Re: (ET) Re: lift strap

["Tim Humphrey" <hump evgrin com>]

Granted, I haven't been an elec-trakker for long......

I have experienced 2 broken lift straps. The first one; the stitching on
the loop broke, and the second one; suprisingly, the stitching on the loop
broke.

The first one I restitched using admittedly weak thread, it was definately
not right for the purpose. I knew this and used it anyway. It broke.
Didn't take long either.

I replaced that strap with a (used)spare. Then that loop broke. I
re-stitched it with a piece of wax coated string. It worked for awhile
then broke again. This time I was out in the middle of nowhere and had to
get my implement(don't remember which one) lifted to get back to the
garage. So I tied a knot into the end of the strap and slipped the pin
through the knot. It worked great.

Later I took the pin out, but couldn't untie the knot. I now use just the
knot, and don't plan to go back to a loop at all.

I will snap a pic and post it to see exactly how it works but generally; I
remove the pin that the loop would normally go on, then lay the strap on
the implement so that the strap would pass under the pin, then I replace
the pin. When I lift the strap it now thires to pull out from under the
pin but the knot is way too big to get through and it lifts.

Amazingly the knot also will not pass between the pins and the lift boom,
so double or triple looping the strap is still do-able.

The knot is a simple once over and through. I'm not sure if it has a name
but it's the first step in tying a grannie knot, a square knot, or your
shoes.

On those couple of times that I did try stitching, I used an upholstery
needle and thimble, an awl would've been much easier.




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