favorite rigging line

Rocks_and_Trees

Rocks_and_Trees

Location
AZ
I use one of my older rock climbing ropes as a rigging line, and just wanted to bring it up. It is really light weight, and the dynamic characteristics work well in reducing the overall shock load of any rigging scenario. I use it mostly for light duty, but have also used it for an occasional large piece. I keep track of these loads and will retire the rope to light duty or tag-line when appropriate (rock climbing ropes tend to be more delicate and are not really made for constant shock loads like encountered in tree work) Have any other fellow climbers tried this?
 
the term favorite rigging line usually translates into "a line that needs to be retired in about a month or so". the reason i say this is because everytime i find a favorite rigging line i realize ive been using it way too much and that i need to part ways after a month or so. as far as using an old climbing line, these little 11mm lines dont seem like much so i wont use them for more than hauling my 200 pound arse around,
 
I generally don't like to use my old rock ropes for rigging, just tag lines and occasionally for ascent. I don't use lifelines for rigging, even retired ones... I just keep cutting them smaller and smaller until I can't find a use for'em anymore.

I like 9/16" Stable Braid for block rigging and 1/2" Super Braid for natural crotch rigging. 1/4" Amsteel is the ticket for tag lines.
 
Blinky,

Do you ever use the Amsteel with mechanical advantage (ie: pulling a tree over)? I am curious if a VT prussic would work well with the Amsteel during this process. Does it slip or does it grip correctly?
 
R&T,

Could you be more specific that just saying 'old rock climbing ropes" ?

What brand, diameter, specs?

If you're using a typical rope used designed to take lead or top-rope falls I think it would be a terrible choice for rigging even small loads. Most ropes are designed to take a specific number of falls before retiring. Used as a rigging line every drop would be considered a fall.
 
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Do you ever use the Amsteel with mechanical advantage (ie: pulling a tree over)? I am curious if a VT prussic would work well with the Amsteel during this process. Does it slip or does it grip correctly?

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Dyneema, the "active ingredient" of Amsteel melts at very low temps and is not suitable for friction hitch applications. It would work well reeved through the MA system to eliminate stretch, might be better to use a version with a braided polyester/blended cover to save the expensive fibres.
 
Things have changed through the years. From the old days and old ways of 5/8 manila. To years of rigging with 7/16 Army 3 strand Green Rappelling line(actually a pretty nice compromise between fairly low normal stretch and pretty high shock load absorbing capabilities.) 1/2 inch NE Safety Blue as a rigging rope. 3/8ths KMIII for light rigging.7/16 and 9/16 Stable Braids and various Yacht braids. They all have had their place. I seldom need big lines because I don't dump big loads onto them. Actually my most frequently used rigging consists of 5/16 Samson PTS12 eyespliced 9 foot slings. I catch then dice and pitch or swing and pitch.
 
The rope I have been using is an 11mm bluewater. It wasn't that I really "chose" this to be my rigging line. I just needed a rigging line one day and had an old climbing rope in my garage. When I put it to work I was pleasantly surprised how it performed, it seemed to float the branches away.

Also, I used it on a big, leggy Mulberry the other day and just appreciated how light it was when limbwalking out to spider-leg balance a few horizontal ones over the roof. A big difference from my 16-strand Samson.

Tom, you are right about these ropes only specified to take a certain number of lead falls. I wouldn't recommend using them for rigging...just wondering if anybody had.
 
Hmmm...172.50 for 300ft.

I was looking into buying a line like this a while back. I was gonna use it as a single line to pull up a Ddrt system. Like for a palm with a heavy skirt, or any other tree for that matter. The black widow was one of my primary choices.

It would be nice to have a light line for rigging rather than using my spent rock climbing ropes!
 
It should be on their website. I like the spliced eye for pulling up the Ddrt. The static kernmantle is non-splicable. It also says "not meant for an everyday tree rigging rope", but than again, what 3/8 line is?
 
I can tell you from experience tha 3/8ths static kernmantle will wear very well. Remember that it is stiff so knots behave a little differently. A runnning bowline with Yosemite tie off will stay tied better than a standard bowline.
 
I verified with Samson that Black Widow (exclusively from Sherrill Tree) is Amsteel... 3/8" I think. It's not Amsteel Blue which is a little softer and stronger. The splice is a simple locked Brummel.

1/4 amsteel is $0.63 per foot at Redden Marine Supply

Ultra light tag line but not a good rigging line for natural crotches or heavy wood.
 
I been using the locked brummel on Tenex, Icetail, Beeline and HRC all to good effect. Those NE Ropes instructions are the first I ever used but I still don't get the rolling (capsizing) and unrolling of points A & B bit; I don't do that part anymore. If I remember right Brion Toss capsizes point A but not B... I could be all wet on that though. If you look at Fig. 12 in the NE instructions you'll see the basic, unburied, locked brummel. Maybe Nick or Rich can clear up the purpose of capsizing the holes.

What makes it 'locked' is that the standing part of the rope has to feed back through the tail. If you just weave the tail through holes in the standing part it won't lock. The tail goes through the standing part and then the standing part goes through the tail, then you taper and bury. You want to whiplock it after because the bury will back out when it's not under load... like when it's stuffed in a gear bag that's been tossed around.

Take a look at Step 5 in the Samson Eye&eye splice instructions... that's how I've been doing them. I use a Yale whiplock to finish.
 
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Take a look at Step 5 in the Samson Eye&eye splice instructions... that's how I've been doing them.

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The link doesn't work. And I can't connect directly to Samson's website.

Anyone else have problems?
 
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