikes and need advice on it,its started to fray out and need to know how this reduces the strength of rope,should i cut it of and throw away the damaged piece,this has an eye on it,
rope damaged
- Thread starter THE BUFFALO
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flushcut
Addicted to ArboristSite
Cut it where the nick is and now you have a shorter climb line and a short piece that you can make into a split tail or something. As rule never climb on a damaged line.
HighGuy
ArboristSite Operative
:agree2: "Climb line" gets messed up/abused? They turn into a work/tag/guide lines. Period! ... Ropes aren't cheap! (For most of us)... But a lot less than what can happen to you, from a messed up/old "climb line". I went through a couple back in the day, for same reason. Just learned to watch my gaffs better, with experience. ... Hey? Nicks happen! ( Gaffs, saws, old tree house nails, etc.,...)
climberjones
ArboristSite Guru
Cut out the bad section at least!!!
My Dad had a couple of basic rules when it came to climbing gear, one, never use damaged gear, and two, never use some one elses gear. We lived about 30 miles outside Wash DC. One of our climbers lived in DC, so he would meet us on the job. We would call him the night before and give him the address. One day he was a no show. Dad showed up on the site in his Caddy, doing estimates. All of his personal gear was in his pick up. So, to save the day we went to another smaller job and he grabbed the other guys gear and started a pruning job on a big Oak in a front yard. He was almost finished, pole clipping to elavate over the gutters, and BANG, the rope broke. He fell about 25 feet. He broke his left shoulder, wrist, hip and crushed a couple vertibrae, where he landed on his chain saw. All of his internal organs were bruised and swollen so bad he couldn't eat for a month. He was fed by IV untill the swelling went down enough for food to pass through his system. He was 60 years old and it was exactly one month before my wedding. He got a 3 hr pass to come to the wedding, and had to come in and ambulance and wheel chair.
We always used 3 strand rope, and our climber was the first person that worked for us that used braided rope. After things got calmed down we inspected the climbing line. You couldn't see any damage, but when you ran your fingers along the rope you could feel where the inner core had be severed in several places. The climber whose rope Dad used had a bad habit of chunking out a tree and not giving the groudies time to move his rope, dropping blocks on it. We figured that he had dropped blocks on this one probably pinching the rope between roots and the blocks, severing the inner core.
As others have said, cut it at the damage and have two good short ropes. There's always some use for a good short rope, there is never any use for a bad long rope, where your life is concerned.
Just a side note, the job that the climber was a no show on was a huge take down. If the rope had of broke on him he could have been 90 feet off the ground, Joe.
We always used 3 strand rope, and our climber was the first person that worked for us that used braided rope. After things got calmed down we inspected the climbing line. You couldn't see any damage, but when you ran your fingers along the rope you could feel where the inner core had be severed in several places. The climber whose rope Dad used had a bad habit of chunking out a tree and not giving the groudies time to move his rope, dropping blocks on it. We figured that he had dropped blocks on this one probably pinching the rope between roots and the blocks, severing the inner core.
As others have said, cut it at the damage and have two good short ropes. There's always some use for a good short rope, there is never any use for a bad long rope, where your life is concerned.
Just a side note, the job that the climber was a no show on was a huge take down. If the rope had of broke on him he could have been 90 feet off the ground, Joe.
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HighGuy
ArboristSite Operative
:agree2:
2 different materials: one for core and one for cover; inner stiffer/much firmer & different make up, than outside; and beat it with a rubber hammer w/ wood underneath, as not to marr cover???? ... Introduce a very similar scenario in the field, that COULD happen to THAT type of rope, but I wouldn't be using a rope like that, on ANY job that made the rope core bend a lot.
I have seen OSHA pictures of guys using nylon rope TIED together to hoist them up an 1100' radio tower. ??? They got away with it several times, apparently??? They saved money, off the price of a "much superior rope". .... The guy and his son, riding the line, aren't here anymore. His wife burned/melted the rope on the capstan winch, when they were at about 600' ! ... Maybe should have bought new rope, after making some money, SO LUCKILY, getting away with the wrong stuff, as long as they did???
Sometimes in jobs we take for granted others, even bosses, know what they are doing and just go with it?? When you learn things correctly, by researching yourself, you can stay on top of new changes and are worth more on any job. If they don't think so? Run from that job, fast!
Learn the materials & properties of EACH kind rope and it's best use! READ about Samson's Rope Materials on their site. Or call and ask them.
Is this more than my 2 cents? :msp_unsure: Take from it and above ones, what ya will.
Have a good one!
