Thanks just bought 20 feet of 1/4 inch black amsteel from Dutch Ware. I hope that is strong enough. It's probably the largest I can get through the loops.
-
The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
-
We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules
My Hand Made Fleece Saddle
- Thread starter Garrymny
- Start date
Sure thing. I do appreciate the input and concern. I ordered bigger rope!
I think 1/4 is rated for over 6,000lbs. I guess it will depend on how overboard you go this Thanksgiving...
Just make a good splice.
I will be passing the amsteel through the tree harness loops on each end of the saddle and then through the bridge. I will tie the amsteel together making a loop. Not sure what knot to use. Square knot?
Don't tie the amsteel, you need to splice it. There are several videos on YouTube. It's easy. Amsteel doesn't hold knots well.
Tied amsteel is a deathtrap. It will not hold knots well. Square knots are deathtraps. They are not secure as bends. So you're proposing a double deathtrap, if serious.
I think a triple fishermans knot has been recommended when knotting Amsteel. I would research this a lot more if I were you. I would just cut a piece of 9mm nylon rope and use that for bridge loops with a double fishermans knot connection. The weight savings on a foot of rope is minimal. I went back to an 11mm tether from an 8mm when I realized the weight savings was so little and the safety increase was so great. The point about the rope wearing through the webbing is something to keep an eye on. On something like seat belt webbing it should be OK but on climbing tubular webbing the video shows a problem.
Samson doesn't recommend ANY knots for Amsteel as far as I know. Please don't use knots, splicing is simple and recommended by the manufacturer.
Oh my gosh, why is this so complicated! All I want is a strong piece of rope I can tie a knot in. I didn't know you could not tie amsteel, I never would have bought it. Thanks for helping me out. I guess I have to buy something else. Or maybe I can splice it.
I think it's complicated because people track down the lightest, most high-performance options to put their ass in a sling in the sky, find something that works well but needs to be used in a very specific way, and then make something like a youtube video about how awesome it is (without the disclaimers).
It's also complicated because the worst-case consequence is you fall and die. So even say a .1% chance of something bad happening isn't acceptable. So you need to protect against even unlikely failures. Maybe you could use what you made for years or decades and not encounter a problem - or maybe not.
This is why the recommendation is so strong to use a RCH or other safety harness in conjunction with any DIY saddle. There are a lot of sneaky ways to be dangerous (even if the risk is say 1 in a thousand) - and having a certified, professionally-designed safety harness holding you up is a good way to protect yourself.
If you wanna tie knots, the most foolproof and easiest to use is going to be good old-fashioned static climbing rope. Amsteel is AMAZING stuff, but it's super slippery and knots can slip undone. Webbing with water knots work well too, but water knots will come undone over time, so you need to leave a long tag and inspect before use.
Or keep it simple, always use a professional safety harness, and design to a "seems like it should hold OK" standard. This can be OK as long as you've planned ahead so that when things break you're protected by something that won't.
Ok thanks. It's dangerous. I get that. I've been using tree stands for years and last year bought five ropes with prusicks to leave at my fixed tree stands so I'm always attached climbing and descending. I will use the saddle I made in a couple trees I have prepped with steps, or will use a hand climber. I plan to have harness on underneath, but I do want the saddle to be strong enough in its own construction. I just bought 8mm rope that I can tie a knot in. I will return the amsteel. The other day, my tree stand steel cable broke. Several weeks ago the brand new x stand mini x climber, the lightest in the world, broke on my first climb. Bottom line, always have safety harnesses. Even then there is risk. But we must reduce it to a level we can accept.