Port a wrap oddity

Dan_Watkins

Dan_Watkins

Location
CT
So, today something I have never even heard of happened while taking down a white pine. I was on the ground, the climber was ready to send the top out of a pine, and we put a rope in it because of a few obstacles under the tree. The climber wanted a lot of run because the rope was just cheap insurance, it was not exactly necessary, but better safe than sorry. The climber blows the top, maybe 16- 18 foot top and 600 pounds, and after having it run smoothly for 20 feet, the whole top comes to a sudden jerking stop. The poor climber gets a good ride out of it, and I feel bad because a loop must of jammed the port a wrap. But no, I'm looking at the port a wrap and cant figure out why its not running.
Turns out the tag line, hi-vee, was going through the port a wrap fast enough to melt the paint on the port a wrap and melt the rope, basically welding the two together. Once we delt with the suspended top, we came together to look. It took a really hard pull to free the rope from the barrel of the port a wrap. part of the rope sheath is still melted on the port a wrap.

I had the rope through the top of the wrap, and two wraps on the barrel. Rope was not new and didn't have that waxy coating on it. I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else? Tell you what, I'm not getting the port a wrap painted black again. I have two pics to look at.
 

Attachments

  • 185202-portawrap.webp
    185202-portawrap.webp
    304.2 KB · Views: 651
Dan, I've had this happen while using my med. sized Porty though not enough to fuse the line to the wrap. I didn't even bother to try to paint it again.

My large Porty isn't painted so I haven't had any problems like that, though when it comes to lowering large wood, I'll switch to the GRCS.
 
Is that an aluminum porty? I hear really good things about how they dissipate heat better than the steel.

Where you roping a lot of limbs out before hand?

Sitting in the sun all day?

Hi-vee's melting point is somewhere around 400 iirc. I'm wondering if just letting it run heated it up that fast on a porty sitting in the sun all day and being used.
 
You selling , I'm not buying . I've had many ropes melt onto devices . Sell that to the climber you pasted all over the tree , but I think you locked it up . It is not possible for a piece that size to just stop because it melted , it would keep going . Melt the sh*t out of your rope , but keep going . Buy him a beer and apologize , your not the first lowering man to make up sh*t . We still love ya anyway . Next bs story...
 
Yeah, I've seen that done before. I think it is a combination of running the rope too fast, the rope you used, and the fact the your porty looks pretty new. Once that paint gets worn down a bit, should be no problem.
The one i saw the same thing on was new!!!! Just a thought!!
 
Very fast run with max, say 2 wraps generates alot of heat for sure. Only way i know of for that to stop dead would be to brake abit and then try to go again. Like a stop and go. New porty does not help though. Second would be lots of wraps anything more than 2. Usualy a controled fell or lower of big weight slowly. When thats a possiblity I usualy stuff them full of ice or leave them in the cooler with some ice. Moving very slowly leaves more chance for the rope to stick. Just my exp. Hope this finds you well.
 
We saw the same thing on the new, black Port-A-Wrap.

New rope, controlled lowering on small pieces, and the same thing happened.

We got rid of all of the black ones and the problem went away.
 
Im a firm believer in using either the proper amount of wraps or switching to a larger diameter rope for larger pieces. Larger diameter rope means more surface friction on the barrel. For instance one and a half wrap with a 5/8" rope might be the equivilant to lets say 2 or maybe 3 wraps with an 1/2" line.
 
here is what you have to do if you want to paint your stuff . R95 dip ( look it up ) . Listen , you can't paint regular paint when heat is going to occur . R95 is placed on race cars for maximum heat . You have to bake it , than apply it . It will never rust and if you want that shiny black , that is the only way to do it . Panic attacks on lowering cause a lock up , and than the climber gets tossed , and a bad paint job is to blame .
 
A free falling 600# top can make a lot of energy in 20'... I'm guessing the climber said bad words.

If you're going for the controlled crash thing, two wraps sounds like maybe too much for a big porty.
I've not seen one fuse with the paint before. I think I'd strip it and buff it before using it again.
 
Blinky, I was thinking the same thing. Two wraps was too much friction for the desired result.

As to the paint question, I'm guessing that Dan's porty came that way, am I right?

-Tom
 
I would think 2 wraps for that load would be just fine. I'm thinking it was about the speed which it was allowed to run. I'm not playing with semantics either. Because the groundie can adjust speed with the grip of the rope through the hands and by standing off at an angle to create more rope bend on the vertical rods.

Now, the load can gain speed if the top had slack in the timber hitch or the distance of the cut was too far from the block, as well.

But, I'm sure most of us would know that...

Does any of that sound like the problem that happened?
thinking.gif
 
I'm thinking it was a series of unfortunate events: too much initial slack, the 1/2" hi vee, the weight, the speed at which it ran, a couple of hiding hockles(sp?), and the rope guy adding too much grip ;) - and melt down. I've never had a piece come to an abrupt unplanned halt with out the help of too much hand braking action and/or too many wraps - even on a hobbs or grcs :)

ps - think the kitchen sink will fit in to
grin.gif
 
I had the same thing happen to me on my lg steel porty also painted black but it only ran abount 10 or 15 ft before stopping. I was on the ground and we were taking out 10' sugar maple about 2 1/2' across and the first few went fine then the 4th just stopped, luckly it was just the 1. But it was a new rope and the wax just fused together with the piorty I had to peel off a wrap before it had enough weight to pull it through the i held on tight and melted a pair of gloves bringing it down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Kask Stihl NORTHEASTERN Arborists Wesspur TreeStuff.com Teufelberger Westminster X-Rigging Teufelberger
Back
Top Bottom