hey, another Atkins-Knofler fan!
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...loadfile&i=929
Grizz the obsequious
hey, another Atkins-Knofler fan!
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...loadfile&i=929
Grizz the obsequious
Engineer, the rating on ropes has a totally different meaning than the rating on most products. If you read rope manufacturers specs they tell you what the test breaking strength of brand new rope is. Then they recommend you to use it at a maximum of 20-25% of that and use your judgement to be even more conservative when loss of life (or sleep) is at stake. Clearly the cord you used was degraded. Not too long ago a well known climber fell to his death because he was using a worn out harness that broke. Those things are designed with a factor of safety of 10 (or something close to that, I'm improvising a little).
When you look at equipment for rope handling (pulleys, etc) you will find that the safe working load (SWL) is much less than what the rope sized for it can take. In general it is close to 25% of the average rope strength. The point I'm trying to make is that using a 550lb rope is equivalent to using a device rated for 137lbs (SWL).
I am not an expert or even well read on this, so don't take this as me arguing with you.
When I broke paracord (twice) I cut a fresh piece off the roll and tied it on the hammock. Both times it broke the first time I used it.
If I was using a rope rated to 550 lbs, shouldn't it hold on the first use at least that?
From what little I understand on pulleys and racketing straps, isn't the rating governed by the pulley or racket itself and not the rope?
In the end though I am probibly the most conservative person here in terms of material strengh. I am using 7/54 armsteel sprectra rating around 1400lbs, rings rating over 2000 lbs, biner's rated over 2000 lbs, and webbing rated over 1400 lbs. In the end I think the hitches I use to attach the hammock support ropes to the hammock and rings are the weakest link.
Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".
I'm learning as much from this conversation as anybody so your views are welcome. I don't see htis as an argument.
Anyway, I'm surprised that the 550lbs rated cord would break. Under the conditions you describe it doesn't seem like it had anymore than half that load. I would confront the manufacturer with that fact.
All the ratings you mention are probably breaking strength, and I can tell you that the Hitchcraft Monster tie failed at 1800lbs in tests, so that puts it in the same ball park. I just think that when you see a pulley, for instance, rated at 500lbs (SWL) and you use it with a 2000lbs cord, that doesn't necesarily mean the pulley is the weakest link.
hitchman - I think you are overlooking the horizontal forces. So far you have considered only the vertical force, the weight, and seem to feel that the horizontal forces are not worth mentioning. But most, maybe all, here that use a structural ridgeline, pull that ridgeline very tight when hanging. So the horizontal forces are not insignificant.
I personally pulled a brand new hook of 1/4" diameter steel out into a straight line the first time I hung a hammock with a structural ridgeline. Pulled the ridgeline tight, got in the hammock, was just relaxing and got dropped to the ground. But it took a hell of a lot more than my weight to pull that 1/4" steel hook into a straight line. So I think you are not really considering all of the forces at play here.
Question for the engineering crowd here. Suppose when tightening up the ridgeline we pull it at P lbs. Then a vertical weight W plunks down in the hammock, forming an angle theta between the rope and the horizontal. What's the formula for the stress on the rope? Thanks.
Grizz
The same as if you were considering a hammock without a ridgeline - just consider the hammock/ridge/user system as a solid mass.
That's only considering the suspension between the ridgeline attachment point and the tree, though...between the hammock and the attachment point gets more interesting. Then you get to figure the tension in the ridgeline, too. I'm not sure how it works out right off the top of my head...I'll play with it when I get home from work later, though.
"Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson
Agreed, but he's said he's using a Hennessy, and the Hitchcraft site depicts a Hennessy being hung. Also, I believe that Hammock Engineer uses a structural ridgeline. Thus, I still do not think he is considering all the forces at play. If he were, then that steel hook would still be unchanged.
Last edited by TeeDee; 06-01-2007 at 16:45.
The force vector on the rope is the hypoteneus of a triangle.
h = (.5 x user weight) / sin(support angle)
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