Making a "loupe"

[Jack]

Originally Posted by Brian Duff

I have been using the 1.75 mm Samson Dyneema single braid for lashings and seizing for some time now, and find that the solution is excellent where elimination of stainless hardware is desired, or hardware not available for the application. I have found it is important to install a complete brummel and bury to make any eye or double bury with stitching for end to ends connections, as the stuff is slippery and knots or regular bury will slip right out.
I will be using this material next month for the structural seizing binding the pair of shrouds each side on a gaffer we are working on, and the deadeye into the spliced eyes on the wire, and will let you all know how it works out.

I think the harken loupes made by Yale are indeed a many wraps of small stuff and that you could make your own, as I have been doing. they are reported to get stronger with use as the strands come to bear even load through cyclic loading.

" I first made a loop, then made a locked Brummel, then buried each end till it was a good ways around the loop - ends were tapered over 2-3 inches or so. Then did a bit of stitching to secure it when not under load."

maybe I am way behind the times, but I haven't figured out yet how to put a locked brummel into a grommet, whatís the secret ?

Brian, I have had good results splicing both the Dyneema flat twines and 3mm Dyneema with a buried tail McDonald Brummel as shown in Brions book.

We have designed our own fittings and had to come to the reality that the outer cheeks where the standing part of the rope goes around had to be a little shallower than a traditional block. This made it possible to get the brummel eye over the the cheeks and into place. We made the cheeks longer to compensate the angle of the splice and get a fairer lead. I learned you need to take the splice and really yank on it to open it up before you attempt to get it over the fitting.

We are just now coming out with new deadeyes that you can use on both ends of a shroud or backstay.

Please check us out at http://www.colligomarine.com/ go to the synthetic rigging link.

I want to get some of this new stuff to Brion to work on and get his feedback.

Back to the future.

Jack, Colligo marine