What the.....

[zoidberg]

...on earth am I going to use this for?

I purchased some 'el cheapo' Low Fliction Lings online - and this is what turned up today.

In the famous film's words, am I going to 'Need A Bigger Boat'...?

 

[B27]

When you say 'cheap'..... How much?

 

[johnalison]

Yeah. Bigger boat. About 120’ should do.

 

[pmagowan]

Use it as a donut mould.

 

[Neeves]

Its for 4x4 recovery with a large soft shackle and snatch rope and tape. I have 2 and am still searching for a use. I did not buy mine by mistake - I genuinely thought I could find a marine use, compared to our LFRs the big ones are cheap, but I have failed miserably.

They seem to be common place for 4x4s and I suspect military applications. The rings are sold as separate items or more commonly part of a recovery kit.

Jonathan

 

[zoidberg]

When you say 'cheap'..... How much?

Just over £5 per item. A few pence difference according to colour. Rated 'nominally' at 41000lbs.

I bought 4 in a spasm of 'retail therapy'. I still have no idea what I'm going to use them for - and your sotto voce response to that is probably quite valid!

Perhaps I'll give them away as birthday/christmas presents - then it'll be someone else's problem!

 

[Neeves]

Just over £5 per item. A few pence difference according to colour. Rated 'nominally' at 41000lbs.

I bought 4 in a spasm of 'retail therapy'. I still have no idea what I'm going to use them for - and your sotto voce response to that is probably quite valid!

Perhaps I'll give them away as birthday/christmas presents - then it'll be someone else's problem!

If you had a large yacht, I'm guessing 40' or bigger, they might actually be suitable for running backstays. They similarly might fit for the same yachts, or a 45' multihull, as part of a mainsheet cascade, with a fine tune in smaller LFRs. Oddly, LFRs seem to come in small sizes - and there are these monsters with no LFRs in between.

I thought, once I'd seen them, that buying 2 was sticking my neck out, 4 and the reason must be questioned (unless you have a big yacht).

They would be interesting to test to destruction. I think they, and most LFRs, are made from the 7075 alloy (all anodised). I played around with the alloy and made a boomerang - I tested the boomerang - the alloy has little yield so does not deform - suddenly it fails with a sound like a rifle, next to your ear. And the break surface is like glass.

Jonathan

 

[zoidberg]

I'm wondering if arboreal workers might find a use. I could perhaps swop for some logs....

 

[Neeves]

Don't give up - stretch your imagination.

This is my bridle plate, a snubber for a Multihull. It offers improved snubbing, improves scope and offers a short snubber forward of the bow (and the same ideas can be used for a monohull).

One of the key facets are the 2 stainless steel LFRs. I have been conjuring how to make the 2 LFRs moveable, like a gyroscope? (sort of infinitely rotatable) without acceptable success.




This is the same concept but using two of the monster Low Friction Rings.

I've simply repurposed an early iteration of the bridle plate, used two dyneema slings and the 2 large LFRs. The bridle is the 2 pretty ropes. This gives me the rotate ability I desire - but its gloriously fussy.


Think outside the box.

Jonathan

 

[Sandro]

My curiosity. In the last picture why did you not fit the LFRs the other way round, I mean with the two "pretty ropes" threaded in the central hole and the dynema slings (longer of course) in the outside groove?

Bending radius of the "pretty ropes" should not be a problem, given the previous picture, and I figure friction would be less.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

If you had a large yacht, I'm guessing 40' or bigger, they might actually be suitable for running backstays. They similarly might fit for the same yachts, or a 45' multihull, as part of a mainsheet cascade, with a fine tune in smaller LFRs. Oddly, LFRs seem to come in small sizes - and there are these monsters with no LFRs in between.

I thought, once I'd seen them, that buying 2 was sticking my neck out, 4 and the reason must be questioned (unless you have a big yacht).

They would be interesting to test to destruction. I think they, and most LFRs, are made from the 7075 alloy (all anodised). I played around with the alloy and made a boomerang - I tested the boomerang - the alloy has little yield so does not deform - suddenly it fails with a sound like a rifle, next to your ear. And the break surface is like glass.

Jonathan

Low friction rings aren’t really suitable for sheets, they may be low, but LFRs on a mainsheet won’t cut it. I use them on our barber haulers, and as guides for my kite tack line, but as you say, you could make a lovely mooring bridle.

 

[Pye_End]

...on earth am I going to use this for?

I purchased some 'el cheapo' Low Fliction Lings online - and this is what turned up today.

In the famous film's words, am I going to 'Need A Bigger Boat'...?

What size are they, and where did you get them from?

 

[zoidberg]

What size are they, and where did you get them from?

I found them via AliExpress. Here's one page that might be of interest:
RowFlictionLings

There's a lot more here, via a Google search:
SnatchLings

....but you could do that yourself, couldn't you...!

 

[Pye_End]

I found them via AliExpress. Here's one page that might be of interest:
RowFlictionLings

There's a lot more here, via a Google search:
SnatchLings

....but you could do that yourself, couldn't you...!

Thanks. I was looking for something to take a mooring line so I could use it for single handed locking - however I was struggling to find anything that big. AliExpress seems to be awash with them, so no idea why I didn't spot them.

 

[Neeves]

Thanks. I was looking for something to take a mooring line so I could use it for single handed locking - however I was struggling to find anything that big. AliExpress seems to be awash with them, so no idea why I didn't spot them.

I think you will also find them on Temu - who might ship from stock in the UK.

If you were looking for ideas I made up these as a bridle, but it was a bit big, clumsy and ugly.

The white insert was simply made to fit using a 3D printer but it possibly unnecessary (to ensure the rope is retained) as the 'double' cow hitch achieves the same end. When I had the white thing made I was thinking blocks retain ropes and I was 'sort of' thinking of blocks, and cascades.



Jonathan

 

[noelex]

One of those large low friction rings would be ideal for a bridle plate using a Bullseye soft shackle (pictured below). The soft shackle would be attached to the chain and the two legs of the bridle (drawn in blue) would be fed through the low friction ring. With a large low friction ring such as the one pictured in post #1 there is plenty of room for the two bridle lines.

It would be a lightweight, elegant and cheap solution that could be made by anyone.

 

[thinwater]

One of those large low friction rings would be ideal for a bridle plate using a Bullseye soft shackle (pictured below). The soft shackle would be attached to the chain and the two legs of the bridle (drawn in blue) would be fed through the low friction ring. With a large low friction ring such as the one pictured in post #1 there is plenty of room for the two bridle lines.

It would be a lightweight, elegant and cheap solution that could be made by anyone.
View attachment 181305

That is a clever idea. I'm not sure I would use the fancy weaving, in favor of something easier to replace when chafed by the chain. Maybe just an over thickness sling with a chafe sleeve on the LFR. Then seize (just to prevent dropping) a disposable soft shackle to the sling.

And still, the LFR is huge for the OP's boat! But it would work.

I have a few that big that I use for tree work.

 

[noelex]

That is a clever idea.

Thanks.

Dyneema, soft shackles and LFRs are relatively new technology (in boating terms). I think we are still learning how to use these products to the best advantage. A soft shackle and LFR bridal plate is just one application with advantages over the metal alternative.

The relatively recent reduction in price of Dyneema (or other HMWPE) and LFRs opens up possibilities that were previously unrealistic. We can often replace bulky, heavy and expensive hardware composed of stainless steel and aluminium with superior lightweight and inexpensive alternatives.

 

[Neeves]

Thanks.

Dyneema, soft shackles and LFRs are relatively new technology (in boating terms). I think we are still learning how to use these products to the best advantage. A soft shackle and LFR bridal plate is just one application with advantages over the metal alternative.

The relatively recent reduction in price of Dyneema (or other HMWPE) and LFRs opens up possibilities that were previously unrealistic. We can often replace bulky, heavy and expensive hardware composed of stainless steel and aluminium with superior lightweight and inexpensive alternatives.

LFRs are still metal, most are made from 7075 alloy of aluminium and you can make a bridle plate from the same metal, I've done it - and had them anodised. Ideally you would make a bridle plate without the thread 2 part rings and simply bull nose the holes. This is something similar, made for the arborist industry. It would carry the bridle ropes in the 2 lower holes and a soft shackle or a soft shackle and hook in the upper hole. I prefer metal to metal for attaching to the chain - but if you are happy for a soft shackle - no issues.





The problem with both bridle plates, LFRs and this device is that none of them will come over the bow roller - if they are 'retaining' 2 x snubbers and a device to secure the chain, whether its a slot or a soft shackle - then most bow rollers are too narrow, they are built for (average yacht) a 15mm shank and certainly not a 4x4 recovery LFR, which are about 150mm diameter.

This 3 holed plate is but one of a design more complex than an LFR and the climbing market has a whole host of imaginative devices as belay plates, made from 7075 with various bull nosed holes.

Think outside the box.

Jonathan

 

[noelex]

View attachment 181375

There is no need for a triple thimble when a simple large £5 super strong (41000lbs) low friction ring, already anodised, can work better. Two lines plus an attachment to the chain can work perfectly on a single large thimble as has been shown in post #16.

The much less expensive £5 large LFR in my view is superior. It will have lower friction and therefore lower wear than the smaller holes and tighter radius in the more expensive and harder to obtain three hole device. Win win.

The pictured triple small low friction ring in Jonathan’s post is around £120 .

The problem needs a little bit of thinking outside the box .