Sealing nylon rope ends - finally cracked it!

Caveat - got the technique from a guy on youtube.

We've all done it – used a cigarette lighter or a stove to melt the end of plastic ropes, ending up usually with a big expanded mushroom head that is prone to unravelling.

So Aunty Google was my friend and I watched the technique. It's pretty simple really:

1. Wrap some non-plastic tape (masking is best) around the rope three times - as tight as possible.
2. cut yer hideous nob–end off with a super sharp knife :)(, through the tape wrap. You could use a properly sharp chisel too. Whatever you use, don't saw the cut back and forth – the cleanest cut is from one push through or at the most, rocking it through. Sawing the cut with a knife just makes it ragged to start with.
3. scorch the exposed end with a windproof cig lighter or similar (one that has a fierce flame that doesn't waft about). The tape might catch fire a little - just blow it out. Depending on the rope composition it might need a fair old scorch.
4. take the tape off, and reuse for the next one (so don't cut through the middle of the wrap – keep the cuts towards the end, and you'll get 3 cuts per piece of one inch masking tape)

I also find it useful to very carefully do a light scorch around the circumference of the rope right below the new end to tamp down any stray fibres. This is done after the tape is removed (and you may find that the last 1-2mm of tape stays on the rope – its removal may cause those stray fibres, you see).

I did about 24 or more this morning with no misfires (I keep quite a few ropes of many lengths in the Ute).

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Thanks for sharing.

I thought I had achieved a good result by using some heat shrink to secure top ends but over time the heatshrink gets pulled off.

Has anyone tried super glue?

FF,
Could you tell us a bit more about your "hand-gun gas lighter" please?
I have never seen one of these before !

Many thanks!

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Originally Posted by pippin88

Thanks for sharing.

I thought I had achieved a good result by using some heat shrink to secure top ends but over time the heatshrink gets pulled off.

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I use heat shrink and then a MAPP gas torch to seal the end.
A butane torch also works well.

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Originally Posted by yvan

Could you tell us a bit more about your "hand-gun gas lighter" please?
I have never seen one of these before !

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I call them BBQ lighters. Ours never have any gas left in them when I go to use them as SWMBO uses them often to light scented candles and tea lights.

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Originally Posted by yvan

FF,
Could you tell us a bit more about your "hand-gun gas lighter" please?
I have never seen one of these before !

Many thanks!

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It's just a refillable lighter from a cigarette store that cost $10. They probably even have them at supermarket cig counters. Basically just a miniature butane torch.

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Originally Posted by BobL

I use heat shrink and then a MAPP gas torch to seal the end.
A butane torch also works well.

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Isn't the MAPP gas a bit fierce for this purpose?

When pippin put his post up I thought that maybe a combo of the two ideas might be even better and there's no harm in leaving the heatshrink on, but then I figured the heatshrink might melt and burn. I'll have to give it a try when my heatshrink kit arrives next week.

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Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Isn't the MAPP gas a bit fierce for this purpose?

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Probably but I use a Low flame and don't hold it too close.

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When pippin put his post up I thought that maybe a combo of the two ideas might be even better and there's no harm in leaving the heatshrink on, but then I figured the heatshrink might melt and burn. I'll have to give it a try when my heatshrink kit arrives next week.

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Depending on what sort of Nylon, it softens at temps between 220 and 270ºC. At 350-400ºC, standard shrink fit will shrink and soften and eventually char so you need to be around 300 to get the optimum effect. I reckon the heat shrink will have better temp resistance than PVC electrical tape which softens at about 100ºC.

I have a hot air gun with adjustable temp to +/-25ºC - I should try that next time.

Simplest I find is to use silver rope and do a back splice

I heat the nylon rope over the gas stove and while the material is still soft, and hot, I squeeze the end into a pointed shape. Easy. Best to wear heavy gloves for this purpose :wink: .

Regards
Paul

If you want to keep things really simple just use a hot knife.

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Originally Posted by China

If you want to keep things really simple just use a hot knife.

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I suspect that heating the knife would take longer than this process. I can do 6-8 of these in about two minutes.

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Originally Posted by pippin88

I thought I had achieved a good result by using some heat shrink to secure top ends but over time the heatshrink gets pulled off.

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My heatshrink kit arrived this arvo, and this was the first thing I tried. The heat gun melted the end of the rope very easily and without burning (but the test rope was a bit of a pussy compared to a quality rope). Works very well, but I can see what you mean about the shrink potentially coming off.

Next week I have a box of adhesive lined HS tubes arriving, and I think they will obviate this problem. I suspect that this will be the strongest, quickest and neatest solution of all.

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Originally Posted by China

If you want to keep things really simple just use a hot knife.

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I have an Aldi gas powered soldering iron kit that includes a hot knife tip; it only takes about 30 seconds to heat up and seals the rope end as it cuts. Only cost about $30 or so.

Hey Brett,

Remind me to show you how to back splice.

mick

Mick, I already know how to back splice, and eye splice (and do whippings, lashings etc). Been doing it on and off for 55 years, but that doesn't work so well on braided rope with a foam centre. :;

If you can backsplice any of the ropes pictured in the first post, I'll definitely buy you a beer!

Sorry mate! To me, nylon rope means three core strand like the old hemp and sisal ropes.

Can you now untie me please?

mick :)

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Originally Posted by Glider

Can you now untie me please?

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It'll cost you a beer.

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Originally Posted by Glider

Sorry mate! To me, nylon rope means three core strand like the old hemp and sisal ropes.

Can you now untie me please?

mick :)

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That is my understanding too.

Regards
Paul

Hmmm. :think: It's a tricky one, but I would have thought that nylon rope would be any rope made from any material at all, as long as it's restricted to ....nylon.

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Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Mick, I already know how to back splice, and eye splice (and do whippings, lashings etc). Been doing it on and off for 55 years, but that doesn't work so well on braided rope with a foam centre. :;

If you can backsplice any of the ropes pictured in the first post, I'll definitely buy you a beer!

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Hi,
Sorry, I did not look at the pictures very well, and just assumed it was like the Nylon rope I carry in my ute on which I have done a back splice on one end and an eye splice on the other. That is why I have liked every entry that mentioned splicing.
Regards

About 50 years ago when I was doing a lot of sailing any synthetic rope got branded as nylon by everyone and I still do that.

Most of my working life was the maritime industry and we usually had a hot knife. Wrap the part to be cut with electrical tape then cut through the tape wrapped rope. If you dont have a hot knife then wrap with tape then cut with a sharp knife then seal the end with a lighter.
Just a moment...
Regards
John