O.C.G.D. Thread, part two

[CurSedVoyce]

Ahhhh ... I will be shopping for one like I said.. once the shop is built... Basically a pole barn off the drive.. I need to get on that this fall BIG time.

 

[rumination]

I got a couple of the new Rock Exotica carabiners in the mail today. They're quite nice. They have a pull down unlock action on the gate, similar to the Omega Jake. The Jake's sleeve is a little fatter and so easier to get a grip on, but after a minute messing with these I was opening them one handed with no problem. Side swing gate makes for a generous opening, bigger then most other similar carabiners. Burnham, I think this is a definite upgrade from the Jake. The locking sleeve construction quality definitely seems better.

Another unrelated bonus: the shipping cost was significantly cheaper than what the Sherrill person had told me over the phone. I won't complain about that.

 

[SkwerI]

Looks about the size of the Petzl Am`D. I've been using the Triacts since they came out.

 

[rumination]

The Tri-act is a quality biner Brian. It's the only one of the Petzl biners I like, although I haven't tried the new "OK" yet. The construction on these Rock Exotica biners does feel a bit better than the Tri-acts I have though. The gate on my last Tri-act froze up after less than a year of use, which I found disappointing.

 

[SkwerI]

I spliced up a bunch of rigging slings with the rope I got from the ebay rope guy last week. I didn't have any whipping twine and the zing-it throwline is just a little bit too fat for whipping, so I pulled up Wesspur's website to see about ordering some. I found the twine and also ordered a thimble for the new rope I got for my bucket truck material handler. Then I figured I needed some new rigging carabiners since some of mine have been overloaded a few times so I bought 6 of those. And to round out the order I picked up a half dozen polesaw blades and a new handsaw scabbard for the bucket.

Somehow I ended up spending almost $250 for whipping twine. :roll:

 

[CurSedVoyce]

It must be the WesSpur zone

 

[Frans]

Rock Thompson (rock exotica) makes some good stuff.

 

[lumberjack]

Got me some tunes for the road tomorrow, I like really dig the rhinestones!

 

[SkwerI]

It's so you, Carl.

 

[stehansen]

It will go perfect with his pink outfit!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Carl... Did you check out the purse forum to see if you can find a matching ensemble.. ??

 

[brendonv]

He already had the matching one, brought it with him last time he was up.

 

[stehansen]

What a slut.

 

[Burnham]

I got a couple of the new Rock Exotica carabiners in the mail today. They're quite nice. They have a pull down unlock action on the gate, similar to the Omega Jake. The Jake's sleeve is a little fatter and so easier to get a grip on, but after a minute messing with these I was opening them one handed with no problem. Side swing gate makes for a generous opening, bigger then most other similar carabiners. Burnham, I think this is a definite upgrade from the Jake. The locking sleeve construction quality definitely seems better.

Another unrelated bonus: the shipping cost was significantly cheaper than what the Sherrill person had told me over the phone. I won't complain about that.

Thanks, Leon. I'll be ordering a few to try.

Pete McTree was finding all manner of "fail inspection" issues with lots of folk's biners, both at the WCGTG and the FS climbing instructor workshop last month. In some cases brand new biners had sufficient manufactureing tolerance problems to allow uncertain locking action. Omega Pacific and Petzl both had some in this category.

 

[rumination]

Burnham, that has been the biggest flaw of the Omega biners in my opinion. Their gate locking mechanism, although so easy to open, does not reliably close automatically. I use my Jake as an example of how to do biner inspections when I'm working with new climbers in Hong Kong. I agree that some of the Petzl biners have a similar issue, but not to the same degree.

These Rock Exoticas don't appear that they will have that problem, but only time will tell. Let me know what you think when you get your hands on one.

 

[lumberjack]

Here's a friend modeling my getup:

 

[rumination]

Carl has Obsessive Compulsive Glitz Disorder.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I hope is one of the accessories

 

[brendonv]

hahaha.

My Petzl's have problems closing on their own, they are fine at first but generally start to suck after a while. They are stored in dry boxes and used limitedly. I'm sure a squirt of dry graphite would help, just yet to locate it.

 

[rumination]

I just picked up some graphite from the hardware store the other day. Time to go squirt all my old biners.

Is graphite OK for pulleys and blocks, or is that a no no?

 

[lumberjack]

Don't see how it'd hurt the pulleys/blocks, but most blocks I have are permanently lubed.

 

[Strikermike]

I think I would try a dry type High quality bicycle chain lube. Graphite has the tendency to get everywhere and stain it all black.

 

[Burnham]

Pete McTree recommends placing your sticky biners in a pot of water and heating up to hot, but not boiling. Stir them about some. The junk in the mechanism sort of disolves and rinses out. Then remove them and blow out the hinge and gate with compressed air. He likes to lube with something like WD-40...not my first choice as it collects dust, etc., but regular cleaning fixes that, per Pete.

Of course, this treatment would not be so effective on pitch accumulation.

 

[Stumper]

FWIW, Elmer's has a product called Slide-All that consists of finely powdered Teflon in a fast evaporating/penetrant carrier. Near perfect 'biner lube.
And ,Yes I know that a slowly closed Jake hangs up without locking and fails with some gear inspectors. I don't care- I snap 'em closed, verify and climb.

 

[rumination]

I do the same Justin. After climbing with screw locks when I first started it's kind of second nature to check the biner anyways to make sure it's closed.

I'll check out that lube, it sounds like a good one.