not exactly sure what your saying. one arm as in top and bottom or one side and the other? as it is, the bottom arm holds more load i believe. the way they interact and load share means they both have to engage to hold. as far as the index pins. the torque on them varies depending on position, but i dont think they see a large portion of the force put on the shaft as a whole. the lower assembly would see the highest torque simply due to the large diameter of the roller. i hope soon to break test one. it will be very educational to see what gives first.
Big rainstorm here today, so I chose not to climb. A few thoughts, though.
Totally agree, Cory. Only a best for each individual, and even if there is a "best," it's only a fleeting moment before someone comes along with a "better" one. It's been fun for me to see the rapid changes in gear and styles since 2007, when I started climbing. Back then the local shop sold screwgate biners. Not many people working SRT. In 2012 at the International TCC here in Portland, you couldn't use a rope wrench. Kinda crazy to me, since most of us know what a solid device it is. There are still tree companies here in Portland today that do not allow SRT. I can only scratch my head on that one.
I remember quietly watching Kevin show some climbers at the Charlotte TCC (2009, I think) the F8 concept. Some of the guys were pretty excited about it, and I got a kick out of watching the whole thing. That, of course, led to the wrench and then the rope runner. Now, there's the Akimbo, and I'm sensing the same excitement from people here who have only seen a picture on the internet. I see it as the next best thing, taking into consideration that Paul or Kevin, or somebody else, might be working on the next "better" thing.
What do I like about the Akimbo? First thing is the small size, then the looks. Bear in mind, this is only a prototype, hand cut in a shop, with whatever nuts, bolts and screws were available at the local ACE or McMaster-Carr. Those of you who build or modify stuff will appreciate how difficult it can be, for example, just to find a certain screw in a certain size and a certain material.
Next, I like that it is midline attachable. I really like that you can put it on rope while it's attached to your harness. Will I ever need to do that? I don't know, but I like the option. It's completely self-contained. No parts to drop or lose. No tools needed to adjust anything. With the earlier version I climbed on in May, I had to bring two wrenches with me. I REALLY like that it has a tending ring, that it is centered on the device, and that it's big enough to clip in with a regular sized carabiner. OK, I've rattled on enough. A few cons tomorrow or the next night.
standing on the shoulders of giants, as they say. i would never have attempted such a project if not for innovators like Kevin, Paul, and Gordon. i sincerely hope the Akimbo inspires yet more awesome gear, be it climbing, rigging, or utility.
standing on the shoulders of giants, as they say. i would never have attempted such a project if not for innovators like Kevin, Paul, and Gordon. i sincerely hope the Akimbo inspires yet more awesome gear, be it climbing, rigging, or utility.
thanks for the feedback Bob. i'm going to hold off sending those alternate parts we talked about. i think ive solved some of the issues another way. by the time Burnham gets back i may have to send a whole new unit.
the cons are what i need to hear. that is how improvements are made.
Wow Jaime, this is cool! I just got to reading this. To be honest I didn't see it until a couple of was ago and didn't see that it was in the gear section. I thought you were on about some ancient civilization. Not that doesn't interest me, just haven't had much time.
This looks to be a fantastic piece of equipment. Good luck! I'll buy one.
standing on the shoulders of giants, as they say. i would never have attempted such a project if not for innovators like Kevin, Paul, and Gordon. i sincerely hope the Akimbo inspires yet more awesome gear, be it climbing, rigging, or utility.
Biggest issue right now is creep. Finding a design to meet many sizes of rope and climbers' weight is a pretty good challenge. So far, couldn't get Valkyre to work at all. HTP 7/16 and Poison Ivy was pretty good. KM111 (what I use) is a little iffy. Just a shade too much creep. The balance between having a setting tight enough to grab the rope but loose enough to tend easily is the fine line. Of course, how is that any different than trying to matchup hitch cord and rope.
Jaime has a redesign on the lower section already, and is sending that up for testing. Meanwhile, last night some more climbers got to test out their ropes.
Porkbrick: Well done Sir. Very ingenious device. Generous to share for comments with your peers notwithstanding the considerable liability exposure.
I hope you'll receive some compensation for your efforts. Have received three utility patents for various devices and the wait time (2 yrs.) minimum, and attorney fees are off the charts now. You may need to seek a partner in the industry with an iron clad business agreement/contract to help you achieve the recognition and reward you deserve. You are welcome to PM me. I'll share my experience with the process. Its very slow and frustrating & virtually impossible w/o a patent attorney. You exemplify American ingenuity!
The name steered me away also. I really like the look of the tool and how it works....but I just didn't make the connection to climbing, Jamie. Assumed it was some kind of joke thread. Sorry, just being honest.
no offense. i meant it to be a bit vague. i didnt want to jump out and shout "look at this super awesome thing i did!", that's not me. i like to stumble across stuff every now and then myself.
What a beautiful baby! Congratulations! (I'm working my way through this whole thread, currently, so apologies if my comments seem out of context or sequence.)
What a beautiful baby! Congratulations! (I'm working my way through this whole thread, currently, so apologies if my comments seem out of context or sequence.)
thank you, he is currently working on wearing his mother out!
working on incorporating some of bobs feedback into the design.
today was our first real rain, and i got to try it on wet rope in a pine. worked very well, moved and released well. a tad jerky on descent but not bad
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. Been playing a bit with the akimbo. It's pretty sweet, I do have to say.
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. worked very well, moved and released well. a tad jerky on descent but not bad
