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I've always been amazed at how men can work on all sorts of mechanical widgets with aplomb yet are completely baffled on how to wind a bobbin.
Old School, Lost Arts
- Thread starter freepowder
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Denim takes a fairly heavy needle, as does canvas and the vinyl used for bikini tops and winch covers.
When sewing heavy fabric it's kind of a fine line, the feed foot can't always move heavy fabric fast enough, you have to watch the stitch length and move the fabric to keep the stitch consistent. It's like watching the puddle when you weld.
If you have a wife that sews listen to her.
There are plenty of men that can't replace the wire in a wire feed welder, and women that can. And plenty of women that cant thread a sewing machine and men that can. It's all about what captures the imagination of an individual.
That was deep. Also very true.
Along those lines, I prescribe to Heinlein's
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
— Robert Heinlein
I apply the philosophy to my truck, my guns, etc. They should be able to do more than the simple function for which they were created.
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
— Robert Heinlein
I apply the philosophy to my truck, my guns, etc. They should be able to do more than the simple function for which they were created.
The butterfly is a great know, and one we use a lot on the search & rescue team. It's our go-to whenever a knot is needed mid-rope. It's secure yet still prety easy to untie after having been loaded. The other knots we use:
Bowline (needs to be finished/backed up if used for life support)
Bowline on a bight
Figure 8
Figure 8 bend (joining 2 ropes)
Figure 8 on a bight (harness tie ins and such)
Fisherman's knot (double for joining two ropes, triple for small still cordage like Kevlar/Spectra)
Clove hitch (looping the rope rope throught something. Usually not the final tie-off)
Prusik knot (rope grabs/ascending knot)
Munter hitch (belaying, lowering and rapelling with a simple carabiner)
Arclight
Bowline (needs to be finished/backed up if used for life support)
Bowline on a bight
Figure 8
Figure 8 bend (joining 2 ropes)
Figure 8 on a bight (harness tie ins and such)
Fisherman's knot (double for joining two ropes, triple for small still cordage like Kevlar/Spectra)
Clove hitch (looping the rope rope throught something. Usually not the final tie-off)
Prusik knot (rope grabs/ascending knot)
Munter hitch (belaying, lowering and rapelling with a simple carabiner)
Arclight
This is a nifty knot if you need a loop in the middle of a line, much prettier than a bowline on a bight. AKA middleman's knot from the middle man in a climbing rope.
If you are like me, you know how to tie a few knots, but can't recall those you seldom use..
This is where new school can enhance old school...
The iPhone app "Grog Knots" is a free app tha provides animated knot tying instructions.
... And the knots are categorized.
It works offline - no connectivity needed.
I've used it while wading a river. Move over to a comfortable place to sit and bring up 'nail knot' to tie a new leader to my fly line.
Of course there are now easier ways to perform that particular task. But, it's a good example nonetheless.
Just go to the AppsStore and search "Grog Knots".
I don't know if there's an Android version, but... Probably...
This is where new school can enhance old school...
The iPhone app "Grog Knots" is a free app tha provides animated knot tying instructions.
... And the knots are categorized.
It works offline - no connectivity needed.
I've used it while wading a river. Move over to a comfortable place to sit and bring up 'nail knot' to tie a new leader to my fly line.
Of course there are now easier ways to perform that particular task. But, it's a good example nonetheless.
Just go to the AppsStore and search "Grog Knots".
I don't know if there's an Android version, but... Probably...
Several years back a friend of mine went on a hike across country. He was kinda down and out, and lived on/off the road from Georgia to LA, to Washington State, to Ohio and back home. He lived under bridges with hobos, he lived in the woods, he lived with biker gangs, etc.
After he was back home and on his feet again, we went camping. He was always a cold natured guy and would freeze starting around 40 degrees. This particular camping trip had us in the woods at around 25 degree. The next morning I got up first, and walked by his tent only to find the door mostly open looked in and he was sleeping on top of his sleeping bag-very unnatural for him. So he tells me he learned a trick from some of the bridge people, of putting a candle in a coffee can weighted with rocks. The candle would keep the whole tent warm
So later on I tried it myself and it kept the tent very warm. Only issue is making sure you don't kick it over, but it's easy enough to secure it.
After he was back home and on his feet again, we went camping. He was always a cold natured guy and would freeze starting around 40 degrees. This particular camping trip had us in the woods at around 25 degree. The next morning I got up first, and walked by his tent only to find the door mostly open looked in and he was sleeping on top of his sleeping bag-very unnatural for him. So he tells me he learned a trick from some of the bridge people, of putting a candle in a coffee can weighted with rocks. The candle would keep the whole tent warm
So later on I tried it myself and it kept the tent very warm. Only issue is making sure you don't kick it over, but it's easy enough to secure it.
not free anymore...$5
That's actually a pretty neat idea but wonder how large of a tent it would warm.. Current tent is my parents old canvas 9x16 tent (freaking behemoth) and I doubt a candle would warm it much? Looking at getting a Mr. Buddy heater for those nights early and late season that we camp and get cold. More for the dogs than us.
While a candle in a can could keep a tent warm and balmy, the key point, in @kletzenklueffer's story, is that his friend was sleeping with the door 'mostly open'.
Even a candle will put off enough carbon monoxide (CO) to kill or, at least, cause permanent brain damage, in an small, enclosed space.
I have a Mr Buddy that I use in a 17' Casita travel trailer (no furnace) when outside temps are below 32*... It works very well, as long as I ensure I have good cross ventilation (CO is very dangerous and is a silent killer).
The Mr Buddy also raises the humidity in my trailer and causes water to run down the windows.
Tents, that I have owned, come with warnings to not to burn 'open flames' for a reason... They could burn...
I never use a flame in a tent... I use a good sleeping bag, extra blankets, as necessary, and beds and sufficient blankets for my dogs.
We use the same when sleeping in my 40.
Whether you elect to burn an open flame in a tent is a personal choice... I'm not telling anyone not to do it.. I'm just saying, Please, just be careful.
Even a candle will put off enough carbon monoxide (CO) to kill or, at least, cause permanent brain damage, in an small, enclosed space.
I have a Mr Buddy that I use in a 17' Casita travel trailer (no furnace) when outside temps are below 32*... It works very well, as long as I ensure I have good cross ventilation (CO is very dangerous and is a silent killer).
The Mr Buddy also raises the humidity in my trailer and causes water to run down the windows.
Tents, that I have owned, come with warnings to not to burn 'open flames' for a reason... They could burn...
I never use a flame in a tent... I use a good sleeping bag, extra blankets, as necessary, and beds and sufficient blankets for my dogs.
We use the same when sleeping in my 40.
Whether you elect to burn an open flame in a tent is a personal choice... I'm not telling anyone not to do it.. I'm just saying, Please, just be careful.
I always thought Ninjas were the silent killer ?
@arclight I found your post on different knots interesting. Its always curious to me to see what others will call them, or differences in use. For instance you mention the fishermans knot and then the prusik knot. Here in the Midwest its either a fishermans or double fishermans if your making a prusik. For tying two ropes together we will use the 8 bend ( sometimes called square knot ) or the sheep shank bend ( if its two equal length diameter ropes ). We no longer use overhand safetys on the family of 8's and I have never heard of using a safety on the bowline. Actually I was somewhat interested in that as the bowline is a self constricting knot and I have never once seen or heard of one pulling through. Have you guys had trouble with this ?
@half k cruiser I always thought Ninjas were the silent killer ?
Nope... CO... That's why you never see ninjas nowadays...
Nope... CO... That's why you never see ninjas nowadays...
Good point on CO. The tent he was in was probably a 4 man size nylon taffeta type, not canvas. I have a heater buddy, but have yet to use it camping. The only thing I don't like about it is that the heat just goes straight up, so inside an enclosure, the area right above it is gonna get real hot.