How to making thicker ropes?

[Sandor Laza]

I have a ropewalk and I can make two or three thread ropes that look realistic. If I want to make a thicker rope, I tried to make a three threaded rope from the two threaded ropes I made, but they don't look realistic, the original threads are too prominent.

Shall I try to buy thicker threads to start with? Or is there a trick to make thicker ropes?

[Gregory]

What does your rope walk look like?  There are different styles out there..

 

Mine is somewhat traditional but limited by the length of my workbench..   I can only make about 40 inches of rope at a time.

 

 

 

The size of the rope is determined by the number of threads I use on each of the whorls.

 

I have made rope with up to 8 threads on each of the 4 whorls, for a total of 24 threads.

 

 

 

[Jaager]

Linen yarn comes in a wide range of diameters.  Search the site for posts listing sources.  Yours is the continent where it is produced.

[Bob Cleek]

The thicker the thread, the thicker the rope. The easiest is to buy heavier thread for your layup. You can also double or triple the number of threads you attach to each hook. Just make sure the tension of the multiple thread strands is equal on each hook. 

 

If you read this section on ropemaking, you will find charts of formulae, recipes, if you will, for making different thicknesses of rope.

[Bob Cleek]

27 minutes ago, Gregory said:

Mine is somewhat traditional but limited by the length of my workbench..   I can only make about 40 inches of rope at a time.

You need a bigger workbench! Or not. Get two tables the same height and spread them as far apart as you want. You can also simply clamp a plank longer than your workbench to its top and put your ropewalk ends at either end of the plank. Or am I missing something here?