Who makes their own safeties?

TiersonB

TiersonB

Location
Atlanta GA
I was just wondering who else out there in Buzzland makes their own safeties, and if so, what do they use and what do they like?

I've been making my own wire-core safeties for years now, and here's how I do it:

I splice the cable into an eye, making sure to include the snap (preferable swivel snap) Then I wrap it with a three strand rope and splice the rope around the cable. I usually terminate the cable with an aircraft swage and do a butt splice to terminate the rope.

I don't know where I read about this, I've been doing it for 10 years now....then I saw the name Jerry Baranek on a post and thought that maybe I'd read it from one of his books way back when I first started climbing...was that you who wrote about making safeties that way Jerry?
confused.gif


Anyway, I love my steel core safeties with no visible cable (still not to be use to close to electrical hazards...) and I was wondering who else does them that way.

Also, when I splice the cable, I have to use electrical tape to cover the final wrap, does anyone know of a way to braze the final wrap of the cable splice?
 
I used and retired one steel core in my whole career.

Have you ever considered swaging the cable?

Brazing doesn't seem like a proper solution because you could heat the metal and ruin the metallurgical characteristics.
 
I make my own, but out of rope, not wire. What kind of splice are you using? I've seen some that you can't barely even find the ends of the wires.

I'll stick to rope!

love
nick
 
If you swage it then you have a lump that you have to put the rope over, that's the only thing that's stopped me from that simple solution.

You're totally right about brazing, however, it might weaken the metal...I thought maybe there was some kind of braze that you could use to fill the gaps in the cable and bond it securely without getting it hot enough to weaken it...If there was it would solve the only remaing problem with my home-made safeties, that of the occasional strand making it's way out of the electrical tape and pucturing my skin, getting blood all over my pressed Armani shirts that I wear everytime I get into a tree.
grin.gif
 
Armani!!!

Huh...?

I guess the Atlanta market pays better than I figured... ha ha

Have you ever looked into using shrink tubing that is used to cover electrical splices? The same tubing that holds the rope registration tag onto splices.

Maybe use some PlastiDip???
 
Yeah, that was supposed to be a joke about Armani.....
crazy.gif


Speaking of the Atlanta market, it STINKS right about now. I guess it's always slow this time of year, but anyway.

If you've ever seen the brazing they use to terminate cable cranes, I was thinking of something like that....shrink tube's not a bad idea, though.

Are you through with steel-core safeties? Any reason why?
 
I like adhesive filled heat shrink for terminating rope ends. I never honed my art of whipping to the point where I enjoyed it, the HS works realy well. All my rigging lines and core only splices (like ultra tech) use it to eliminate 'fuzzy' ends.
 
Three strand twisted nylon rope, firm, but not hard, 5/8 inch diameter, is comfortable to hold onto, and work with in the tree, and so easy to splice.

I can make up a lanyard from that rope, any length, in less than 30 minutes. I like the ISC captive eye double lock connectors for the working end. Steel core? Add another half hour. That's with a "Wild Eye" in the cable and the twisted splice incorporated into the eye. Very secure.

Finish with a VT prusik, minding pulley and double lock connecctor for the adjuster. And you're ready to go go.

Easy peezy, and just the cost of materials. Though even at cost it would still be spendy.

Figure it out: ISC captive eye double locking connector, $30. Petzel auto lock AMD $16-18. Beeline 5/16" eye splice prusik cord,$30. CMI Micro Pulley, $22. 20 feet of 5/8 inch three strand twisted rope, $12-15. Wow, Even building it myself it would still cost a hundred bucks plus. Hmmm....

My old versions were quite a bit cheaper to build. Oh, well I can get a couple of years use out of one.

Can anybody get the materials cheaper?
 
Well the beeline you can get cheaper if you splice it yourself. And I am torn between my ISC aluminum locking snap and the steel. I like the lightweight factor to reduce weight on the saddle but the steel is easier to throw and swing around limbs. Plus I use either have inch or 11mm rope.
 
Tierson,
Sounds like I make mine like you do. I use 1/4" stainless steelcable with a swivel snap flemish eyed and a swage button on the other end. I use 5/8" three strand (orange and white) and work the cable in from one end to the other. It's a lot of twisting and takes about an hour or more to do a 22 footer. The ends are trimmed,whipped and glued. The 1 1/8" diameter of the finished line feels really nice.
Rich D
 
Jerry Baranek and Mott:

Sounds exactly like the way I do it, but after you've made the eye splice with the cable around the snap (by separating the cable into two halves, one with four strands and the other with three, and then doubling them back, etc., etc.,), then how do you hold the tight strands together as you wind them back around the cable? (after cutting the straight strandin the middle out...)

I've always used electrical tape, but thought maybe you could braze it, too, or something...

I love the 5/8" with the cable inside, too!
 
I am with Nick on this one. Climbing line, dynamic or static, prusik cord(tied in a vt), pulley, snaps or biners and there it is. I also put a piece of gardian tubing on my lanyard tokeep the grit out esp. on sappy pines.
 
When I make a steel core safety I wrap the rope around the cabel. Stuff it? Man, that's got to be hard. Just counter twist the rope to open the lays insert cable and then start wrapping. When you come up to the eye don't stop, just keep wrapping. Then finish with a three strand eye splice. On the other end finish with a back splice.
 
I haven't learned to splice yet, but I make long safetys for use as a double crotch (second tie-in point) for positioning in big trees - especially when going way out on limbs for crown reduction & so forth.
I use climbing line (1/2 inch) and a terminal knot at each end to a carabiner. The knot gives a nice weight for throwing over limbs & getting the end to come back down to you. I usually tie a munter hitch (I think) as a terminal knot & use electric tape to tie the tail to the main line. yes you have to replace the e-tape periodically.
I keep this long safety on a seperate ascender/beaner combo, and only use it when I need it. That way its not hanging off my saddle all the time in littler trees - or straight up & downs.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Jerry Baranek and Mott:

Sounds exactly like the way I do it, but after you've made the eye splice with the cable around the snap (by separating the cable into two halves, one with four strands and the other with three, and then doubling them back, etc., etc.,), then how do you hold the tight strands together as you wind them back around the cable?

[/ QUOTE ]


I have a wire rope supply and fabrication shop press the flemish eye and the swage button on the cable. It's the same way they make steel chokers. I take the swivel snap to them, tell them what diameter and length cable I want. All I really do myself is the three strand cover.

Rich
 
What do you mean they "press the flemish eye." As i understand it (which might be wrong), a flemish eye is a traditional splice that involves taking the rope apart and burying and tucking parts of the rope. Do you mean they press/swage the rope over the cable? Or are you simply saying they swage an eye in the rope for you?

Do we get to see a picture of your work soon?

love
nick
 
Nick,
Yes they swage an eye in the line for me. Go to Nelsonwirerope.com and look at "wire rope slings and assemblies. I'm pretty sure the guy called it a felmish eye but I can't say for sure. It was two years ago since I made my last flipline. I'll try to post a picture of it tomorrow.
Rich

Nick - You are right. I just googled Flemish eye and the cable is unraveled, spliced then the swage pressed on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom