Hemp

[sunray]

Just a quick queery, I have a 1.5" 100ft length of hemp which I used to use with a pair of double 2" blocks for raising aerial masts [canterlever method] but it has been stored for a number of years in a cavity brick built unheated Granny annex. Before it's dumped would it be of any interest to anyone? Edited March 21, 2021 by sunray

[Robin D]

If no-one here wants it, before you dump it, ask at locals schools, scouts etc as I offloaded some to grateful groups for tug of war games, temporary barrier ropes etc a few years ago.

[sunray]

If no-one here wants it, before you dump it, ask at locals schools, scouts etc as I offloaded some to grateful groups for tug of war games, temporary barrier ropes etc a few years ago.

The crazy thing is I use a Scout Camp site for amateur radio. They say they now have a policy of no natural fibres and several years ago they dumped loads of various sized hemp in their rubbish bin, one of our guys took some quite long lengths of cord for halyards.

 

 

What I have is probably a bit small for tug of war at a little over 1/2" diameter. [I assume hemp is still measured by circumference and not moved over to diameter like man made products].

 

Thanks for the tip. I will try schools, which is quite easy with Grandchildren in 3 different and providing PA at several more.

Edited March 22, 2021 by sunray

[pscandrett]

Just a quick queery, I have a 1.5" 100ft length of hemp which I used to use with a pair of double 2" blocks for raising aerial masts [canterlever method] but it has been stored for a number of years in a cavity brick built unheated Granny annex. Before it's dumped would it be of any interest to anyone?

 

A stage manager friend posted on facebook today that he was after some old hemp for something... barriers, I think. Perhaps I can put you both in touch?

[themadhippy]

a policy of no natural fibres

what a stupid policy,lets rape the planet for oil to make our artificial materials instead of using something that can be grown almost any were without any pesticides and is pretty good at cleaning up the soil,in fact its so good at what it does certain industrys got so concerned about loosing money to hemp that they pestered the government so you now need a license to grow it.

[DrV]

a policy of no natural fibres

what a stupid policy,lets rape the planet for oil to make our artificial materials instead of using something that can be grown almost any were without any pesticides and is pretty good at cleaning up the soil,in fact its so good at what it does certain industrys got so concerned about loosing money to hemp that they pestered the government so you now need a license to grow it.

Perhaps the policy was borne out of some safety zealot who discovered that hemp degrades in strength over time (does it?). On the other hand I left some artificial fibre rope in the garden for a year and found that UV (I assume) had totally destroyed it!

[sandall]

IIRC this started when the EU banned hemp for rope ladders as part of some fishing directive, insisting they were replaced with polypropylene widow-makers. Now beaches are covered with blue cut ends of non-degradable lashings.

[Glyn Edwards]

Wearing my Scout Leader Hat... Hemp (and its relative Sisal), being a natural product, tends to rot when it gets wet. Whilst this can be managed (eg by tarring it), this makes it stiffer which isn't ideal for what scouts tend to do with it. We want nice flexible rope that will wrap nicely round spars / poles when we do our lashings etc in order to achieve the maximum strength for pioneering projects etc.

Sadly there were a couple of incidents a dozen or so years ago where structures collapsed (causing injuries) which were discovered to be because the rope used was rotten. As a result of this many groups and camp sites have been eliminating their stock of natural fibre ropes. If it has been properly cared for then I'd rather use a natural fibre rope, but there are more and more people who don't know how to care for it, so it becomes an issue, especially for campsites where there are many users who will leave the ropes damp and often stuffed in a dustbin where they have no chance of drying, stored in a shipping container that sweats :( As a result it often needs replacing every year, and natural fibre ropes tend to be more expensive than the man made stuff.

As has been said, man made fibre ropes suffer from UV degredation, but thats another story...

[sunray]

Wearing my Scout Leader Hat... Hemp (and its relative Sisal), being a natural product, tends to rot when it gets wet. Whilst this can be managed (eg by tarring it), this makes it stiffer which isn't ideal for what scouts tend to do with it. We want nice flexible rope that will wrap nicely round spars / poles when we do our lashings etc in order to achieve the maximum strength for pioneering projects etc.

Sadly there were a couple of incidents a dozen or so years ago where structures collapsed (causing injuries) which were discovered to be because the rope used was rotten. As a result of this many groups and camp sites have been eliminating their stock of natural fibre ropes. If it has been properly cared for then I'd rather use a natural fibre rope, but there are more and more people who don't know how to care for it, so it becomes an issue, especially for campsites where there are many users who will leave the ropes damp and often stuffed in a dustbin where they have no chance of drying, stored in a shipping container that sweats :( As a result it often needs replacing every year, and natural fibre ropes tend to be more expensive than the man made stuff.

As has been said, man made fibre ropes suffer from UV degredation, but thats another story...

Thinking on...I understand the logic, At a village fetethey had a tug of war every year, one year it started raining just before the TOW and I suggested cancelling it, mostly for the public safety but also for protecting the rope the following year the tin trunk was opened on the day and as the rope was pulled out it started shedding chunks.

 

Just a quick queery, I have a 1.5" 100ft length of hemp which I used to use with a pair of double 2" blocks for raising aerial masts [canterlever method] but it has been stored for a number of years in a cavity brick built unheated Granny annex. Before it's dumped would it be of any interest to anyone?

 

A stage manager friend posted on facebook today that he was after some old hemp for something... barriers, I think. Perhaps I can put you both in touch?

Feel free, but the cost of shipping will need to be considered.

[pscandrett]

Thanks; I've sent you a message.

[sunray]

Thanks; I've sent you a message.

replied, ta.