oh, cr*p.... did you just inadvertently resurrect the "Drill" thread? Nooooooooo!!!!

Nah, I was trying to tell Todd that I still love him even though I unfriended him.

ditto... Me To! A rare point of agreement! grin!

All ya gotta do is take me out of your newsfeed, bonehead. A tech savvy guy like yourself is bound to know that. You must be sniffing to much t shirt ink and vinyl fumes. Schneider doesn't have that excuse.

I went the extra mile when you reposted ridiculous stuff we'd already agreed was false and hurtful. Are you noticing a trend? Reckon we all have poor character and swelled heads? There's a difference between busting your buddy's balls and stoking the coals of discord.

Todd.... Perhaps I am just old school. I don't do well with the Push technology that facebook provides... It demands that I opt out out of particular news feeds to have any fun factor with FB.. I did not find the entertainment value high enough to go to the trouble and manage you. So, whether it's your political rants or somebodies drivel about cupcakes and babies, or all of the marketing BS that comes through... it is a PIA to manage.

Obviously, people could manage what they post on their own.... That old social rule... No politics or religion at dinner would work for me in this context..

So, at the dinner table, you can't just get up and leave when the politics and religion piss you off... I would much rather pull the information that I want to read when I want it. I can go argue politics on political sites when I want.... and leave when I want.

Mark, You did the right thing. you don't like what I have to say , go away as far as Facebook goes.
Dubs, Extra mile, Please.Yep, I see a trend . The socialist sailors that I know don't want to hear my opinion, 'cause it chuffs 'em. As far as your concerned you won't recognize any truth that doesn't agree with your progressive view, which you constantly deny having ( "I'm not a liberal"). If you can't even stand for what you believe in and wear that badge ( rather I agree with it or not), I've got no use for you, so good riddance, twice. I've had the same view for decades, if you never bothered to find out, and it took Facebook to clue you in, well I guess you never knew me.
This is not the place for this . I was called out I answered. I'm done typing about it. Keep harping,troll away, as I know you will, but don't expect a response....Unless you're Ding.

Hey, Jeremy, look! See? I'm a socialist.

(inside joke for someone who knows better)

Oh man, here we go....the only reason I get chuffed at your opinion is because it is totally inflexible, un-researched, and you won't quit trying to ram it down everybody's throat. For instance; if you were to study the true meaning and history of socialism you would understand that not only are we not experiencing it but also that to be liberal is not to be socialist. I'm sorry we destroyed this thread...I won't bother with this topic anymore.

mmmmmm

interesting......


can some-one link me up with this.... drill thread

One more thread I will never go back to.

Holy cr*p! Are you telling me there is false and hurtful stuff on FB and/or the inner-net?

Dang, there goes my seawater engine I just bought from that nice russian dude...

I should probably go back and read that myself... They're re-opening some wells here in my region (they've been pumping for over 50 years with nary a blip on the public opinion screen) and it's got people out flipping over cars and rioting in the streets.

Where is that tin-foil hat I wear? Did I loan it to Timbo?

Way to turn a useful thread into a bunch of $#it guys.

Did you get plonked or quoned?

In a (perhaps vain) attempt to resurrect the thread, I think I found a good role.

Want to convert my trap setup to adjustable, and thinking these might be just the ticket instead of using the double block. Too much friction? is MWL of 380# enough?

Jeff,

Maybe you've been following my thread on that other beachcat site. I had the same idea, and ordered the parts. The official Nacra and C2 double blocks used in the adjustable setup are ~$55 EACH. The ronstan double block is a ~$25 part. There is a knock off of the Ronstan/Harken part but I don't trust knock off's in a safety critical application, when the name brand guys see failure.

So I went with the shock blocks at $16 a pair from a local supplier (sorry Rick I might return these don't want to double pay shipping). My intention is to splice them together to form a double block using dyneema. To be fair to Ronstan I don't think this is the intended purpose but others have done it with Antal rings. My concerns are the following:

1) MWL; in a 2:1 setup I'm 185lbs wet so you're looking at 370#'s of load on the block. Other have pointed out you may see 2-3g's of acceleration occasionally so you may apply up to 3x that number, 1110 lbs. That exceeds the breaking load of the shock block. However, it's an aluminum block so it won't just snap. It'll likely deform and since you are only applying high loads for temporary periods of time. Finally, one must remember Ronstan designed these for similar applications/load cases on kite boards.

2) Friction. I went with 3/16" (5mm) diameter line which is commonly used in adjustable trap setups. Somewhere I saw (Murrays?) the shock block ideal line diameter tops out at 1/8". Now that I've seen that I'm going to go down to 4mm (another reason to shop locally) line, which actually increases my line cost. Previously I spec'd Excel Pro which has a 1511$# tensile strength in 3/16" diameter, but a mere 695# tensile strength in the 5/32" diameter (4mm). Hence I'll switch to a dyneema cored line, FSE Dinghy Control Line which is a nice running line and has decent price/performance ratio. In 4mm this has a tensile strength of 1574#'s. I want the blocks to explode before the line does.

I'll post photos and reviews of the system when I'm done. I'm doing this right but trying to save money where it makes sense. Also want a reliable system for ocean racing so if the shock blocks don't work they'll get returned.

Friend of mine had the new Ronstan sheaveless on his kite, I was surprised to see how tiny they are, not sure if I would feel comfortable putting any serious load on them.
Since they are probably made in a mould there is a sharp edge right in the middle of the block, noticed some line chafing there already after just a few hours of use.

I have been using these cheap (RKO i think) blocks on my adjustable trap set up for years...

I had to replace one set after a few years because they can get side loaded up and deform. I now tape or whip them together so that can't happen

Adjustable traps seem to be too much to screw with to me. I just use the standard dog bone. If I want to trap low, I use the low hole. I want to be higher, I use the high hole.

Plus, the more parts you introduce to a system, doesn't matter what it is, the more parts there is to fail. You could probably do away with the block too. Just use a sailmaker's thimble there. Other parts of that part of the trapeze will probably wear out before the wear from the thimble becomes an issue.

This is all I use, clean and simple:


I don't shackle the block on any longer, I just use a Harken 504 (I think that's the number) and put it through the thimble when I make my trap lines.

I used to always make them from the top down. I'd make the splice that attaches to the mast first, then set my handles and do the eye at the bottom. Where the handle meets the thimble it creates a wear spot and I think the solution to that is to just tie a stopper knot, (probably just an overhand knot would be sufficient), in the dyneema for the handle to stop against and have the thimble with the block an inch or two below that knot. Should be wicked durable that way.