Fly Rope

S

Sawdust

Location
Bucks Co. P.A.
I just got my Fly rope with both ends spliced. I was worried about slack in the rope if not milked all out.
Well, that's what happened. About half way on the rope it gets puffy and the hitch gets a little tough to move.
I did try to work it out by milking with hitch on. It just bunched up against the other eye.
I'm a little dissapointed about that splice. Should I be?
I think I'm gonna have to cut one end off and use for lanyard. I called New England and they assured me that it would be milked out. Does anyone else have both ends spliced with the same problem?
I do like the performance of the rope. The jacket is real soft. It seems to snag easy. I pulled up my saw on it the first use and a tooth just grazed the rope and pulled a yarn out. The same with a polesaw. Now I'm gonna be more freaked out when someone gets even close to that rope with more than a tissue :)
Any ideas about that splice??
Later
 
Hey sawdust, I don't have any comments on your problems with The Fly rope, but I see that you list your location as Bucks County, PA. I grew up in Bucks County, near Newtown, and I climb recreationally. I now live in the Baltimore area, but get back to see the family every now and again. Can you recommend any good places to climb?
 
I talked with a climber who was having bunching problems too. He has both ends spliced. I used my 120' Fly for a few days to milk the sheath. I cut off about 26" of sheath. That would lead to a lot of bunching.

The sheath is a different weave than 16 strand I know, but I haven't had any picking problems. I never had picking with 16 strand either so maybe its the way that I use my rope. I'm very particular about how saws are sent up.

Tom
 
Users of the Fly rope have to realize that they are not using typical arborist rope with the majority of the strength in the outer core. The strength of the Fly is in the inner core strands and the outer core basically protects the inner core and gives the rope the proper shape. I've had some pulled threads on my Fly rope and simply melted them back down flush.
The only way I would get both ends of a rope spliced is if I were planning on cutting the rope the day I got it. A 200' rope with both ends spliced would be great for getting a 120' rope and an 80' rope.
 
Brian,

I don't think that your assessment of the sheath strength of the Fly is exactly accurate. I don't know the numbers, but there is a higher ratio of sheath strength to total strength for Fly than for typical dynamic rock climbing rope. Even dynamic rock rope has about 5-10% of the strength in the sheath. That's significant.
 
I would be more than a little peeved, Sawdust. I would give them at NE an earfull. I do imagine that splicing both ends of a kernmantle rope is bad anyways because the jacket is almost always going to move on the kern a little bit. If the jacket moves towards the splice its just got no place to go. I feel for ya. Great idea on using the cut piece as a lanyard! When life gives you lemons.....
 
I was always told ((by Sherrils, Bishop, Brian Toss, Stanley Lonstaff, et al) to never get both ends spliced until the rope had been worked.
This thread is of interest to me because it illustrates what has been drilled into us regarding use of advanced climbing equipment.
That is: paticular care and knowledge MUST be used to operate this equipment.
The fact that a splicing dept. did this for you is NOT AN EXCUSE. Splicing dept. are not necc. arborists and may not realize the type of use the line will be used for.
Proper training and self responsibility MUST happen to use this equipment safely.
Lucky for you no harm was done to yourself.
You MUST recognize where these ropes came from. Rope manufactures are , for the most part, suppling cordage to a great many disciplines. It is TOTALLY up to the end user to properly use and fully understand the equipment.
Sorry to sound harsh but this could be prevented. And prevention is better than accidents.
frans
 
I have two Fly ropes one is 165 and other is 180. The only problem I have is that I get hockles in the rope alot. This happens mostly when I pull some rope for slack and then descend down a bit. I only have one end splice but the other end had been sealed tight, cover and core sealed together. I am thinking maybe I should cut an inch off and just tape it and let it work itself out and then reseal it. Other than that I love it.

Big John
 
Snarf, I hear you about the manuf. splicing. I never trusted it. I also called NE when I purchased the rope and asked if it would be milked out before second eye. They assured me it would be. I do understand about the grace period before the second eye. I knew this was going to happen, but had to see it myself.

All this leads me to what happened today with my FLY.
After coming out of tree, I looked at my splice, which I have been starring at since I got it, and it looked like it was loose. I slid back the shrink tube and was trying to milk a little bit of jacket that seemed to creep up showing the core. Took that little piece of tape off and tugged on the eye and milked a tiny bit again then back on the eye. The core was more exposed, then blam, there goes the eye, right out! I'm trying to get a picture of it. But by looking at what was left, I cant see how that eye stayed together that long. I used it about 15x alternating ends before this happened.

I just dont get how this can be sold like this. I tried to find instructions but none yet. I did watch Lance from NE do a couple at TCI/Milw. Seems a little tough, but what I saw today, there has got to be a better way for this rope.

I hope I'm not over reacting but seeing that today pisses me off a bit. I can't use that rope now. Gonna have to pull the other side out and find some directions and adjust accordingly.
Thanks for listening.
Later
 
Why don't people bury this cover strands? I thought that the cover helped hold the load, too. It's seems odd that you'd just leave them outside, with only the core strands holding the load?

love
nick
 
SAWDUST
Would you please actually READ & THINK about my post RE: splicing?
I do trust manufactures splicing.
I have NEVER said, or implied in ANY way, that I do not trust the products that come out of the rope manufactures.
To say you agree with me is just spreading inaccurate and misleading information, becouse I never said anything like that.


I dont have anything to say about your rope splice failure. My advice is to send it back to where you got it spliced and ask them to figure it out. (they) have been splicing rope for many many years and are the BEST qualified. After all, it is only your life on the line (no pun intended, this is serious)
Frans :)
 
I was not implying you were saying that...I have been saying that based on my experience and from what I hear and see. This is a new rope and splice for this rope. I have only seen it done. Now my experience with this rope is to do it myself like all my other ropes and such.
I was agreeing with taking more responsibility of your equipment. It is still freaky that this happened. I did say I thought this could be a problem which I did talk to NE beforehand. I probably should have checked it out more after seeing the rope bunch up after the first use. I figured maybe I'll give the manuf. the benefit of the doubt. Well, now I have doubt.
Later
 
Re: the heat-shrink tubing.

I've had the shrink tubing torn off almost every rope I own. I picked up some clear 1" shrink tubing at a local store and use it on all my splices, but it isn't quite as tough as the stuff Sherrill uses. Only bought 2 ropes spliced by Sherrill, spliced all the rest myself.

If the shrink wrap comes off, replace it. If the whipping comes unravelled, fix it. I think using a splice without whipping/ lockstitching is like using a non-locking biner.
On Fly rope, I have one I spliced myself which I've replaced the shrink wrap once and a new Fly rope spliced by Sherrill which is still almost new.
 
Re: the heat-shrink tubing.

Whipping in most cases is just a added sense of security. If the splice is done right there is no need for whipping . The fly rope however may be different . Thats one rope I havnt spliced yet .
 
Re: the heat-shrink tubing.

"...If the splice is done right there is no need for whipping..."

I agree. Especially in the Fly splice. I think it looks nicer, though! I was wondering if I should send out another piece of heat-shrink tubing with the splices I do, in case the tubing tears up. On that last cut of the cover, if you cut it at a short, quick taper, it is smoother under the tubing...might make it last a bit longer.

love
nick
 
Re: the heat-shrink tubing.

Nick ,

Dont you think the kind of Dollors you pay for a splice and whip that it should hold together ? At least the whipping anyway . I have had to redue all of mine on the Fly. They all fell apart. Does the retailer have a warranty on their work ? I have never looked into this .

Greg
 
Re: the heat-shrink tubing.

C'mon, Greg- get real. Sherrill charges a lousy $18 for a 1/2" 16 strand splice and $28 for the Fly splice. Just how much time do you think they can spend on your splice for $28? Sherrill stands behind everything they sell far and above what most normal people should expect. They bend over backwards and take money out of their pockets to satisfy picky, demanding, unrealistic customers like you. If you intend on claiming 'warranty' every time your splice gets wedged between your chainsaw and a log, then splice your own.

The splices hold together just fine in normal use. But tree guys can find a way to tear up dang near anything. If they put a steel sleeve on it to keep you from tearing it up, you'd complain about the weight.
 
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