Chalk Balls

[telemarker]

Anyone got a dirtbag method for making their own chalkballs?

[willstrickland]

take an old thin polypro liner sock, cut half the top off, fill with chalk, knot it up.

[PBRstreetgang]

Same as above with pantyhose

[SemoreJugs]

dump a bucket of chalk in yer tighty whities

[high_on_rock]

Here is a dirtbag thought, what about chunks of sheetrock? What is the significant difference between chalk and sheetrock dust? Any experts out there?

E

[Farrgo]

Isn't sheetrock more dense than chalk?

[willstrickland]

Good lord, man. A block of chalk is like $0.50

 

/catbird

 

Sheetrock is made from gypsum, which is calcium sulfate dihydrate CaSO4·2H2O. Chalk is calcium carbonate CaCO3. The chalk you use climbing is (probably) magnesium carbonate MgCO3.

 

/catbird off

[layton]

use dirt in your bag

[telemarker]

use dirt in your bag

 

How about spit?

[catbirdseat]

Good lord, man. A block of chalk is like $0.50

 

/catbird

 

Sheetrock is made from gypsum, which is calcium sulfate dihydrate CaSO4·2H2O. Chalk is calcium carbonate CaCO3. The chalk you use climbing is (probably) magnesium carbonate MgCO3.

 

/catbird off

Well, done Luke. The Force is strong within you.

[snoboy]

Isn't brass going to give better results anyways?

[pope]

Why do you want one of those darn things?

[Off_White]

Chalk balls are pretty useless if you're crack climbing, but if you're doing the face thing and all you want to do is chalk your tips, they're pretty handy and have the beneficial side effect of leaving less chalk on the route. I've been using one climbing at the quarry down here in Tenino.

 

Actually, I've been trying to use it less in general, to separate that part of chalking up which is truly helpful for climbing from the part that is merely a calming ritual, like fingering your rosary beads.

[telemarker]

Chalk balls are pretty useless if you're crack climbing, but if you're doing the face thing and all you want to do is chalk your tips, they're pretty handy and have the beneficial side effect of leaving less chalk on the route. I've been using one climbing at the quarry down here in Tenino.

 

Actually, I've been trying to use it less in general, to separate that part of chalking up which is truly helpful for climbing from the part that is merely a calming ritual, like fingering your rosary beads.

 

Ahh, Tenino...land of the mima mounds of mystery!

[Off_White]

I always had a fondness for the "giant gophers" explanation.

 

[telemarker]

Why do you want one of those darn things?

 

I'm just real careless with leaving my calk bag open when packing shit away, sending a torrent of chalk over my gear and backpack. Or, I'll sit at a belay and it'll invert. So, a chalk ball is best for a clutz.

[bwrts]

I like to have an almost empty chalk ball in the loose chalk...

When the long weekend in the hills sucks up lots of chalk, the CB seems to have just enuff remaining dust despite all the loose chalk being nearly gone (except also pine needles, gravel, etc).

[pope]

Chalk balls ....have the beneficial side effect of leaving less chalk on the route. I've been using one climbing at the quarry down here in Tenino.

 

Thanks for respecting the stone. BTW, is that the cliff where you bolted on some plastic holds in a display of your unique ability to allow for nuance in climbing ethics?

[Off_White]

Yes! You should come down some time Eric, I bet you'd have fun, though it might make you feel like a dirty dirty boy. Since you bring it up, let's talk about my awful faux pas.

 

Those four holds allow passage through the fabled "shitstone band," a layer of crumbly choss which is all that ensured this quarry was blasted for rubble rather than cut for block. (hence leaving a quarry of climbing interest unlike the other quarrys around Tenino) It seems the vein of bad rock must have run upwards, because all that's left of it in the current face is an arc through the lowest section of the cliff. It doesn't matter how much you scrub, it's choss all the way down.

 

The last time I climbed the loose and manky work around to get to the base of Pete & Ted's Excellent Adventure I pulled a briefcase size hold off onto my leg and decided I'd had enough of that. I could of course have bolted a ladder to the wall, or made a via ferrata, but the four holds up the most solid segment of choss make for a climbing like experience with less visual impact.

 

Note that this is both private property and a man made crag. The holds were not put on to bring a crux down to my level, but to provide a way to reach the good climbing above. With only 35 routes here, I was not willing to abandon the line. It's also not anything I would do anywhere else. Curse me for a moral relativist if you will, at least I've got a climbing area in my front yard.

 

The invitation is sincere btw, you're welcome to come check it out. You should bring Chirp with you.

[bwrts]

It is a fun crag! I do not remember 35 routes a few years back, off, you must have been busy during that time. Nice work!

[pink]

Anyone got a dirtbag method for making their own chalkballs?

 

pour some chalk down the front of your nickers.

Edited November 16, 2006 by pink

[pope]

I'll come check out your crag under one condition. If I can pull the moves without the plastic holds, you will remove them.

[JayB]

I haven't used chalk-balls in ages, but you can make them on the cheap by pouring powdered chalk into some panty-hose and tying off the ends. Double back once or twice to make the ball less porous, or poke it with a nail a bunch of times to make it more so. Seemed to work about as well as the store bought variety.

[G-spotter]

I'll come check out your crag under one condition. If I can pull the moves without the plastic holds, you will remove them.

 

But whatcha gonna do if it turns out that you can't crank the moves EVEN WITH the plastic holds? Got to even up the wager.

[pope]

In that case I will:

 

(1) Appear for a photo-op in a full-body pink lycra action jump suit.

 

(2) Belay OffWhitey with a Gri-Gri.

 

(3) Satisfy Dru's girl (I realize I'm making a gender assumption) with some bon-a-fide (i.e. 'merican) Liebewurst.