Page 13 - Des Pawson "Des Pawson's Knot Craft" 2 edit.

KNOTCRAFT 2009:Layout 1 23/10/09 12:16 Page 12

SOME TIPS OF THE TRADE
only slightly darken the work. Do CORDAGE
some tests first to avoid ruining The right kind of rope for the
your work. right job will make all the
difference both to the making
MELTED ENDS OF SYNTHETIC ROPE and the finished product. I do
Do not make great blobs of not come from the school that
melted plastic on the ends of says that natural fibres are best.
your lines; they will crack and, I think that you should use the
when running through your appropriate rope for the job. It’s
hands, can do great damage. worth the trouble searching for
If you do decide to melt the the best materials and usually
ends, do so in a minimal worth paying extra for quality, be
manner, taking care to smooth it in natural or synthetic
the end with wetted fingers. material. Good natural materials
Polypropylene has a fairly low have a certain feel that is
melt point and is not too much rewarding and can give the item
of a problem if a quick heat is you’ve made the appearance of
applied, but nylon and polyester coming from the past. But
have much higher melt points natural materials will rot quite
and can burn your fingers very easily and a fine job can soon
easily. TAKE CARE. look very tatty, thus wasting a
great deal of work.
MEASURING ROPE It is worth exploring the
In the past rope was measured by various imitation natural
its circumference rather than its materials that are available for
diameter, and you can see why jobs that are subject to rot, but
when trying to measure a large even they are not going to last for
rope. In the UK and Europe ever. I like to use a material that is
today rope is measured by its fairly firm and gives good
diameter in millimetres. As a definition to any knots that are
rough guide you can convert tied in it. If you are splicing it is
from one to the other by saying helpful that the strand itself holds
that the circumference in eighths its twist, but you do not need the
of inches is equal to the diameter lay to be so hard as to start to
in millimetres. It is well worth cockle and distort as you splice.
noting that today in the United I give some idea as to the sort
States rope is sold by its diameter of material to be used in each of
in inches, but for over 2 inches in the projects but you may have to
diameter measurements change adapt to those materials that you
over to circumference. Wire rope can find. This is nothing new,
has always been sold by its sailors doing fancy knot work 150
diameter, even in the UK. years ago would have had to make
do with whatever they could lay
their hands on. The source for

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