Cleaning pine sap from gear

[ClimbingTN]

I don’t climb too many conifers and sappy trees. After about days in white pines my stuff is really dirty. I had to pull with both hands to get my friction cord to release getting down. Everything has sap, chainsaw pants, saddle you name it. I’m not happy but, how can I get this stuff clean.

 

[ghostice]

I use a white rag and 95% isopropyl alcohol on metal parts or everclear (almost absolute ethanol) on poly/ nylon ropes. There's older threads on sap removal (just use search) on Buzz and commercial sap removers from vendors like Wesspur. But the alcohols are quick and easy on prussik cords and ropes and they dry in a jiffy at room temperature. Welcome to the eternal fight against the Dark One (sap)! Cheers

Addenda: Also of use perhaps when things get stuck is a hitch breaker - there's fancy multicoloured or 3D printed versions commercially available like ArbSession's.

 

[Matias]

I finally gave my Arbsession hitch nut a real try on a job today and was very pleasantly surprised. After just putting it on a rope with a wrench above and moving it around, I worried that it would cause some interference, but it was absolutely flawless, and will likely become a regularly used knick knack.

 

[SBTC]

Pam, it's the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Matias]

Pam, it's the best thing since sliced bread.

I used too much oil on a rope that was sooooo pitchy it was useless, and now I just have an oily rope.

 

[RyanCafferky]

If I have gear get pitchy I just clean it with alcohol if it is hardware. If it is a rope or a lanyard I take it out of rotation temporarily and let the pitch dry out. Then I put it around a rough branch or trunk and rub the pitchy spot back and forth until it flakes off.

Thankfully we do not have white pines here unless people plant them and when they are cultivars they rarely get very big. Our worst pitch trees are young grand or noble firs. The trunks are literally covered with pitch filled pockets that pop when you touch them or put your lanyard around them. When I do those trees I sometimes just throw my lanyard away afterward. Glad to know how to splice.

 

[XTREEC]

I do white pines far more often than I’d like. I keep a gallon of rubbing alcohol in the truck. Best thing I’ve found so far

 

[ghostice]

I do white pines far more often than I’d like. I keep a gallon of rubbing alcohol in the truck. Best thing I’ve found so far

I used to use 95% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) for sap removal from both hardware and ropes - everything - until there was a TreeBuzz discussion on rope material (nylon and polyester) chemical compatibility a couple of years ago. According to the charts, rope textiles don't really like isopropyl alcohols yet aren't affected by ethanol. Was never able to find out the chemical basis of this but decided to switch to as pure ethanol (EtOH) as I could find - which was the Everclear suggested by someone on TreeBuzz. It works well for the sap and isn't much more expensive. Fifteen minutes and those sappy rope sections and your hitch cord is clean without any production. Just an FYI Cheers

 

[evo]

Like @RyanCafferky said, or a solid soak in soapy water as sap/pitch is water soluble, then a run through the washer.
It won’t take it all off but most. Then a few natural crotch runs and back in order.

For hard stuff I rarely bother but wd/40 or diesel and a tooth brush work well.

Saws, sometimes get so gummed the trigger gets locked on, or to let go of the handle it takes a shake.
Wd/40 and a putty knife for that, then some sandy dirt