my locked brummel failed!

[stevebo]

Hey guys, I tried something new the other day, with really bad results----I made a locked brummel on one end of a whoopie sling for my new bridge hammock-----to save a few inches, i made the bury end really short---like only an inch. Anyway, it looked good, and seemed secure until I laid down in the hammock---next thing I know, Im laying on the ground! i didnt get hurt, and the hammock wasnt damaged, but it could have been bad. After looking at the locked brummel, I realized that with such a short bury, the amsteel frayed/unbraided it self and unraveled the knot/splice. So the moral of the story is......dont do that!

[raiffnuke]

I am glad that you are alright! Thanks for the destructive testing, good info to know.

[Michelle the Camper]

Yeah, thanks for the warning

[Les Rust]

Glad you're ok. Makes me want to check my whoopies again!

[dammfast]

shows you how "slippery" amsteel is, my understanding is that most of a locked brummels strength is supposed to come from the lock.

[Bubba]

shows you how "slippery" amsteel is, my understanding is that most of a locked brummels strength is supposed to come from the lock.

The strength of the fixed loop comes from the bury. The lockes brummel can provide a little strength but the constriction around the bury is what is needed. The primary reason for the locked brummel is to prevent the bury from coming out when the loop is not loaded. You can make a fixed loop without the locked brummel that holds just fine. People do this and then run a few stitches through the bury to prevent it from coming out when not loaded.

Manufacturer's recommendations for the fixed loop bury is somewhere around 6 inches, I can't remember exactly with 2 inches of that being a taper. I have made them shorter but I'd never go less than 4.5 inches. Not surprised that 1 inch did not hold. Glad you did not get hurt.

[opie]

The strength of the fixed loop comes from the bury. The lockes brummel can provide a little strength but the constriction around the bury is what is needed. The primary reason for the locked brummel is to prevent the bury from coming out when the loop is not loaded. You can make a fixed loop without the locked brummel that holds just fine. People do this and then run a few stitches through the bury to prevent it from coming out when not loaded.

Manufacturer's recommendations for the fixed loop bury is somewhere around 6 inches, I can't remember exactly with 2 inches of that being a taper. I have made them shorter but I'd never go less than 4.5 inches. Not surprised that 1 inch did not hold. Glad you did not get hurt.

Actually, the brummel does provide strength. In fact, if you can keep the braid from unraveling, the brummel will support roughly 3/4 of the rating of the line.

A proper locked brummel splice requires 1 less fid length of bury than a normal stitched splice, which uses 3 fids.

[gmcttr]

shows you how "slippery" amsteel is, my understanding is that most of a locked brummels strength is supposed to come from the lock.

This is not correct. The bury is intended to do all of the work and the lock is only there to prevent the bury from backing out under no load situations. This situation illustrates why the lock has little strength. A few stitches can be substituted for the locked brummel and the strength will be the same. Again, the stitches do not add strength, but keep the bury from slipping out when there is no load,

[opie]

This is not correct. The bury is intended to do all of the work and the lock is only there to prevent the bury from backing out under no load situations. This situation illustrates why the lock has little strength. A few stitches can be substituted for the locked brummel and the strength will be the same. Again, the stitches do not add strength, but keep the bury from slipping out when there is no load,

The lock does provide strength, but due to how its constructed the braid needs to be secured from unraveling. A 1" bury is not enough constriction on the braid to keep it from unraveling.

One can test this buy inserting a knitting needle into the braid of the line say 1" from the end, and trying to pull the needle lengthwise down to the end of the line. It should pull out easily. Now insert the needle say 6" up from the end, and do the same thing. The braid itself is just as strong as the line, if you can keep it together. The splice aids the lock by not just normal constriction, but by keeping the braid from separating.

[DivaB]

Glad your ok, but thanks for the field test