Teach me about rigging

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Hi

I've bee climbing for a few months now and i know nothing about rigging. I know you use steel screwgate karabiners in rigging but thats about it.

Theres pullys, shakles, rigger plates and the rest where do they go, what do they do? Whats a speedline hows it work? How do you lower things out of a tree your dismatling?

Sorry for all the questions but like i say i know nothing and it really intrests me how it all works.

Thanks

Andy

 

[Ekka]

Wow

Like I could be here all night and tomorrow, it is a huge topic to cover.

Types of rope, safe working loads vs breaking strain, types of knots or knotless rigging, forces generated, natural crotch vs pulleys.

The best thing you can do is get yourself a copy of "The Art and Science of Practical Rigging" which comes with 8 videos I think and available from good arborist shops or ISA.

It pretty much covers evrything you need to know plus some.

It's easy to follow and right on up to date info, you wont be learning some-one elses bad habits either.

Just remember, most equipment inluding rope is rated at breaking strength, there is a safe working load which is between 10% and 20% of the break load depending which country you are in as they differ. So a 50kn screw gate carabiner now is only 5KN safe working load. Don't buy a 1000kg rope and think of lowering that!

Get hold of that video and book and study for a few days and you'll be an expert.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

lowering and rigging takes years of experience to perfect. the best way to learn is to work with an experienced climber and watch. forget a lot of the complex stuff for now, as you need to master the basics. learn to use a porta wrap properly, and how to select the best rigging point for your pulley block.
practice on some very small stuff, and learn how to tip tie or butt tie, and how to balance limbs.
like i said, if you can work with an experienced climber, this will teach you more than anything else.

 

[Ross Turner]

Go & do the NPTC unit 41 you will be taught what you need to know if the instructor is worth his salt.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Go & do the NPTC unit 41 you will be taught what you need to know if the instructor is worth his salt.

Still have to be trained first Ross, the Unit is only an assesment of your existing skills.

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

I would go on 41 but i'd like to have some idea of what i'd be doing. Learn how to rig in a week. I'd rather get some theory in my head get some practical experence -even if it is lowering twigs form 5'. Then go and do CS41 the problem with NPTCs is you need them do actually do what your training for, but you need the confedence and experence in what your doing before hand.

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

These porta wraps how do they work?

 

[Ekka]

These porta wraps how do they work?

Trust me, get the video series and next best thing is work in a crew or like Thor said get a climber in with the gear ... but if it's anything like this place half of them aren't kitted out properly and fewer even good at it!

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Must see to beleive. Portawrap is neat cuz it gives consistent, adjustable responding friction at the ground level, in a smooth device that won't tear up lines, and maid of metal so won't insulate/ hold heat in like rope on wood friction but rather dissipates the heat.

In general rigging involves braking and steering a load by the line tension and line direction as a force; by having awareness of/adjusting about 100 different factors. Something to be more seen and felt to find the sense and respect of, than try to itemize at first. Also good advice for safety. Trees are the largest, heaviest, longest lived, most leveraged etc. of all life ever. Thus the rigging forces take large weight to start, and multiply that weight force with leverage , speed and impact then too This raises the resulting forces to extreme dangerous red line powerful ranges. While a small climber is right next to all that immense force, controlling it with a stretched 1/2" line as climber hangs in mid air holding a power saw near their only support. Many times the allowable margin for error will recede from your grasp. Many have been killed; hopefully none give you 1 paragraph and tell ya you will be fine.

 

[Ross Turner]

Still have to be trained first Ross, the Unit is only an assesment of your existing skills.

Thor,it must have changed as when i sat that unit we where giving instruction before you took the test.
I still say get intouch with a trainning provider like Treevolution or someone similar & get taught the basics then go for the NPTC cert of Comp.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

My worry with a lot of the 'training' providers is you'll get taught a lot of stuff and shown a lot of gadgety equipment you do'nt need. therefore you pay £500 quid for a lot useless instruction, instead of 3 days learning the important basic stuff, and practicing it.
However thats just my little pet hate, a training course is probably still the best idea.

 

[iain]

mr b
both ross and thor are correct
thor is right, try to watch and work with a good climber in the work enviroment , i saw a climbing demo at a recent show and those lads had more ironwork around them than a blacksmith ( totally ridiculus )
then when you've watch & worked with someone good, try it for yourself on a small scale find confience in the ropes and your systems

this is where you can take Ross's suggestion , save up and do the nptc training this will prepare you for the nptc exam as the trainors often know the requirements on exam day and and should be upto date on current regs and best practice

even so nptc is only a test of skill, you can be just as competent without doing the course ,however that will be down too you, to get the hands on experience which can take years, dependant on how quick u feel confident in yourself and your kit

you've done the hard part (getting ur butt of the ground !!! well done)

iain

 

[Bermie]

I did a rigging course with Treevolution (had CS 30 31 38 39 already) didn't have time to take 41. Picked their brains, took pictures and wrote down what kit basic I needed, bought it and got on with it. Get some training, practice on small stuff move on to bigger, read books, watch experienced people, ask questions take notes, get more training etc. etc.
Know your limits and pay attention to physics.