CARBON FIBER TOGGLES

[ckossuth]

Hey Gang,

I just finished up some carbon fiber tarp poles (you can find them in the DIY section). Thought I'd share another idea with you. I used some scrap Easton Axis carbon arrows to make some nice toggles. Drilled a small hole in the end of each one, put in a cord loop, and there you go! Just another option.

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[Richard Tipton]

There are tons of threads on carbon arrow toggles. Some like them, some don't. I've personally witnessed a CF toggle fail, it just collapsed and folded up. Even when hung properly, I wouldn't trust them.

[rhjanes]

I have some that my local archery shop cut for me. I also drilled a small hole and put some Zing-it thru that, then attached that to the Whoopie/UCR, so they don't get lost.
I'm not sure I trust them either, but a stick can be used as a replacement in the woods. I only hang at chair height, so the fall won't be too bad

[Brien]

I've read lots of threads about people using arrows as toggles. Arrows are designed to fly straight, not have extreme forces placed on the shaft. I think things that have a strong shaft like a fishing pole, tent pole, etc. would be better for a toggle. Personally, I found an old fishing pole and cut out some toggles. Never had any problems.

[Cedar1974]

I personally made a set of toggles from the end of an old walking pole I had. As for carbon fiber arrow toggles, I don't now why it would fail when used properly, but if you cut it yourself, I'd suggest finishing the ends with a little superglue. It will help keep the ends from shattering. At least it works on regular fiberglass rod.

[Greenwenonah]

Warning

I too tried carbon fiber arrows as toggles but I chose the cheapest arrow on the rack on the theory that I was just going to cut it up anyway... That was a mistake.

The wall thickness of composite arrows varies with the desired stiffness of the arrow and that stiffness is chosen by the draw weight of the bow. Since I used a very flexible shaft intended for a 15# to 25# bow I got some very flimsy toggles indeed. Every toggle from that batch has either failed or been removed from service due to deformation; I was experimenting with how much weight they would hold with different rope.

I haven't tried it yet but I suspect that spending a little more on the stiffest arrow you can find, say for a 70# to 90# bow, should give you sufficient strength with some reserve for safety. The cheapest, thinnest arrow I found was just strong enough to hold my 220# when joining two loops of 7/64 Amsteel but it did deform and would have failed. With larger line it went straight through deformation to failure.

You could further increase the strength significantly by gluing a wooden dowel inside the shaft. That would increase the weight slightly but would help resist the crushing force which was what broke mine. Plugging would bring the weight up to that of a twig the same diameter but it would be much stronger.

I would be hesitant to use any fiber toggle directly against any hard surface such as an eye bolt though... That would put all the load on a single point of the sidewall and compromise the toggle... there are however ways to string the loop through the eye and back onto itself which would eliminate that concern.

In summary:

• use very good quality arrows intended for a powerful bow
• don't use toggles against hard surfaces
• larger diameter rope and webbing require stronger toggles
• toggles can be strengthened, with some weight penalty, by plugging with a crush resistant filler.

Don't forget to put some padding down while testing... ow, my coccyx.

[jreece35]

In summary:

use very good quality arrows intended for a powerful bow
don't use toggles against hard surfaces
larger diameter rope and webbing require stronger toggles
toggles can be strengthened, with some weight penalty, by plugging with a crush resistant filler.

Thanks this is very helpful. I Was just starting to mess with toggles.

[rhjanes]

another option, I picked up some of those 3 inch long Magnesium fire starters, with the hole pre-drilled. Very light, like aluminum, solid. And, I can claim dual-purpose! Use the back of my knife to scrape off some Magnesium, struck a match, and fire started!!!

[mophead]

Warning

[*]larger diameter rope and webbing require stronger toggles

My experience has been the opposite of this. A wider strap seems to spread the force over a larger area and it is less likely to crush it. I am around 215lbs and use an arrow for a bow which draws 70lbs.

I have used them with a 1" strap in a MSH whoopie setup for years with no failure. I also currently use them in 7/64 amsteel knot around an aluminum ring suspension and they handle the crushing force from Amsteel in that scenario... even with me bouncing in the hammock.

Carbon does seem to be more prone to fail than other materials but its also lighter. It all depends on how you plan to use it.

[Greenwenonah]

Ok all, I tried the stiffer arrows, 75 - 90 lbs, 300 series from Martin. Joining two loops of Amsteel, I bounced on my hammock progressively harder until the large Night Ize figure nine carbiner (rated for 150 lbs.) broke with the larger part hitting my arm with enough force to leave a significant bruise. Still, at the other end of the hammock the new toggle held up just fine with no deformation what ever.

I've been hanging from that carbiner for a couple years and it was up to the task of normal hammock use, even with 350 lbs. of kids in the hammock. The fact that the carbiner failed before the toggle has convinced me that the toggle made from the stiffer arrow is more than adequate for normal hanging.

Bret