What's the best way to cut braided ropes ?

[Boo2]

Hi,

I cut the end off a braided polyester rope yesterday using a kitchen knife and it made a bit of a mess of it. Sealing with a lighter didn't work too well either so can anyone tell me what is the best way to cut a braided polyester ropw of 10-12 mm dia ? (I am going to whip the ends and already know how to do that btw.)

Thanks,

Boo2

 

[Delfin]

A heat knife is what I use. Whip it first, then cut it.

 

[William_H]

I use a gas flame to melt the point of cut then twist the 2 parts so that it parts at the melt. olewill

 

[VicS]

I find the best thing for heat sealing is a hot air gun.

Mine has two settings. The low setting is adequate for polypropylene but the high setting is needed for Nylon and polyester.
It does not burn like a flame can.

 

[PilotWolf]

Tightly bind with electrical tape at the point of the cut. Cut with sharp knife through the tape. Heat seal ends. Remove the tape.

W.

 

[nigelmercier]

A heat knife is what I use...

I have one of these for cutting
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00687TKJQ/dolcetto-21

I find the best thing for heat sealing is a hot air gun. Mine has two settings...

Then a heat gun for sealing and applying heat shrink.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001EX6PYW/dolcetto-21

 

[onesea]

Tightly bind with electrical tape at the point of the cut. Cut with sharp knife through the tape. Heat seal ends. Remove the tape.

W.

+1 I normally leave the tape on and forget the whipping seems to last well enough..

 

[Aeolus]

Tightly bind with electrical tape at the point of the cut. Cut with sharp knife through the tape. Heat seal ends. Remove the tape.

W.

+1

 

[Dipper]

Tightly bind with electrical tape then cut through with a Junior hacksaw blade heated to red hot over the hob (held in pliers or mole grips). Use the smooth back of the blade not the serrated edge.

 

[JSYmartini]

Well worth investing in a hot knife, I use mine all the time and always does a perfect job

 

[nigelmercier]

I normally leave the [electrical] tape on and forget the whipping seems to last well enough..

And I thought I was going to be branded a Philistine for using heat shrink

 

[lw395]

For cutting, if a hot knife is not to hand, I find a Stanley knife used on a chopping board is quite good.
For smaller ropes, or tapering cores when splicing, good scissors are often best.

 

[Bilgediver]

And I thought I was going to be branded a Philistine for using heat shrink

Perfectly sensible!

 

[greenalien]

Ordinary gas lighters are great for burning your fingers, but useless for sealing rope ends - one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gas-Cooker-BBQ-Camping-Lighter-Refillable-Safety-Flame-Lock-Barbeque-Oven-Candle-/261237061014 is much better, does the job in seconds - also better for lighting candles, hurricane lamps, toasting marshmallows ...

 

[Keen_Ed]

Ceramic knife. Also, they're the only thing that will work on dyneema.

 

[ditchcrawler]

I am in the bind with tape camp but I find self amalgamating tape better.I also tend to leave it on the end as a whipping.

 

[Woodlouse]

A properly sharpened knife makes all the difference when cutting ropes. If you use one that's a bit blunt it'll make a terrible mess, razor sharp will go through a rope like it was butter and not disturb the strands at the cut.

I generally use electrical tape though, tape about a inch along the length of the rope and cut in the middle of it.

If I do a proper whipping then I don't heat seal the end of the rope. It makes for one less uncomfortable thing to step on whilst wandering around on deck.

 

[explores]

I bought a soldering gun from Lidl and found a hot knife attachment comes with it.

 

[Malabar]

I bought a soldering gun from Lidl and found a hot knife attachment comes with it.

+1

£12 or so and does the same job as a riggers hot knife at around £90

 

[JumbleDuck]

Best way to cut braided ropes? Well, if they're someone else's unfrapped halliards, I'd recommend a felling axe, swung from the shoulder.