Rope work

[Kevin]

Here are some pictures of me at work repairing some blast damage mid span on a long distance cable along the trans Canada two track.
The last couple of pictures I am removing some deadwood from a tree at a friends cottage.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/kvn.rob/RopeWork.html

[sawwood]

 Nice pictures Kevin. Where are the photos from you seat?
 With you beening up in the air you must have had a good
 view of the country side. Sure would like to see photos
 from there.

  Sawwood

[Kevin]

Thanks Sawwood;
I don`t have any pictures from my position up the rope but I`ll try and remember to take a few later on if the weather permits.

[Bro. Noble]

Kevin,

That looks scary to me.  I'd get up there and shake so bad I'd drop all my tools.  You ever get way up there and discover  DanG I forgot my DanG pliers?

When I read the title of your thread "Rope Work' , I thought he does that too.   The rope work I do is make rope out of used baler twine and then make halters etc from it.  When I taught  Voc. Ag. the kids enjoyed learning that.

We did it with both feet on the ground where they belong.

Noble

[Tom]

Show us how to do that, Noble.  I've seen rope made from twine at the Ag Fair but it was twisted on a machine.  I didn't look close enough to see if I could make one.

Are you twisting string or braiding it?

Rope work to me is something different again.  Things like "monkey's fists" and ornamental knotting is what came to my mind when I saw the thread.

[Kevin]

I don`t rember forgetting anything but I have dropped an item now and then. ???
You learn to trust your equipment.
I can`t say it gets scary but I`ve been climbing on gaffs for almost thirty years so I`m use to it for the most part.
Time isn`t a factor when I climb on a rope, it has to be done safely with as many precautions as necessary.
I have a very good climbing saddle and the best climbing ropes available.
I have to admit to taking in the view a time or two.
It`s very dangerous work and second chances are few so I make sure everything is done right.

[Tom]

I would make sure that the soles of my boots were firmly placed on terra firma. ;D

[Tillaway]

That looks like fun... beats fighting the brush.  Say I might need to borrow a few things from you in say a couple of weeks. ;) ;D

[Bro. Noble]

Tom,

We made the rope by first tying the used twine together with a special knot that is real small.  It is used to connect rolls of baler twine so that the knot goes through the knotter easy.  It's like half a square knot and then blend the two frayed ends together, pinch the ends and tighten the knot.  I'm sure that's clear as mud.  I made a rope maker,  and old fellow taught me how when I was a kid-----it twists the rope like you were thinking.  
to make halters or splice pieces, or fix ends so they don't unwind, you braid them.  This is covered in a book "Shopwork on the Farm" by Mack M. Jones, published by McGraw Hill.  Seems like one of the foxfire books tells how to make a rope making machine and to twist rope.  It's easy.

This is a fun thing to do with youngsters.  They always seem to be facinated with it.

Noble

[Bro. Noble]

Where are the Texans and their 'La Riata' caga?

Noble

[Tom]

Kevin,

What is "Blast damage"?

[ADfields]

Tom you can make a twist brade with a hand drill.   Tye the twine to a tree on one end and a J bolt chucked in the drill.   Twist it up till you cant but just keep it from kinking onto it's self then get someone to hold the center as you fold it in 1/2.   Tye the drill end with the other end and hook the drill in the fold and twist it the other way, it will make a 2 plat rope.   Do that a 2nd time or put 2- 2 plat ropes togather for a 4 plat rope if you want.  

Noble I aint a Texan but I have bilt a Riata or 2 in mi life and used them up also!   Made a lot of Horse Hair rope (macotie) and love shooflys on my tack.   I always herd them Texas boys liked a grass rope tyed hard and fast. ???
Andy

[Kevin]

Tom,
The blast damage was caused from the highway workers blasting rock to widen the highway.
It happened a few years ago and I discovered it when I tried to energize some spare copper for a new LD system.
The trouble is isolated to within a mile then measured with special equipment, then you go and hunt it down.
If the break in the sheath is on a hill then the rain water usually enters the cable, runs down hill and fills up the first splice.
The connectors are bagged in an epoxy so it can take awhile before the water breaks down the plastic insulation on the individual conductors.

[Ron Scott]

That's some real specialized repair work. I assume its classed as hazardous duty.

[Paul_H]

Good pictures Kevin,you are in a interesting field,and it fits right into your interest in rigging.

It doesn't get much better than that!

[Noble_Ma]

Kevin,

What are some of the average heights that you are at when working on that cable?  I noticed a bunch of lines hanging from you in one picture.  Are those just to get tools and supplies to you?  I would imagine you have to pay close attention to the weather, especially the wind!!  Do you use a throw line and than climb up?  Sorry about all the questions but I'm very interested in climbing.

[Texas Ranger]

Noble, we are trying to figure out what baler string is.  And why you would make a rope out of it when leather and horse hair are available, and fine gentlemen that can do all that work for you.  And how that would hold up against a 400 pound calf at full speed.

Tiz a puzzlement.

[Bro. Noble]

I just knew it-------Here come the Texans and their 'La Riata' caga.

Noble

[DanG]

Nice to see a "real" telephone man at work, Kev. Just to show that I'm a telephone man, too, I have a 4 foot stepladder in the office to reach the top of the DSX. I even have to use it, once a month, or so. ;D  The tough part of my job, is getting up off the floor, when I have to make a really low connection.