Australian Standards, Synthetic Ropes & accessories.

[clubagreenie]

Further to the details I posted in the plasma v steel thread, I have been looking at the (recent?) development of the Dyneema soft shackles. A simple device, can be opened to thread through closed eyes in straps or recovery points and lock by cinching down on themselves using the load itself to grip on itself.


Commercially available 12 strand soft shackle. Notice the large crown at the tail end that prevents the end slipping through the loop. The loop end is created by passing the tail of the bight back into the centre of the braid. To date I haven't found one that is sewn to prevent the internal end from slipping out. Opening is achieved by slipping the outer to allow the inner to pull out some, opening the loop and allowing the crown to pass through. I have found access to a local manufacturing facility that will sew the tail into the outer without loss of integrity.

I picked up 4m of 12mm winch rope and have made a test shackle (easiest/best min length for test bed is 1m). Will post some figures on breaking numbers when to hand. Whats everyones opinions of these, and having a locally made/supplied option at about 1/2 to 2/3rd's the price?

[Redback]

Depends on how much they are in relation to tyres needed

Baz.

[Blknight.aus]

I had a play with a couple of these.

for joining onto rope eyes a rounded recovery point, shackle or hook, go for it but I wouldn't use it to hook up to the eye of a strap if the strap wasnt setup with suitably re-enforced eyes. Once you apply the tension to the strap the rope shackle closes up and compresses the material of the loop its in.

[clubagreenie]

Cam anyone ID the stopped knot/braid/splice on the end of the sliding end of the sling? have been playing for a few days with a variety of knots but am yet to find something I'm happy with in terms of compactness and having a good flat underside to stop against the loop.

Also it appears (to me) that the working end of the loop (end passed back inside the hollow of the rope) runs all the way back to the end f the standing part and then it's tied/braided/spliced together. More research has shown these have been used for many years on lightweight sailing skiffs (by ultra weight savers) and also racing yachts as they don't damage deck surfaces. In these apps they are tied slightly differently, with a fixed loop created to pass back on itself to fix the shackle to a sail etc and the shackle end to allow it to be joined to a sheet. In these cases it seems that the working end stops short of the working end without sacrificing strength. I may run it this way but have the working end stitched inside the outer to prevent it coming undone and also reduce the size of the stopper from being potentially ridiculously large.

BK, when you say you wouldn't use for attaching to a non reinforced eye strap, do you mean a strap without eyes, with eyes but without an additional liner material covering the weight bearing material of the strap or simply on a SWR strap?

[isuzutoo-eh]

Have a read:
The Project Gutenberg E-text of Knots, Bends, Splices by J. Netherclift Jutsum

My 'Knotting And Splicing Ropes And Cordage' book was also published in 1914!

[Tank]

Have a read:
The Project Gutenberg E-text of Knots, Bends, Splices by J. Netherclift Jutsum

My 'Knotting And Splicing Ropes And Cordage' book was also published in 1914!

Mark, very good handbook, lot's of info for 4WD recovery using snatch/blocks re: mechanical advantage, anyone contemplating winch/snatch/block recoveries should read, Regards Frank.

[clubagreenie]

I found the same link on google but it won't open here but your link will on both phone and linux....

Pretty much confirms that I want to try the Mathew Walker knot or an immediate derivative. But need to adapt for use with 12 strand single braid.

I remember in the 70's (before we worried about security) spending time down at Garden Island while my father was diving (docking ships) and watching the old guys sitting around making up new ropes of all sorts. Then compared to yesterday when I spent the day back at TAFE to finish off 2 additional days to get an additional qualification for free (one course requires you enrol and pay for another course, some subjects of which cross over, so do 2 more days you've paid for anyway and get 2 certs). So we're doing berthing and knots & splices. 2 hours of berthing and I'm the only one who didn't get fingers jammed in the bollards. Another 6 hours to demonstrate/teach/practice 5 knots (clove hitch/reef/bowline/round turn-half hitch/sheet bend) and an eye splice. You realise where the skills this country used to have, have gone.

[chazza]

One thing alarms me - but perhaps I have misunderstood how this soft-shackle is used - rope-on-rope, or rope-on-sling, will create friction and synthetic ropes/slings will cut through each other very quickly, especially under load

I have always been taught to join slings and rope to anchors, using metal shackles,

Cheers Charlie

[Hymie]

I'd like to be able to buy them from an Australian source, don't get me wrong, the Lucky 8 guys are great to deal with.
For me, as I use them in a Commercial application, I'd need to be able to buy them with a Standards Tag to prove its SWL rating for Insurance purposes.
I've only used mine for testing the proof of concept but not on customers vehicles.

[Blknight.aus]

that only applies to moving connections. for a straight line pull you're fine with the exception of joining disimilar diameter lines.

A thin line will cut into the thicker line and may cut or cause crush damage under tension. The same applies to a web strap, they should only ever be pulled at the center by a wide bow shackle or the appropriate strap runners. Putting a line over the center of a web strap then pulling will cause the strap to fold and be damaged at the crease.