Break Test Extravaganza(s)

[MarkG]

Brion,

This is some feedback on my failed (<100%) button knot attempts. I didn't understand the importance of setting the knot carefully. I pulled it as tight as I could by hand, thinking that it would tighten on the first use. It obviously didn't.

I set the diamond knots as hard as I could with a lever on the shackles that were good (135%). The one that wasn't so good (96%) was my first ever soft shackle and was not set at all.

Are there recommendations from experienced people about what tension should be used to set the knots? Has any testing been done with controlled, measured setting? I am wondering if this would make breaking strength more repeatable.

I also had an idea that might improve my original bifocal shackle. The free ends from the button knot could each have a McDonald brummel eye spllce. This would result in three eyes going around the shackle using a single line. Would this be a trifocal shackle

Mark Gardiner

[allene]

Originally Posted by MarkG

Brion,

This is some feedback on my failed (<100%) button knot attempts. I didn't understand the importance of setting the knot carefully. I pulled it as tight as I could by hand, thinking that it would tighten on the first use. It obviously didn't.

I set the diamond knots as hard as I could with a lever on the shackles that were good (135%). The one that wasn't so good (96%) was my first ever soft shackle and was not set at all.

Are there recommendations from experienced people about what tension should be used to set the knots? Has any testing been done with controlled, measured setting? I am wondering if this would make breaking strength more repeatable.

I also had an idea that might improve my original bifocal shackle. The free ends from the button knot could each have a McDonald brummel eye spllce. This would result in three eyes going around the shackle using a single line. Would this be a trifocal shackle

Mark Gardiner

You can tell if the knot is set by banging it on a table. If it sounds like a wood ball hitting the table, it is set. If it sounds like slapping a pillow on the table, it is not set. When they are set, they are rock hard. You want thousands of pounds so basically a lot of leverage. http://L-36.com/soft_shackle_9.php