grappling hook

[angelo]

recently (last Thursday) I quickly drew up the plans for a basic collapsible grappling hook, I planned to make it the following day.

It took me a good 4 hours to make, the most time consuming part was the tapping and dieing.

follow the links below to see it:
I apologise about the quality and the poor lighting in the pics, but I have a webcam, and the webcam has no flash.

the grappling hook assembled:
<a href="http://www.geocities.com/angelo_444/gh1.html" target="_blank">http://www.geocities.com/angelo_444/gh1.html</a>

the grappling hook disassembled:
<a href="http://www.geocities.com/angelo_444/gh2.html" target="_blank">http://www.geocities.com/angelo_444/gh2.html</a>

the plans made in paint:
<a href="http://www.geocities.com/angelo_444/gh3.html" target="_blank">http://www.geocities.com/angelo_444/gh3.html</a>

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I was in a hurry to make it, and I did not have time to paint it, I spent the weekend on a school camp and tested it.

It works very well, it can hold my wait and another three of my friends (around 250kg).

The only problem I found was it took alot of throws to get into a good holding position, this is probably due to the fact that the grappling hook has four hooks, all military ones have three.

So I pretty much made this one as a test and might make another one. Perhaps looking like this one here:
<a href="http://www.tripleaughtdesign.com/grabber.htm" target="_blank">http://www.tripleaughtdesign.com/grabber.htm</a>

<small>[ March 24, 2002, 11:38 PM: Message edited by: angelo ]</small>

[Jack Ruby]

I made a standard Grappling hook in Machine Shop Class the first year I was in it.

If I have time Maybe I will give that one a try... or design Something similiar. I am actually going to school to become a Machinist and have a Skills Comp COming up right quick.

[BoB-]

Nice Angelo :) Nice, for those of us that arent so graceful with metalwork, I was wondering if something like this would work;

<a href="http://a1672.g.akamai.net/7/1672/116/03012002/www.ritzcamera.com/boatersworld/graphics_prod/157990011" target="_blank">http://a1672.g.akamai.net/7/1672/116/03012002/www.ritzcamera.com/boatersworld/graphics_prod/157990011</a>
(damnt, it wouldnt load, copy and paste if there are any problems.)

Its a collapsible boating anchor, this one is 3lbs and I dont think you will find one lighter than that. The one on the left is closed, the one on the right is open.

There is a bowl shaped disk on it than can be turned to lock the arms flat, or lock them extended. It works alot like that little peice of metal that you slide forward to lock your screendoor open. I'd take close-up photos of the mechanism but my Jamcam is fucked up right now.

Its actually cheaper than most grappling hooks you can buy, I found mine for 9bucks.

The shape of the hooks are concave, not very useful for grappling, you could drill holes near the top of each hook and fasten a bolt in each one so they catch on things.

<small>[ March 25, 2002, 01:27 AM: Message edited by: BoB- ]</small>

[angelo]

I only had to weld a really little bit, I was planning to tap a screw in place but due to time constrictions I just tacked it on.
The part I welded was a small handhold onto the bolt that is used to hold the hooks in place when tightened.

[kingspaz]

for £20 this place as a grapplying hook, and rope for people who don;t have a welder or are just plain lazy! note the magnesium fire lighter at the top of the page also <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
<a href="http://www.ishop.co.uk/ishop/800/shopscr1174.html" target="_blank">http://www.ishop.co.uk/ishop/800/shopscr1174.html</a>

[nbk2000]

How are you expecting to sling a 3 pound boat anchor very far? The lighter it is, the further up you can throw it. Ideally, the thing would be light enough to be deployed at least to the third floor.

The "grabber" link that angelo posted was really cool. Looks very well designed too.

And how are you expecting to climb up? I don't know about you, but I don't have the upper body strength to pull my self up 20 or thirty feet of thin rope. Or the grip strength either. It's not as easy as people may think of because of all the times they saw a ninja in a movie go up a rope like a spider.

[HOOPS123]

Wouldn't it be the same as "the rope" in gym class?

[TheBicher]

Couldn't you sort of repel up, using your legs to climb up? That would take a lot less energy than just climbing. The only problem could be is if you held the rope too far back and it started to detach, but I doubt that would happen.

[ENGINEERKILLER]

To go up small ropes 1/2" 5/8" you can use a prussick method it's 2 pieces of rope the same diameter tied in a girth hitch around the main rope with loops for your feet at the bottom,you use your hands to raise the knots and your feet to raise your body.You can find out how to do it in the ranger handbook I believe or any mountaineering book.
Or you can go to any descent sporting good store and by a pair of ascenders .

[kingspaz]

it is REALLY hard to climb skinny rope. but knots can be tied into the rope to make it easier. i think the most important grip is for your feet since you hands are naturally adapted to grip things anyways.

[angelo]

I climbed up a few trees, it is pretty hard, but I have always kept myself fit with regular runs and gym sessions.

The rope is 11mm thick, I bought it for $3 a meter, you can never pass quality on rope, this stuff is strong enough to hold 2 tonne. The rope is attached to the grappling hook via an eye-bolt, you can see it in the lower right of the disassembled picture. I wore gloves because I did not want to get rope burns, but if the rope was 13mm thick, it would have helped immensly.

NBK2000, that picture of the grabber is what the army uses, its made out of light weight metal, milled to perfection. Considering it costs $100 there is a difference between it and mine which cost me $8 for the metal.

Other than that, I believe this is a good project for those of us who had never taken any metal shop classes. I used all hand tools, except for the welder which I let my next door neighbor do for me.
This can easily be made using hand tools, just because I used a welder does not mean you can't simply drill and tap holes instead.

[Ctrl_C]

this might sound a bit complicated but how about throwing up 2 grappling hooks, one right next to the other, then have a second rope going through each eyelet that allows you to hoist up a rope ladder?

[DBSP]

Or you could just throw one hook up and then hoist up a single attached rope ladder.

[angelo]

You can now buy these rope ladders, made of aluminium that is used by bird watchers.
They are very light so easily carried, you don't even need a grappling hook, you just throw a weight with some light cord attached, then once its over the tree, you just pull on the cord and the ladder will be lifted. (theoretically)

[mrloud]

Angelo, have you ever been to a concert or show and seen people followspotting from high up in the lighting rig? They probably got there by climbing a rope ladder which was put there by this company <a href="http://www.showtechaustralia.com.au" target="_blank">http://www.showtechaustralia.com.au</a>
They are based in Melbourne and would be able to help you out with a properly rated wire rope ladder with aluminium tube rungs.

You also stated that the rope could support 2 tonnes. That is more than likely an unfounded claim by the manufacturer. There is a simple formula for working out how much of a load you can put on a rope. For ordinary hemp or sisal fibre rope the WLL (working load limit) = diameter squared. Diameter is measured in millimetres, mass is measured in kilograms. Therefor, 12mm hemp rope can safely support 144Kg. This number incorporates a significant safety factor. If you are using a different type of rope there are strength multipliers that apply.

Nylon (polyamide filament): 2.25 times as strong as natural fibre.
Dacron - terylene (polyester filament): 2.0 times natural fibre.
Taniklon (Polyethylene filament): 1.45 times natural fibre.
Kuralon (polyvinyl alcohol): 1.25 times natural fibre.
Silver rope (flat spin taniklon fibre): 1.16 times natural fibre.
Polypropylene (laid shattered film type): 1.6 times natural fibre.

[angelo]

The rope I have is Nylon rope, 11mm thick.

It is rescue rope, used by Emergency Services. I wanted to get Blue Water rope, (it's what the SAS in oz use) but the store I went to did not have it and would have taken to long to get it.

[nbk2000]

There's other factors in using ropes too. Wet rope is weaker than dry. Hot rope is weaker than cool. Cold is weaker than cool. ANY bends or angles weakens it. A single, simple knot can weaken it by 30% or more. Any fraying, burrs, etc...same thing.

Generally, the safe working load is 10% of the maximum load rating.

[Energy84]

Knots knots knots... There are many knots a man can learn but the most useful knot to me is the bowline. I live by it and I swear by it. I've seen 1.5" rope with a bowline in it used to pull a big cat (D7 I believe it was) out of the snow and the knot was taken out by hand! It is by far the most useful knot and strongest knot. It doesn't take much strength out of the rope either (mabye that's why most climbers and sailors know this knot by heart). My dad was a miner for many years and has learnt many knots. Lots of them he's passed down to me but this is the only one I really use lots.
<a href="http://www.queernet.org/deviant/ssknots.htm#Bowline" target="_blank">How to tie a bowline</a>

[Jack Ruby]

I have learned some rope work through what i have been envolved with over the years. I have been able to use it. Bowlines, Reef Knot, Sheep Bend, Marlin hitch, etc. are all very usefull.

[Anthony]

I leanred a few knots in the Scouts (no jokes please:)), I've forgotten most of them now but I can still do lashings which comes in handy.

That link you gave Energy, you do know it's a bondage site right? :D

[kingspaz]

ahahahahhahaahhahahahahaa.....don;t think he realised...it says queernet.org!...ahahahahah

[Anthony]

Of course he does, it's his homepage:D

[nbk2000]

Shit...I snagged some stuff off that bondage site a long time ago for inclusion in the "Rape & Slavery" section of my book. Lost the link for it though. Good job finding it again. :)

If you have a grappling hook, wouldn't it be useful to have a projector to launch it with? Something quiet.

[angelo]

unfortunately, my grappling hook would be to heavy to launch without the use of high pressure, which means noise.

Perhaps one made of aluminium would change that, hmmm... gives me an idea.

[nbk2000]

There's a silent spigot launcher design described in the black book series. It can (supposedly) launch a 1 quart firebottle 150 yards. I'm sure you woulnd't be climbing more than 50 feet up, so it could be easily scaled down to a very compact (and silent) package.