Rope-Making

This is how the pros do it. This UK factory makes ropes and cables for the British Navy.

The ancient art of rope-making is a skill that not many people possess anymore.  It’s not really hard to do though once you get your head around the principle.  First you’ll need a a rope-making machine.  Here’s how to build one.  Once you’ve you’ve got one you can whip up lots of rope from light cord to massive hawsers.  It’s actually a lot of fun, especially if you drag a couple of grandkids into it.  You’ll need three people to make a rope.

The Sleds

You are going to build two sleds as shown in the pictures to the right.  They are simple wooden sawhorse-like affairs with skids on the bottom and a seat for the rope turners who act as both rope twisters and ballast.  Build a frame on one end of the sled with a 2 foot by 2 foot flat ¾ inch plywood plate for setting the hooks and cranks.  Build both sleds alike.  One will have 3 hooks and one will only have one. Start with the 3 hook  individual strand twister.  Drill 3 holes at the corners of an equilateral triangle with 10 inch legs.  Make sure it’s centered.  You’ll need room to turn the cranks.

The Strand Twister.

You’ll need 3 steel rods about 12 inches long.  Bend them into a ‘Z’ shape with equal length sections.  The rods must be identical to crank together.  The center section must not be more than 4 inches in length in order to crank freely without bumping into each other.  Insert one end of the “Z” into the three holes in the end plate so the crank part is on the .  Allow them to hang down. 

Next you’ll need to thread about 3 inches of the crank ends so you can bolt the crank plate in place. 

Cut a triangular plywood plate about 12 inches on a side and cut 3 holes 10 inches apart.  They must match the holes in the end plate for this to work.  Thread bolts and washers over the end of the cranks and slip the crank plate over the ends.

Bolt the plate in place with a double nut so the plate will turn freely. A double nut are two nuts on the same side twisted against each other. It's advisable to also put a washer between the nuts and the wooden crank plate.

Finally, you’ll need to a attach a handle to the center of the crank plate in order to turn the hooks.  When you crank the plate, the three hooks will turn together at the same speed.

Now you need to heat and bend the other end of the cranks to make 3 hooks.  These will turn when you crank the opposite end. You'll need a torch to do this. Another way to attach hooks to the end is to thread the ends of the crank rods and screw an eye hook onto the rods backed by double nuts to hold the screw eyes in place so it turns with the crank rods. You can do the bending of the rods and threading ahead of time, but you'll have to enlarge the holes in the hook plate so the Z ends can negotiate the turn. To do this you'll need a piece of pipe to act as guide for the rods. To pull that off you'll have to figure the size of the pipe that will fit the rods, Cut three pieces to match the depth of the holes. Slide them on the rod before you bend the Z ends of the rods. Slide the rods through the holes then slide the pipes into the holes behind them. That way the crank will turn easily, especially if you squirt a little oil into them before working the crank. 

The Rope Twister

For this you’ll need another 3/8 in steel rod bent to an identical “Z” as on the first sled.  Drill a hole in the center of the end plate, insert the crank, thread the crank end and screw on some sort of handle. Fashion a pipe guide like the ones above. Slide it on the rod before you bend the crank. On the opposite end, bend the rod into a hook facing away from the sled seat. Insert the Z end of the crank first with the pipe guide on the hook side. Once the crank is in, pound the pipe into the crank hole and Voila!  Now you have the two sleds.  You only need one more tool.

Spreader

Make another ten inch equilateral plywood triangle with a notch in the center of each side. The spreader separates the strands into their individual parts. It guides the rope strands as they are twisted while you walk beside the ropes keeping them apart as they twist together naturally. You'll start from the hook end and walk toward the triple crank end.

 Rope-Making Materials

You’ll need nylon or grass/hemp bailing twine from which to make the strands.  Tie one end of the ball to the single hook and start stringing loops back and forth to one of the three hooks.  10 strands of twine per hook is a good thickness to practice on.  It will make a thirty strand rope. 

Depending on the thickness of the rope you want, string an equal number of strands of twine between the single hook and each of the three twister hooks. Fit the spreader board between each strand and push it back next to the single hook.

Tensioning the Strands

 

You’ll need 3 people to make a rope - one on the 3 strand crank, one on the single hook and one on the spreader board.  Place the sleds about a third farther apart than the length of rope you want to make. Begin cranking the three hooks clockwise as you face the crank.  Continue until the strands become tight and begin to twist.

 While the person on the 3 hook sled keeps steady pressure on the crank, the person on the single hook needs to gently begin turning the single crank counterclockwise rotating toward the same direction the strands were twisted.  As he turns the single hook, the person on the spreader board moves the board toward the three hook sled allowing the rope to twist itself from the single hook end.  Both crankers should keep steady pressure on the cranks turning them so the strands lay themselves naturally and evenly. The tighter you keep the strands twisted as you you put them together, the tighter the rope will lay up and the better quality it will be.

When you’re close to the end, remove the spreader and tighten all the way down to the triple hooks.  Wrap the ends of the rope with duct tape to keep it from unraveling or wrap fine cord around the end.  Cut the rope loose from the hooks with a sharp knife and coil it up for storage. 

Make yourself a big old hawser if you want and take it to the next family reunion for the tug of war competition.  Brag on it if you want. After all, who else do you know that can make his own rope.

© 2009 by Tom King