I usually choke a 3ft+ sash cord on the cable pick and tie a shoelace know around beam or anchor point.
do you guys have a preferred knot to tie cable pick?
do you guys have a preferred knot to tie cable pick?
knot for cable pick
- Thread starterDagger
- Start date
theatricalmatt
Well-Known Member
I'm used to doing cable picks with a clove hitch at the end of line going up to the pin rail (well -- up to a sheave in the grid and down to the pin rail).
What you're describing sounds more like a strain relief off of truss, but to each their own.
What you're describing sounds more like a strain relief off of truss, but to each their own.
For a static cable pick(dropped from grid, truss, or pipe), I'll use a Prusik around the cable, with the other end of the loop clipped off to something(Eye bolt, eye on an aircraft cable) with a rated carabiner(or shackle). Alternatively, tie the prusik on the cable and use a clove hitch to tie the loose ends of the cords to an anchor point(If there's no rigging point suitable for clipping/shackle). On a truss with a nylon spanset(or if my rope/cord/loop is too short), I use a Prusik with only 2 turns instead of 3 - the extra wrap beyond a single choke helps prevent the cable from slipping through.
For the moving cable pick, like Matt said, clove hitch on the cable up to a sheave in the grid, back down to a pin rail of some type.
For the moving cable pick, like Matt said, clove hitch on the cable up to a sheave in the grid, back down to a pin rail of some type.
Crisp image
Well-Known Member
an interesting observation is you state a "rated carabiner or shackle" which begs me to ask the question is your prussik rated? I mean really rated in working load limit? did you tie your own prussik loop or is it a stitched loop. Then the carabiner is usually rated in MBS (mean breaking strain) so no the same as the rating on a shackle which most likely has a 4 or 5 times safety factor for lifting. Is everything in your system rated the same way (MBS or WLL). Of course the final factor will be is it safe? Of course it is. It will carry/hold the load. A 10mm natural fibre or synthetic rope has a Wll of 100kg but will most likely have a MBS of 400 to 500kg.
I a m sure you will agree it is food for thought.
Have a great (and safe) day
Geoff
"Rated carabiner" simply to differentiate from the cheap ones that I wouldn't even trust to hold a poster.(the ones that hold my keys to my belt) Generally I would use a climbing 'biner with a locking gate.
Anything that takes significant weight, or has the potential for damage/injury, is generally done with nylon spansets and shackles, which are rated(is it usually overkill? Yes, but then it's not my judgement as to whether it's safe or not)
Richard Green
Member
The correct knot is generally whatever one you can tie one handed in your sleep. But since a cable pick can vary from a single Cat 6 cable dropped 12 feet to enough soca and feeder to snap a piece of 12" box truss (yes this happened on a TV show a year or two back) there's obviously no one answer. But personally for most "regular" picks I like 1"nylon slings and a biner or shackle. Super quick to choke or prussik and wide enough to be kind to the data cable. YMMV.
-richard
-richard
