From: dbriggs@zia.aoc.nrao.edu (Daniel Briggs)
Subject: Re: DO CONTAINERS/RISERS WEAR
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro NM
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 00:23:38 GMT

In article <57.45.uupcb@compdyn.questor.wimsey.bc.ca>
  robert.wilkins@compdyn.questor.wimsey.bc.ca (Robert Wilkins) writes:
>Risers do not wear out thank God. The tensil strength on most is over
>5000 lbs and you have 4 of them. Good thing to as is major
>reconstruction job to replace if one gets cut. BOB!!

I had some work done on my rig this weekend, and the rigger pointed out a
few things to me while fixing the problem that I brought it in for.  I have
a Javelin container, which in most respects is designed quite well.  There
is a problem, however, with the placement of the velcro for the reserve
static line.  (I have full size risers, btw.)  The rear riser on the right
side has a small strip of hook velcro on the side facing the front riser.
The RSL emerges from the reserve container near the base of the rear riser,
and bears the matching fuzz velcro along it's length.  The problem is that
riggers aren't always careful about mating the exact start of the fuzz
velcro to the start of the hook stuff.  If this happens, there will some
exposed hook velcro at one end or the other of the riser.  The hook velcro
can chew up the riser to the point that its integrity is threatened.  In my
case with only about 100 jumps on the rig, there was already a little fuzzy
patch on the front riser where the hooks were chewing at it.  Even if the
rigger does mate the velcro exactly right, (and you can fix this yourself
if the rigger doesn't), the normal motion of the risers can pull the RSL
slightly off the velcro near the top of the riser, again exposing the hook
side.  If you own a Javelin, you should add a step to your packing
checklist.  Every time you pack, make sure that the RSL is mated to the
velcro the full length of the riser.  If it becomes a persistent problem,
you can take a small bit of fuzz velcro, and cover up the lowest half inch
or so of the hook velcro.  There's more than enough hook to keep the RSL in
place, and it might save your risers.

Incidentally, he also showed me a much better knot to tie my toggles on
with than the one my rigger at home had used initially.  He did not like
the idea of having any sort of knot between the toggle and the metal guide
loop on the riser.  It's possible for the the knot to get pulled into the
loop and get stuck there.  (I suspect that this may have contributed to the
hook turn accident a friend had a few weeks ago, though he wasn't specific
about exactly what stuck where.)  The knot he showed me went like this.

      /-\              \     /-\                  \     /-\     
      | |               \    | |                   \    | |     
      | |                \   | |                    \   | |     
      / \                 \  / \                     \  / \     
     /   \                 \/   \                     \/   \    
     |   |                  |   |                      |   |--\    
     | O |                  | O-----               ------O----/ 
     |   |                  |   |                      |   |    
     |   |                  |   |                      |   |    
     |   |                  |   |                      |   |    

Velcro side down      Thread brake line      Loops behind toggle, and threads
                      through from bottom    out to the front again.


     \     /-\                           \     /-\     
      \    | |                            \    | |     
       \   | |                             \   | |     
        \  / \                              \  / \     
         \/   \                              \/   \    
       /--|   |--\                            |   |
       \----O----/                            --O--
          | | |                               | X |    
          | | |                               | | |    
          | | |                               | | |    
            |                                   |

Loops behind toggle again,            Pull tight, and tie a single
and threads out to the front.         knot in the brake line on the front
                                      of the toggle.


The brake line does indeed go through the same hole, in the same direction,
three times.  I was kind of surprised that it fit so easily, but it did.
There is enough stuff through the hole that a single knot in the line leaves
no possibility that it will pull through. (As opposed to a knot on a pair of
lines, which is what I had had before.)  I hope I don't really need a
disclaimer on this, but ... "Use at your own risk, the manufacturer assumes
no liability for any misinformation or misuse of same."  But it's what I
am going to use from now on.

Blue skies and safe rigs to everyone.

-- 
| Daniel Briggs  (dbriggs@nrao.edu)                      |  USPA B-14993
| New Mexico Tech / National Radio Astronomy Observatory |      DoD #387
| P.O. Box O / Socorro, NM 87801   (505) 835-7391        | 
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