Homemade port a wrap

I did one myself too when I began to climb.
To protect it from the rust, I used a so called "galvanizing paint" in spray can. Nothing to do with real galvanization, it's only a paint heavily loaded with zinc dust.
As I expected, the paint wore out real fast along the rope's path and on the contact points with the shackle. Too bad, but it seems that the rope's friction drags some zinc particles on the steel and that keeps protecting it, even if most of the paint is gone a long time ago. My porty never sleeps outside, but it sustains the rain better than my steel carabiners and delta link on my saddle.
 
Judging by what I see at a welders place close by, fabricators working in stainless have all kinds of bits and pieces of scraps that are left over from jobs. Especially pipes, ideal for making port a wraps and whatever.
 
Yes, that surely would, but I didn't take this way because my very few attempts at inox welding weren't a great success. I didn't want to jeopardize this critical gear, so I stayed with what I can do reasonably well. Or actually not too badly, from a pro welder's point of view.
 
Is the bar that wraps around solid rod or tubing?
How do you guys make those perfect bends and curves?
I'd like to take a crack at making one of these.
Anybody have a parts list with dimensions?
 
It's solid rod, heat formed around an old steel fitting from my junk pile. Actually on mine, the bent diameter is less than the bollard. I made two grooves on the sides of the bollard to fit it. I made the bar in two parts. The big lower part for anchoring and holding the bollard, the smaller part on top as the fairlead. Both were welded together (after inserting the bollard) at the deflection (a not critical area).
I choose to do that to weld in a more open angle between the bar and the bollard. I knew I can't make a good weld (or any weld at all) in the very tight angle of the tangent points and I wanted absolutely to avoid a pinch point for the rope at this place.

That went well. 8)

As you see, I like the KISS principle:D
 
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  • #37
My plans came from looking at pictures on the net, so it might not be perfect.

2" sch40 steel pipe, 8" long

1/2" round bar approximately 35" total. 24" for the loop, 6 3/4" for the T and 4 1/4" for the stud.

I drilled the pipe for the round bar stud and T and welded them on the inside of the pipe.
 
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