Alternatives to paying silly prices for torsion cable accessories.

[Privilege]

I'm upgrading the anti-torsion cable on my asym spinnaker.

I've got a Karver KF5 and the thimbles all ready to go. As with anything purchased from a marine store, the price of the cable clamps to go with the rope are crazy. If a buy the Karver ones, I'm looking at over $600 for both ends. Even the cheaper Colligo clamps are going to set me back in excess of $250.


Why can't I use a four of these...


There are made from tougher material than the Colligo clamps, they cost $10 each and as long as you crimp them so as to not overly compress the torsion cable there is no chance of them coming loose, especially as the considerable forces are exerted in parallel. I know, I know, I'll probably just bite the bullet and buy the marine ones but it does irk me having to so.

[Paul Elliott]

Are the Colligo clamps designed for a smooth clamp-pressure transition? It looks like the Nicopress sleeves would give you abrupt transitions and sharp edges, stressing the line significantly. Perhaps you could smoothly ream and taper the Nicopress openings?

[Kestrahl]

If you use the Nicopress sleeves then the cover will break and the core will slide out. Seen it before.
We machine sew the torsion cables and cover with heat shrink, costs next to nothing.

[thinwater]

Then I suppose there is no reason not to hand sew, if a machine is not handy? It's a matter of getting in enough stitches through the core. Push the needle with a cutting board rather than a palm. The below probably took 5 minutes.



This tested at 6800 pounds (18 passes of doubled #8 twine). Use spectra and more stitches. Heat shrink and tubular webbing make good covers.




I broken hundreds of samples of nylon, polyester, and HMPE in testing, but I never worked with torsion rope; the question never came up. Quite stiff.


I would definitely trust a sewn eye as much as the mechanical eye. I also tested sewn eyes for abrasion and cut threads; they are not fragile. Most industrial climbing gear uses sewn eyes.