Page 262 - Brion Toss - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

zontally under sufficient strain to put a slight right- a bit on friction as you round the first comer, then
hand twist into the wire. This is to counteract the clamping down tightly and stre-e-e-tching it across
left-hand twist that applying the seizing will cause. the face. If the end pulls out or if the wire rope
Drive in a small spike below the rigger’s screw starts to twist, stop, redo things more tightly, and
and insert one end of a 1-inch by 2-inch strip of then start again. The biggest key to a successful
medium-weight canvas (or nylon webbing) and one seizing is consistency. You must be consistent in
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end of a 10-foot-long piece of ⁄16-inch galvanized how much and where you slack for the corners, and
or stainless 1 x 7 seizing wire (Figure 6-65). Work how much and where you tighten across the faces.
a little stopper crimp into the end of the wire and Your seizings should look like they were machined
position the wire down near the bottom of the can- out of bar stock.
vas. Remove the spike. Pull on the seizing wire until The first revolution should finish at the level at
the knot fetches up against the wire rope. Wrap the which it began. At this point, against all instincts of
canvas strip tightly around, against the lay, and fix tidiness, you must raise the lead a little so that the
it in place with a layer of friction tape. wire crosses this face crookedly and lays in directly
Now step over to the bandsaw and cut yourself above its start. In making the turn and wrapping
a seizing stick (Figure 6-66A) out of the toughest, around the other face the lead will be horizontal
orneriest wood you can find; lignum vitae, some of (Figure 6-66B).
the oaks, or hickory, among others, will do. Round Continue wrapping, moderate tension on the
off the rough edges and get back to the vise. corners, heavy on the faces. Allow no gaps between
the turns. Your assistant will pass the coiled wire
Round Turns around for you. Faithfully follow that crooked lead
From here on, an extra pair of hands is a big help, so in front. The seizing wire should be sufficiently
try to talk someone into reading all this and work- hard-laid that it won’t “flatten out.” That is, the
ing with you. I’ll assume in the instructions that you strands don’t disassociate themselves from one
were successful. Both you and your helper should another, but remain round and firm. If you do get
don safety glasses before proceeding; the end of the flattening, undo everything, clamp one end of the
seizing wire can whip around very fast. wire in a vise, stretch the wire out, and clamp the
Coil and lightly seize the seizing wire, then other end in a pair of Vise Grips. Then twist the wire
pull on and bend it at its beginning so that it leads against the lay to firm it up. It might take a couple
slightly downward from where it emerges between dozen revolutions.
the two parts of the wire rope. Then veer it off hor-
izontally to the left. Thread the wire onto the stick Figure 6-66A. Bend the seizing wire down slightly
and take up the slack (Figure 6-66A). where it emerges from the wire, then lead it horizon-
Essaying to keep the seizing wire absolutely tally clockwise (to the left). Thread it onto the seizing
horizontal, move the stick around, easing up just stick as shown and take up the slack.

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