DEVICE TO FINISH ROPE ENDS TO HANG ON BITTS AND BELAY PINS

[Peter6172]

So I have to admit that I have been having real issues trying to tie off the rope ends when finishing lines on the bitts near the masts. As I aim to keep the rope ready to unrig should I choose to do so. There is just not enough room for my fingers.
Well I thought about it an came up with a type of fork (refer diagrams).

Taking the end of the rope between thumb and spindle, I rotate the device wrapping the rope around the two dowels until I get to the bitts. I then put the device down and then using long tweezers wrap the end around the rope loop and finish off.   I then slip the loop off the device and then hung the rope over the bitts. Worked great first attempt (after doing some off model trials). You may not like how I finished the rope but that's up to your own preference as its independent of the device.

The images show the first finished rope on the foremast bitts followed by the device and then the sequence I follow to create the rope loop.

 

[Dave_E]

Peter! That is so cool! I just went through this last week and wish you’d have posted a week earlier. 😊 This just became a jig to make. Thanks for sharing. 👍😀

[allanyed]

Clever and it obviously works well!!!    Alternatively, you can also use the following method, although your device might be easier at our scales.

 

 

 

[Louie da fly]

I'm going to have to make one of these!

 

Steven

[Roger Pellett]

Add that to the “Why didn’t I think of that category!  Very good!

[wefalck]

Yes, good idea. I improvised in the past.

 

Just a side note: the coil would not be hung with the main loop over the belaying pins etc., but rather one uses the last bight and winds it around the coil so that one loop hangs out which is used to hang the coil. To cast loose, you just take it off the pin and pull on the running end - the loop sort of forms a slip-knot. It rather difficult to describe, but there are instructions on the Web:

 

Or another method through which the coil can be cast loose even faster:

 

 

 

[amateur]

Somewhere in Edt's log of young america there is a jig for that last method. Couldn't find it, but also works very well.

 

Jan

[Gregory]

While I agree it's a nice jig, something with variable spacing/size would be more useful..

[popeye2sea]

7 hours ago, wefalck said:

Yes, good idea. I improvised in the past.

 

Just a side note: the coil would not be hung with the main loop over the belaying pins etc., but rather one uses the last bight and winds it around the coil so that one loop hangs out which is used to hang the coil. To cast loose, you just take it off the pin and pull on the running end - the loop sort of forms a slip-knot. It rather difficult to describe, but there are instructions on the Web:

 

Or another method through which the coil can be cast loose even faster:

 

 

 

 

The first method shown is called a gasket coil and would not be employed on a belaying pin where the coil needs to be able to be cast loose quickly. The gasket coil, as the name implies, is used to coil up and secure the sail gaskets when not in use. The coil is designed to allow the coil to be suspended from it's standing part.

 

The belaying coil (I don't know the name) hangs the coil from the pin or cleat and can be readily cast off.

 

Regards,

[Peter6172]

On 7/4/2022 at 3:56 AM, Gregory said:

While I agree it's a nice jig, something with variable spacing/size would be more useful..

agree.  One fixed pin and the other on a slide controlled by a thread to move closer or further from the fixed pin would work nicely.  Probably needs to be made of metal (aluminium) though due to the small size.

[mtaylor]

I use one that slightly different... the "posts" are 90 degrees apart.  Once tied and brushed with varnish or glue/water, they hang very naturally as the "droop" is built in.  I use just piece of scrap wood and if I need something a different size, takes about 5 minutes to make a new one.

[Peter6172]

On 7/8/2022 at 11:16 AM, mtaylor said:

I use one that slightly different... the "posts" are 90 degrees apart.  Once tied and brushed with varnish or glue/water, they hang very naturally as the "droop" is built in.  I use just piece of scrap wood and if I need something a different size, takes about 5 minutes to make a new one.

Do you have an image to share?  I don't varnish or glue as I want to be able to uncoil and adjust rigging should th need arise; e.g. should I decide later to add sails.

[mtaylor]

Try this.  I couldn't find one that was already made up so I tossed this one together in a few minutes.   Use a long piece of wood and you can set it up to a bunch all at once.  The  line is also scrap and just wrapped a bit so it would need a finishing wrap and knot near the top.  Make it as big or as small as you need for the scale of the model.  I hope this helps.

 

[Dr PR]

Some people make the rope coils separately from the actual rigging. You can adjust the rigging all you want, making temporary ties to the belaying points. Then after everything is set you cut off the excess lengths of the rigging lines and attach the rope coils to the belaying points.

[mtaylor]

Oops...I should have mentioned that I make the coils separately and then attach when the rigging is done.