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Sterling TRC cut and finish end

GetHomeSafe

GetHomeSafe

Active Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2019
Messages
199
Location
Hayward, WI
Hello All
Has anyone cut and finished the end of Sterling TRC? Can I melt it? If not I could serve it.
It is not necessary to read below but if interested it's why I asked the above.
I am going to 8mm oplux for my two lineman ropes, one of which at height becomes my tether. I have ropeman 1s (currently on Sterling HTC 10mm), they are too large for oplux. I could go to a CT RollNLock but I am learning and I learned that in fall arrest a jaw is not as good as a friction knot and could strip a sheath on a rope. So after some research I tried tying a Michoacan Hitch with TRC on my HTC 10mm. It worked awesome, slide very easy, gripped quickly and very well, released easily post load. Having it self tending was a nice feature. I have tried Prusiks, this was much much better. I can't wait to try it on my Oplux, two 8.5' with 6" sewn eye still on the way. It was not as silky as my ropemans but very very nice to work with. I was impressed. I will put up another post as well when I get it all setup and get some hours on it so I can speak from more experience. I will speak about the whole setup of the two rope types and the hitch and how they are working for me. Someone else is probably considering it.
 
Here's my method:

Wrap tight with a few wraps of electrical tape, cut within the electrical tape with a very sharp blade against a cutting board, heat end to melt whatever is going to melt, put the adhesive shrink tubing already linked around the end and heat but allow overlap so it wrap around the end some then allow to cool, in the exposed end, fill with gel super glue to cover all fibers, allow to dry.

This is a common method I've seen mentioned here several times for this and Oplux, and makes a very durable end.
 
I called Sterling a few years ago to get their recommendation.

•electrical tape over the rope where you want to cut.
•cut through the middle of the tape. This holds ends together.
•heat shrink ends

I can’t remember if I got the top from Sterling or somewhere else but a drop of super glue on the end prior to heat shrink can help.

b55052a4f9ea6ccb65c12be4ca594218.jpg


Works well on other new “advanced” material ropes too. Pictured below is 6mm Beal Cordelette, same materiel used for the jammy.

7a7e40075ac3f0d5904412bea75fa6f0.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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weekender21 said:
I called Sterling a few years ago to get their recommendation.

•electrical tape over the rope where you want to cut.
•cut through the middle of the tape. This holds ends together.
•heat shrink ends

I can’t remember if I got the top from Sterling or somewhere else but a drop of super glue on the end prior to heat shrink can help.

b55052a4f9ea6ccb65c12be4ca594218.jpg


Works well on other brand new “advanced” material ropes too.

7a7e40075ac3f0d5904412bea75fa6f0.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

If there is a dimple on the end formed by the heat shrink tube, I think it is a good idea to go ahead and fill that in with gel super glue. It forms a plug and any opening is sealed in as it seeps into the end of the rope. Also, be careful heating up super glue, too much heat can make it breakdown which can weaken it and release stuff you don't want to breath.
 
weekender21 said:
I called Sterling a few years ago to get their recommendation.

•electrical tape over the rope where you want to cut.
•cut through the middle of the tape. This holds ends together.
•heat shrink ends

I can’t remember if I got the top from Sterling or somewhere else but a drop of super glue on the end prior to heat shrink can help.

b55052a4f9ea6ccb65c12be4ca594218.jpg


Works well on other brand new “advanced” material ropes too.

7a7e40075ac3f0d5904412bea75fa6f0.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
What kind of hitch are you using and how much cord did it take to make?
 
St.CroixArcher said:
What kind of hitch are you using and how much cord did it take to make?
Click to expand...
Michoacan, you can find it on many knot tying sites and on youtube. Easy to tie, wraps can vary from 3 to 5. You have to experiment for best preformance as it varies with the size of both ropes, the finish of both ropes, the hardness of both ropes. But it's easy to change it. I have 20' of TRC I did not cut it yet but it was easy enough to try it on my Sterling HTC 10mm. I finished it in two figure 8's on a bight for the carabiner to go through. I have 16.5" of TRC from figure 8 on a bight to figure 8 on a bight. Each figure 8 on a bight takes 21". 21 + 21 + 16.5 = 58.5". This leaves a generous but not crazy tail for safety of 3 3/4". I will update when I get my oplux with sewn eye. It may take a tiny bit less from 8 to 8 on oplux, being 8mm rather than 10mm. I would be more than happy to give details when I finish and pics as well. The eyes on the figure 8's on a bight I tied have eyes 1 5/8" to 2" in length. Works fine with my carabiner. The hitch is self tending. Weekender21's pic above is a Michoacan hitch with TRC on Oplux with figure 8s on bights for the two eyes for the biner, for a tether on a amsteel bridge. The pic looks like probably a 5 wrap version. There is another variation of the hitch where you can have 2 wraps on the bottom but I don't see many using it. Edit: on 2nd look I am not sure I can identify the knots that form the eyes for the carabiner in the above pic. But for that use arborists frequently use figure 8 on a bight, another knot that is quite easy to tie.
 
Last edited:
GetHomeSafe said:
Michoacan, you can find it on many knot tying sites and on youtube. Easy to tie, wraps can vary from 3 to 5. You have to experiment for best preformance as it varies with the size of both ropes, the finish of both ropes, the hardness of both ropes. But it's easy to change it. I have 20' of TRC I did not cut it yet but it was easy enough to try it on my Sterling HTC 10mm. I finished it in two figure 8's on a bight for the carabiner to go through. I have 16.5" of TRC from figure 8 on a bight to figure 8 on a bight. Each figure 8 on a bight takes 21". 21 + 21 + 16.5 = 58.5". This leaves a generous but not crazy tail for safety of 3 3/4". I will update when I get my oplux with sewn eye. It may take a tiny bit less from 8 to 8 on oplux, being 8mm rather than 10mm. I would be more than happy to give details when I finish and pics as well. The eyes on the figure 8's on a bight I tied have eyes 1 5/8" to 2" in length. Works fine with my carabiner. The hitch is self tending. Weekender21's pic above is a Michoacan hitch with TRC on Oplux with figure 8s on bights for the two eyes for the biner, for a tether on a amsteel bridge. The pic looks like probably a 5 wrap version. There is another variation of the hitch where you can have 2 wraps on the bottom but I don't see many using it. Edit: on 2nd look I am not sure I can identify the knots that form the eyes for the carabiner in the above pic. But for that use arborists frequently use figure 8 on a bight, another knot that is quite easy to tie.
Click to expand...

My picture above is a Distel hitch with poachers knots for the carabiner.

There were quite a few threads on this a few years ago when OpLux first hit the forum. Another popular hitch with OpLux and TRC is the schwabisch. I’ve tried both but settled on the Distel for my tether and linesman.


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I like the Michoacán, seems to release much better. This method of tying the eyes allows you to easily adjust the length and how some hitches perform, like the Distel and VT. The one end of the cord is from EWO, the other seized, or whipped, as mentioned above.
D960DBB5-192B-4770-872C-4A25B8460B70.jpeg
 
Every knot or hitch has pros/cons. I leave my Distel on my tether and LB, no reason to adjust. If I want a hitch on something else I’ll tie another one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The adjusting is for the initial tying not while aloft, a benefit for certain hitches.
 
Last edited:
Brocky said:
I like the Michoacán, seems to release much better. This method of tying the eyes allows you to easily adjust the length and how some hitches perform, like the Distel and VT. The one end of the cord is from EWO, the other seized, or whipped, as mentioned above.
View attachment 43408
Click to expand...

Brocky, that knot to the right of your pic to join the two tag ends of the hitch, what's that called? It looks almost like you did some voodoo with 2 fishermen's knots.
 
It’s two overhand knots back to back, I tie the hitch and one overhand and then test the hitch. If it needs adjusting for length, it’s only the overhand to untie. Once it’s working good, I tie the second stopper knot.

Pulling the tails will work, but it is also tightening the hitch, just pulling up on the rope gives the best results.
 
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