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Home , Bight (knot), Carrick bend, Constrictor knot, Half hitch, Lashing (ropework), Overhand loop

Glossary Harpenden and Wheathampstead Scout District

Anchorage Immovable object to which strain bearing is attached Bend joining A loop in a rope Flaking Rope laid out in wide folds but no bights touch Frapping Last turns of to tighten all foundation turns Skills for Leadership Guys supporting vertical structure Halyard Line for raising/ lowering flags, sails, etc. Heel The butt or heavy end of a spar Hitch A knot to tie a rope to an object. Holdfast Another name for anchorage Lashing Knot used to bind two or more spars together Lay The direction that strands of rope are twisted together Make fast To secure a rope to take a strain Picket A pointed stake driven in the ground usually as an anchor Reeve To pass a rope through a block to make a tackle Binding of light cord to secure a rope end to the standing part Scouting and Rope Sheave A single pulley in a block Sling Rope (or similar) device to suspend or hoist an object Rope without knowledge is passive and becomes troublesome when Splice Join ropes by interweaving the strands. something must be secured. But with even a little knowledge rope Strop A ring of rope. Sometimes a bound coil of thinner rope. comes alive as the enabler of a thousand tasks: structures are Standing part The part of the rope not active in tying a knot. possible; we climb higher; we can build, sail and fish. And our play is suddenly extensive: bridges, towers and aerial runways are all Toggle A wooden pin to hold a rope within a loop. (I.e. ) possible through the medium of rope. Even a modest facility with Trestle 4 spars in trapezium with 2 spars as diagonal braces. rope makes handy, useful, safer and enables a lot of fun. Whipping Twine binding the end of a rope to prevent strands unwinding Working end The active part of rope in tying a knot As our ambitions rise, dangers lurk: tension within ropes increase, heights get higher, rafts take us to deep water. If we would be adventurous, we must likewise be skilled. Be reliable in the basics – Parts of a rope teach Scouts well so they may have fun and stay safe. Teach also the disciplines because how Scouts regard rope and the structures they build determines their safety and much else in their education. WORKING END We teach rope-craft because projects are generally on a larger scale than Scouts are used to and so there is need for teamwork, practical CROSSING LOOP problem solving and technical mastery. If we, their leaders, challenge proportionally to their abilities, and see that they succeed, we BIGHT will have given Scouts far more than the knowledge of a few . STANDING RV 12 April 2012 PART Rev. Dec 2015 STANDING Building the Ethos END Skilled scouts have most fun

12 Foreword o teach rope-work needs rope that is a pleasure to work with. String, particularly A Bosun’s Chair sisal, is hopeless because of its character and scale. The common blue 6mm a training project Tpolypropylene rope is low cost, immensely strong but is hard, stiff and retains kinks and so is not good for teaching. Choose rope that is of one light colour (avoid multicoloured rope for teaching) from 6 to 10mm. When bent, it should not tend to A simple and fun project for 2 or 3 Scouts. The build is self explanatory return to its former state but stay bent. Ideal ropes do not retain kinks but avoid soft Round, and ropes that are lifeless. Buy enough of suitable quality so Scouts can engage properly. but it needs organisation and a little Two Half Hitches skill to make it level and at the desired Whip or melt all ends because nicely finished ropes engender higher standards. (or see text) Joining knots height. Have spars and staves of sizes that suit the training ropes. As far as possible, if necessary demonstrate by application. For instance, if teaching the Scaffold Hitch, make a It is possible that the overhead beam Bosun’s Chair and actually swing in it. If our purpose is to train Scouts for independent is, say, a branch that is unreachable. Instead of RT&2HH, take a long rope adventure, then Scouts must learn how to tie knots, which to use and their strengths. When teaching, practise so you do not fumble, learn how to shape knots into their and tie an Alpine Butterfly Knot at its correct identity and leave knots open enough for their structure to be seen. middle. Throw the rope end over the branch, thread it through the loop and Last point: knots are not only chosen to be secure – they must also be undoable. Even Scaffold Hitch pull until the loop binds on the correct knots will jam if they are overloaded and so rope size is not only about breaking branch. Repeat for a second rope. strain; knots will easily come apart huge strains when tied in suitable rope. Build the Bosun’s Chair on this with Encourage the Scouts to high standards and have fun. rv 10 Apr 2012. joining knots (Double Sheets Bends or Bowline Bends) as shown. To recover the ropes, simply pull the idle Bowline Everyone knows this knot but not all side of the ropes. can give it a name. It is knowing High branch (Thumb Knot) because it forms part of other common knots. On its own the Alpine Butterfly Knot Thumb Knot is used as a stopper Long knot perhaps to arrest a rope from Scaffold rope running through an eye. Hitch Recover by Load this line The Overhand Loop is a thumb knot pulling this line tied in a bight at the end of the rope. It is simple but it jams and is bulky. Best for string and when untying it doesn’t Whipping matter. Rope ends Figure of eight knot Figure of Eight Knot is a for the end of a rope. Sometimes Rope ends matter for the rope, for safety and for used to tie two ropes together by good standards. Synthetic rope can be melted but it weaving the second rope through all is best to put a temporary tape on first to keep the parts. Secure but permanent. lay tight. Put the end in a flame to let it melt then Figure of eight loop shape it with pieces of wood to a point or dome that The Figure of Eight Loop is flat, in- is the same diameter as the rope. Avoid sharp line and very secure. Often edges that may cut hands. Whipping is easy and Pull to bury both ends permanent after heavy load. quick and often benefits from a rubbing of wax. under turns. Trim excess twine and cut rope end to a neat finish. 2 11 Sheepshanks Joining ropes When tying parcels, the is Sheepshank The Sheepshank is a shortening unique in that it is tied in two stages: knot or a way to overcome a weak the first part gathers tension, the point in a rope. It is rarely seen Reef Knot second part secures it. Shoe laces complete but useful to teach for it depend on the Reef Knot in the form principle. of the Slippery Reef or Bow Knot). Toggled Sheepshank Also good for joining strings and The Toggled Sheepshank increases light stuff but because it may jam the security. Strong wooden pegs are when hauled very tight, the Reef Knot normally used. is not used for joining heavier ropes.

Half Sheepshank ! The has so little The Half Sheepshank is a simple Granny Knot internal friction it cannot be trusted for way to put a strain bearing loop in a any duty whatever! It is usually a reef working rope. The harvester’s hitch knot tied wrongly. NEVER TO BE uses a half sheepshank. USED! Harvester’s Hitch Deflected bight The Sheet Bend is the first knot of Twice as The Harvester’s Hitch choice to tie (or bend) two ropes much Tripods tension is used to gain twice as together. It is stable in all but hard Thick rope Thin rope on the much pull on the rope to slippery ropes. If ropes are unequal A fast and effective (if unequal) (if unequal) load secure a load. Any loop way to make a light thickness, the foundation ‘staple’ will do but the half tripod is to lay the 3 must be the thicker. Under strain, the sheepshank is easy and poles together bight is deflected preventing the knot will fall apart when (heels aligned) from binding. It can be undone by folding the knot back on itself to free dismantled no matter then start with a Double Sheet Bend how much strain is put on one the bight. on it. The toggle is not pole and weave always needed. around each pole A Double Sheet Bend simply takes Pull Every Scout should in loose figure-of-eight turns and the end around the knot a second know this hitch! finish with a clove hitch. Take the time to increase friction. Used where centre pole and lift it right over ropes are hard or when strains are Some kind of anchor which will tighten the lashing and Fisherman’s Knot greater. bind all turns to the poles. If the structure is heavy as in the A Fisherman’s Knot is often used to hourglass tower (p6) lay the poles make a sling where the two ends as shown (see inset) and wind must be tied very securely. Two several turns around all 3 poles. Fisherman’s Knot thumb knots are tied as shown, Frap between to grip each pole then (Pulled tight) tightened, and then drawn up snugly as the tripod is erected, the extra together as shown below. Frapped tripod lashing Once loaded this knot is (Place on a log or brick to create twist on opening binds the turns clearance for the rope when tying) very tight. Start and finish with permanent which is why it is often Clove Hitches or Constrictor Knots. used where safety matters. The ends are usually seized to the standing part for greater security and neatness. 10 3 The Bowline Lashing

The purpose of a Bowline is to put a Square Lashing fixed, strain bearing loop in the end of Start with a (or Clove Hitch a rope. Being possibly the most with free end wound around standing versatile knot, every scout should part) on any spar. Pass the rope around The Standard know the bowline if nothing else. each spar laying the turns neatly. (Avoid Bowline piling the turns). Several turns are Use the rhyme: make a hole (the loop required. Keep tension on the rope so in the rope), then the rabbit (the rope that the foundation turns remain taught. end) comes out of the hole, goes Frapping turns Add frapping turns and heave tight at around the tree (the standing part) each turn so that the foundation turns and back down the hole. are forced to extra tension. Keep the rope under tension throughout. To finish, tie off on the most stable spar (or around the frapping) with a Clove Hitch constructed of two Half Ask the Scout to suggest what the Hitches. (Alternatively, use a .) loop might be for and so tie it correctly for that application. Note: the final Clove Hitch is rarely stable and so the free end should be tucked into the lashing to hold it. Even better, use the Constrictor Knot. Surplus rope can be ‘lost’ by The French Bowline has two loops adding additional Half Hitches to a convenient spar. The final lashing should have zero that are adjustable. To tie it, the rabbit slack and look smart. makes two turns through the hole Short ropes can be joined to make a lashing rope: the joining knot rarely interferes with before going around the tree. the lashing. French Bowline Sometimes used as a rescue knot: Same as one loop for legs, the other around the Sheer Lashing standard chest. bowline Sheer lashings look easy but they are deceptive. To join two poles so that the combined but with length is rigid requires the turns to be very tight. Frapping turns, if applied, enable two loops The Bowline Bend is useful when tightness but must separate the two poles. Because even tight turns can not prevent ropes are very different sizes. For rotation, frapped poles can move like scissors until the poles touch midway between instance, a light line may be thrown lashings. The wider the gap due to frapping, the bigger the scissor angle. In normal over a tree branch and a heavy rope situations with equal diameter poles, avoid frapping but lash every turn with high tension drawn up after it; each joined with a from start to finish. Bowline Bend. This requires frequent tensioning throughout the tying with start and finish knots that will not slip. The start knot can be a Constrictor Knot tied around both poles with the knot bearing on the timber, not the gap. To prevent slip, make the first two turns cross over the Deflected Constrictor it to bind it to the poles. Haul on the rope to make it very tight. Keep this bight tension throughout (use the left thumb to nip the rope while the right hand manages the Bowline Bend free length) laying enough turns to make up about one pole diameter. Haul tight every Two standard Friction two turns or so; (i.e. two hands on the rope, foot on the lashing). Terminate with a Half interlinked. Illustrated system Hitch and haul tight. Finally, tie a Constrictor Knot and again haul tight. There must be here with equal ropes enough spare rope to grip for the final haul that must be tidied away by tucking it into the but the Bowline Bend space between the poles. Two lashings required. The Number of is especially useful Secure loop Bowline Constrictor Knots turns makes when the ropes are of Tail for hauling tidied in gap structure roughly one very different thickness pole diameter

First crossing turns Rear view 4 9 Miscellaneous knots Tying a rope to a spar or post

Prussik knot The Round, Turn and Two Half Round, Turn and Two Hitches is the first choice of securing a (Knot to make a sling) Half Hitches rope to a post; it is easy to tie, secure and easy to untie. Under load, the standing part is a tangent to the post A climbing knot with many uses. First and nearly all the strain is goes through With no tension on the loop the Guyline Hitch round-turn concentrated there. If it is a tree, the knot slips along the rope. With To make an adjustable bark may be damaged. Always protect tension, the knot binds tightly guyline, tie as shown Anchor the bark. and will not slip. and work the knot close Make a short sling in strong and tight. (It is actually a Bend light line and turn it on to the tied on the The is a useful variation main rope as shown. (See standing part). where the first half hitch is taken climbing on prussiks in Projects section.) through the round-turn. It is more secure though less easy to untie but Alpine Butterfly Knot better for trees because the strain is Highwayman’s Hitch A strain bearing loop in the taken centrally on the knot and shared middle of a rope to all parts around the tree. Again, Timber protect bark where the loads are Hitch heavy. The Timber Hitch is very secure and very easy to untie but needs to be kept 3 turns under tension: when loose it will undo Always a favourite with Cubs – Dick Turpin’s get-away around the knot. Easy to tie and one tug on the release line and it itself! Excellent for starting lashings. right palm. collapses. DO NOT USE FOR CLIMBING!!! Clove The Clove Hitch is two Half Hitches close together and is often tied this This attractive knot has Hitch Place the turn two identities as shown. It way. For instance, when finishing a nearest thumb is tied in its flat form A and lashing, the first Half Hitch nips the to the middle when hauled taut, it -as shown. rope and the second Half Hitch A reforms to B. Though secures it. The Clove Hitch needs bulky, it has great security and remarkable Constrictor Knot tension on both sides of the knot to be B Pull out the undoability – the two secure and so it is common to add a turn deflected bights enable nearest third Half Hitch for extra security. the Carrick Bend to Deflected thumb.... bights release the knot even The Constrictor Knot is tied as a after heavy loading. It ...and tuck it Clove Hitch but the rope end is deserves to be better Ends on under the two tucked under the first turn. It binds known. opposite remaining sides tight and is excellent to end lashings. turns. Hold this One point to remember: loop with the unless the knot is purely The Rolling Hitch is used whenever left hand and decorative,the rope ends pull the right the knot must cling to the spar (or must fall on opposite hand away. heavier rope) without slipping Ends on sides of the knot. opposite Rolling sideways when the strain is in the sides Shape into the Butterfly Hitch direction of the spar. Think of adding a Knot. The rope should thin line to a tug-of-war rope so as to exit the knot in-line both Pull 8 sides. 5 assist the pull. Patrol projects using rope

Camp notice board The Monkey Bridge

The Hourglass Tower he success of a structure is mostly Raft Tbound up with the triangle. All the basic components – the A frame, the tripod, the trestle – depend on triangles; even guylines are triangles. Encourage Scouts to build with strong structural triangles. Climbing a rope using Prussik knots (Refer page 8) Safety points: check any structure that is to be climbed on or goes on water. Insist on good construction standards. Test Plate and mug strengths with twice intended loads. rack Inspect and test regularly. Keep all ropes in good condition; store them dry.

Camp patrol dining table

Line to dry towels

Sink and drainer Camp gateway

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