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barkeatervt
May 7, 2005, 4:06 AM
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I didn't feel like using good biners for slacklining cause they cost to much so I went to the hardware store and bought some of those heavy duty 3/8" screw ovals that you find on chain anchors. They where only $3.50 each and I figured if you could pull a tractor out of the ditch with them they would be fine for a slack line. I know they aren't tested for strength or rated for rock climbing but I have been using them for almost two years and they seem to do the trick.
I just use them for a low line of about 25 feet in my yard and I figure it is just a good way to save money.
Everybody is looking for a cheap way to set up a slackline but nobody has mentioned this alternative.
Dose anybody see a problem with this? What's the advantage of using biners. I would have a hard time using my biners for a slack line and then turning around and using them for climbing, maybe it is just a psycological thing.
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grayhghost
May 7, 2005, 4:34 AM
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The hardware store screw-links are about 80% steel and
20% zinc. This means they will deterorate over time. This
is not much of a problem in a non-crital link, but man, if one
of those things broke and that slackline snapped you in the
arse it would be a world of pain. Just go to your local sport
climbing choss pile, find someones project and snag a few
draws, then you have a safe slackline and there is one less
sport climber spraying about their new project.
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cliffmonkey2003
May 7, 2005, 5:19 AM
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$3.50 sounds kinda expensive for those, but yes, that's what I use for a slackline. I also take one on my rack sometimes so that I don't need to leave a biner in a pinch.
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coldclimb
May 7, 2005, 5:25 AM
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Meh. Those will probably work fine. You just won't be as cool as us guys who just click our webbing into our biners. :lol: 8^)
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mrtristan
May 7, 2005, 5:31 AM
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$3.50 is pretty expensive. You can get biners for $4.
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reno
May 7, 2005, 5:33 AM
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I'm missing something here.
$3.50 each for screwlink ovals at the hardware store. $4.00 for a oval carabiner, if you look around a few placed.
50 cents... that's "so expensive" that you can't afford it? Got a tip for you, pal: Get a job.
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slacklinejoe
May 7, 2005, 7:33 AM
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$3.50? Good grief... Find a good deal on quickdraws and you can get them for $3.75 for each biner occasionally and $4 isn't uncommon. Go searching for blem'ed biners, used biners or those old steel military ones on EBay.
Heck, my dad got a 5 gallon bucket of old military steel biners for $10 through a gov surplus.
They *might* be safe depending on the specs, but you could even use rap rings that would be stronger than a biner and pick those up closer to $2. Granted, you have to thread the entire line through them which is a PITA.
I won't say it's a stupid idea, but in the greater scheme of things, the hassle of having to thread the entire line each and every time you mess with it isn't worth the $1 saved.
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barkeatervt
May 7, 2005, 1:23 PM
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All right, maybee it wasen't $3.50, I don't know, can't remember, it was two years ago. Anyway they are cheaper than biners, I haven't moved the slackline for two years, I felt that for prolong set up they may be even a little stronger/safer then regular biner's. They are 3/8", but I don't know there strength rating.
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ubiestmea
May 7, 2005, 1:33 PM
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I personally use the 1/2 inch steel screw links. They cost a little more but I would rather the webbing be the weak link. The rating is usually stamped in the the screw link. I don't use the webbing as part of the pulley system. Steel screwlinks on the webbing and then use a pulley system of climbing gear to cinch it down.
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les
May 7, 2005, 1:37 PM
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I bought my entire slackline set up for under 20 bucks. Slacklining I'd say is relatively cheap, but I'm sure for a permanent slackline those would work great.
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slackydread
May 10, 2005, 4:07 AM
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if you are in VT you can get BD oval biners for 4.95.... Adventure Outfitters Brattelbor VT. the staffs really cool too... :wink:
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northerndrawl
Jul 13, 2005, 6:44 PM
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Something to keep in mind when using rapid links/quick links/maillons/hardware store screw ovals
1. The industrial grade ones are incredibly strong. 1/2" versions can have 60 kN of strength (14,000 or so lbs for non-metric types)
2. Not all rapid links sold in your local hardware store are the industrial grade. Most are cheaply made and meant for tying up the dog. If it doesn't have a strength rating on the side it would be wise to avoid using it.
3. Even the zinc coated rapid links will eventually rust when left outside.
4. Unlike a carabiner, where the gate stays engaged when the collar is unscrewed, (maintaining strength until the gate is pushed open), rapid links rely on the gate being closed for strength. If the gate opens you're headed for trouble. At my old job we had a few that had failed when exactly that happened. Makes the "screw down" rule vitally important.
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kel_e
Jul 26, 2005, 6:20 AM
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FYI quicklink kids - those little buggers can be so hard to get undone!
We nearly had to cut our line today because we couldn't unscrew one of the quick links! Damn, I wanna pick up some cheap biners!!!
In the small town where I live, there is one outdoor goods store, and biners are quite expensive there (none of those $4 jobs), so I went with the $2 quick links (rated to 1700lbs).
Seems to work fine otherwise.
Happy slacking.
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jlbmarine
Apr 16, 2009, 3:32 PM
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not true, some are rate upwards of 60kn....... do the research buddy...... they rely totally on closed gate strength though, So.. depends on which size you buy, 1/2" are rated to 14000lbs.....proof is in the pudding. By the way, FIXE hardware is the same metal.....The guy who manufactured it agrees... or at least i agree with him.
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jlbmarine
Apr 16, 2009, 3:33 PM
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sorry, didnt mean to respond to u.... some other guy, my replys got mixed!!!!
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areyoumydude
Apr 16, 2009, 6:48 PM
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Thanks for the info. Only about 4 years late.
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richardvg03
May 14, 2009, 9:50 PM
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When I was a newbie a few years ago I posted a question like this. I asked if I could use steel biners from the hardware store in place of regulare biners for a top rope. The answer is yes... esp for a top rope and esp for a low slackline. I got a lot of shit for it though ;) But it works just fine!
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bill413
May 14, 2009, 10:12 PM
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richardvg03 wrote: When I was a newbie a few years ago I posted a question like this. I asked if I could use steel biners from the hardware store in place of regulare biners for a top rope. The answer is yes... esp for a top rope and esp for a low slackline. I got a lot of shit for it though ;) But it works just fine!
A common error in logic.
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richardvg03
May 14, 2009, 11:36 PM
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epoch wrote: richardvg03 wrote: When I was a newbie a few years ago I posted a question like this. I asked if I could use steel biners from the hardware store in place of regulare biners for a top rope. The answer is yes... esp for a top rope and esp for a low slackline. I got a lot of shit for it though ;) But it works just fine! Could you? Yes. Should you? No. That's why you're still a noob.
I'm still a noob because I recognize that I COULD use something? If you read my post... I don't think it actually says that I DO use it... but that's probably your lack of attention to detail. ;) I've always used BD Biners, and I have a df set of BD biners for slacking...just like you taught me ;) You really didn't think I was that bad of a student did you epoch?
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angry
May 14, 2009, 11:53 PM
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The age of innocence
wanderlustmd wrote: richardvg03 wrote: medicus wrote: Did you ever get the biners from Angry? No... i sent him 20 bucks and didn't hear from him for a while. I sent him several messages. The finally one day he replied to my PM and said that he could not give me the biners because he did not want me climbing and thought I should quit the sport because he didn't even want to be catagorized as the same species as me. So he DID mail my 20 bucks back (thanks!) and I went out and bought 3 biners ;) Nothing personal.....but that's just hilarious. Now for the $1 million question: Home Depot or real ones??
Have you learned that ALL human life has value yet or do you still laugh when people die?
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richardvg03
May 15, 2009, 5:39 PM
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angry wrote: Have you learned that ALL human life has value yet or do you still laugh when people die?
Did you just pull that out of your ass? I guess I'm missing the connection.
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slacklinejoe
May 15, 2009, 6:48 PM
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richardvg03 wrote: Did you just pull that out of your ass? I guess I'm missing the connection.
The fact is, most people don't read the fine print nor are they adequately educated to determine what can and cannot be used safely. By discussing marginal methods that have a lot of IFs in it like it can safely be used only tempts fate that someone will skim the article, buy a home depot screw oval and end up with a exploding metal shard embeded in their body.
If your signature info is accurate, compare it to two experienced re-loaders talking about experimental primers and the max grain load you can put in a .308 cartridge in a beginners reloading forum. Some numb nuts is going to take the hottest load listed simply because the recipie was there and end up getting themselves hurt simply because they didn't have the education to know it was a stupid idea.
In this case, you weren't clear in the prior post and made it sound safe. Lack of clarity about these things gets people to do stupid things.
Let me make things much, much more clear for anyone who sees this thread later:
Under no circumstances should anyone use a non-load rated peice of hardware or one which is not approved for a tensile strength of at least 2,500 lbs on a slackline of any kind. <- there, now there's a decent guideline in the thread that might help save someone from getting a chunk of metal from ripping off their testicles.
(This post was edited by slacklinejoe on May 15, 2009, 6:53 PM)
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richardvg03
May 17, 2009, 1:42 AM
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slacklinejoe wrote: and end up with a exploding metal shard embeded in their body.
I've had a few lines bust on me but none of them sent anything flying threw the air. I don't do high lines though and every time a line has busted it was because of wear and tear on the line it's self.
In reply to: If your signature info is accurate...
My signature is accurate up to a thousand yards...or 2600... depending on which weapon ;)
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