I just got my new Whoopie Sling suspension in the other day and decided I wanted to use the Marlin Spike system so I needed some toggles. I went to Walmart to see if they had any aluminum arrows and unfortunately they did not. I walked around for a little while thinking of what else I could use. As I walked toward the craft section I realized knitting needles are made of aluminum tubing and are quite rigid. I stopped to look and found several sizes so I grabbed the thickest ones they had. They were just shy of $3 for a pair. They measure 10" long and are anodized a gold color. I mainly want to see what some of the hammocking vets think about my craftsmanship and how safe they may or may not be. So here is what I did:
Step 1:
I bought a couple of knitting needles
Step 2:
I cut the ends off
Step 3:
I cut the tube in thirds which made three 2.75" (7cm) blanks.
Step 4:
I drilled a hole just big enough for paracord to pass through and then cleaned up all the cuts.
Step 5:
I passed a short length of paracord through the holes and tied a clean overhand knot to create a short lanyard for the toggle. After the knot was tied I trimmed the ends and burned them to prevent them from coming apart. And there we have it.
They seem to work well. I haven't put any weight onto Marlin Spike with these toggles yet though. They seem pretty sturdy. I know you don't actually put the weight onto the toggles themselves but I know they shouldn't be flimsy either. The length of the toggles seems to be good too. I see a lot of people go with 3" but they are almost 3". At least they look good and if they do work I can get 3 sets out of the needles. Thanks for any constructive criticism anyone can give me.
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Originally Posted by peanuts
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