Gekko_Vitatus Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 Might be a stupid question... Using nail polish to mark the center of a rope (in order to save money on buying the double pattern kind)...what are your thoughts? Stupid? Dangerous? Perfectly ok? Quote
chirp Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 There is a thread on this floating around...but the best Idea I gleaned from it was to use flat dental floss woven in around the sheath at the center mark. Use a fine needle. This will provide tactile and visual center point marking. Try to avoid using harsh chemicals on or around ropes. Good luck! Quote
catbirdseat Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 Nail polish is about as harsh a solvent as I can imagine. It would be my choice when hell freezes over and pigs fly. Quote
chucK Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 I thought you were supposed to use a blunt needle so as not to damage the sheath fibers, but just weave in between them. And use the mint or cinnamon dental floss. That way you still find the middle of the rope via taste if it's dark and your fingers are gloved or frostbitten. Distinctly colored nail polish is commonly used for marking metal gear (carabiners, cams, stoppers, etc) as an ownership indicator. I've never heard of using it for middle-marking a rope. Perhaps you got two threads mixed up. Quote
thelawgoddess Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 i don't think i'd use nail polish and don't know of anybody who does. (that's more for marking hardware - like chuck said.) lots of folks use a sharpie marker. Quote
Dr_Crash Posted May 18, 2005 Posted May 18, 2005 Thread is the best way. Dental floss or sail repair thread. There were studies from Mammut about failures of the rope over an edge if the sharpie-marked section was on the edge (same for brand-approved markers like Beal marker). Not very likely but hey, so was my last accident. drC Quote
Squid Posted May 18, 2005 Posted May 18, 2005 I use hair gel to mark the center of my rope. I give the center a nice pomade wave; that really stands out, even in the dark. Quote
sobo Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 In my opinion, I'd have to answer your question with "stupid and dangerous". I'm no chemist, but I think that nail polish uses acetone or xylol as the carrier for the pigment. Those are some pretty nasty chemicals to have around your rope. You wouldn't store your rope next to your gas can, would you? Go with the Sharpie marker (my favorite) or do the Martha Stewart thing and get out your sewing kit... Quote
Gekko_Vitatus Posted May 19, 2005 Author Posted May 19, 2005 Did some more research... Sharpie and other markers all contain the same or similar solvents as nail polish so I would think they'd be just as dangerous to use...assuming it's dangerous. Those solvents evaporate when exposed to air so I don't really know what kind of danger they would really pose...I don't know if they have any acidic properties. I'm not a chemist either...so since I'm not sure...I'd take the safer approach...and avoid what may be dangerous. As for running a needle and thread through the rope...don't particularly want sharp objects next to my rope... I guess I'll have to spend the extra dough on some rope with two patterns... Quote
mattp Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 I have not had a bicolor rope for years and I don't bother to mark the middle, either. If you want to match the ends for a rappel or something, all you have to do is to start with the two ends and hand-over-hand your way to the middle. It is not an absolute necessity to have a middle mark, though it is a nice convenience. Quote
robert Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 I just picked up a Mammut Genesis and it has a middle mark on it. You don't have to find a duodes rope to have the middle factory marked. Quote
selkirk Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 Did some more research... Sharpie and other markers all contain the same or similar solvents as nail polish so I would think they'd be just as dangerous to use...assuming it's dangerous. Those solvents evaporate when exposed to air so I don't really know what kind of danger they would really pose...I don't know if they have any acidic properties. I'm not a chemist either...so since I'm not sure...I'd take the safer approach...and avoid what may be dangerous. As for running a needle and thread through the rope...don't particularly want sharp objects next to my rope... I guess I'll have to spend the extra dough on some rope with two patterns... or you could just buy one of these Rope Pen And it's a whole $1.00 more than a sharpie Quote
Dru Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 use cat pee. cat urine glows in the dark, so you would be able to see the middle even at night. Quote
Gekko_Vitatus Posted May 19, 2005 Author Posted May 19, 2005 (edited) Here's a good article about the subject in Outside Online: http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gearguy/200206/20020609.html and here's another: http://www.tradgirl.com/climbing_faq/safety_3.htm#markers Essentially any of these pens reduce the strength of the rope by about 50% if loaded right on the marked spot... And this is due to acidic properties of the paint... I guess nail polish may contain the same stuff. Oh, and urine reduces it by about 30% Dru. Edited May 19, 2005 by Gekko_Vitatus Quote
korup Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 Well, I is a chemist, the only thing you want to think about using is the BD or Bluewater pens made specifically for a rope, Marmot and REI both have 'em cheap. Quote
jmace Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 If you want to match the ends for a rappel or something, all you have to do is to start with the two ends and hand-over-hand your way to the middle. Matt P has it, really why do you need a middle marker. I never understand why people want this so much Quote
thelawgoddess Posted May 19, 2005 Posted May 19, 2005 bipattern/bicolor ropes are great! i love mine!!! Quote
Szyjakowski Posted May 20, 2005 Posted May 20, 2005 As said, just grab the two ends and hand over hand it to the middle ....easy and not that time consuming....besides middle marked ropes are AID! Quote
Off_White Posted June 30, 2005 Posted June 30, 2005 use cat pee. cat urine glows in the dark, so you would be able to see the middle even at night. Cat urine glows under ultraviolet light, not in the dark. You'd have to bring one of those little uv LED key chain light thingies. Or just hold the rope close to your nose. Quote
dbconlin Posted July 8, 2005 Posted July 8, 2005 One rope I bought a couple of years ago came with a little card that recommended two specific brands of black markers they suggest you use to mark the middle. I forget the names of them though. I marked 3 of my ropes with that pen and the next week my buddy told me he read a piece in a climbing magazine where they tested ropes marked vs unmarked and the marked ones failed sooner. Oh well. Haven't broke a rope yet.... Quote
Tumblemark Posted July 9, 2005 Posted July 9, 2005 Nail polish was favored by Jerzy Kukuczka, for the obvious reason. But what about using ordinary fabric dye (á la Ritz)? The sheath fibers are already dyed, after all. Quote
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