The Bellrope Tutorial as requested

[Vince Brennan]

Combination tutorial including bellrope, over-two hitching, grafting and "spanish"(ringbolt) hitched coxcombing.

Accessible either at http://www.frayedknotarts.com/tutorials/bellrope.html

or at the Knot Heads World Wide site under tutorials: http://www.khww.net (http://www.khww.net/)

As always, comments/questions/suggestions and abuse are all welcomed.

Vince

http://www.frayedknotarts.com/images/bellropes/PB246794mod.jpg

[PaulC]

Wow! But as you show it on the linked page, it's just step by step. I am bookmarking this. It would be fun to try when we get some time to concentrate on it. Thanks for putting the page together and sharing it with us!

[Hughman]

:) :) :)

[Jay Greer]

Your work is even better than the old Swedish boatswain I learned from!
JG

[Lew Barrett]

Lovely work! Really nice:)

[George.]

http://www.frayedknotarts.com/images/bellropes/PB246794mod.jpg

This looks like it requires either a large, partly idle crew, or a long, uneventful ocean passage... :)

[Vince Brennan]

:D Thank you all for the kind words....

George: Only requires a weekend without the "Chore Jar"... this one is only 10" long - an infant as bellropes go.

Jay: Thanks, but I bet I can't curse like he could!

Hughman: Praise from the praiseworthy.... thanks.


Now, I know that there's a bunch of us who can do this stuff, and quite a few have already sent me a picture or two of their work, but I'd really like to see/collect more pictures from the forumites! Turn to, youse lot, break out the cameras!

[Rick Starr]

That is great, and thanks for taking the time to follow up with this!

[Vince Brennan]

That is great, and thanks for taking the time to follow up with this!

Many more to come...working on Chest Beckets right now... planning on manym more.

[waters'l]

That is one sweet bellrope Vince. I got Ashley's for my b-day and just figured out the monkey fist last night. It is cool to see where I could go if I wanted. One thing that really got my attention though was the brass thimble. I have been looking for one for quite a while for the jib I made for Pearl. The steel one in there right now just doesn't have the right look on the hemp colored rope and the cream sail. Where did you get it?

[Vince Brennan]

....One thing that really got my attention though was the brass thimble. ......Where did you get it?
Marty Combs (http://www.knotstuff.com) imports these from Europe...he stocks six sizes from "weeney-teeney" up to fairly hefty, and the price is right, too.

I also used his #15b and #12 for the covering and turksheads, respectively. Good stuff and a good supplier.

"Today, Der Monkey's Fist...Tomorrow, (well, you know...)"

[Vince Brennan]

I got Ashley's for my b-day and just figured out the monkey fist last night. It is cool to see where I could go if I wanted.
Another wonderful book for fancywork is "Harrison's Book Of Knots" by P.P.O. Harrison. You can get one of these at the site I listed above. They're nowhere near as pricey as ABOK and for fancy knotting, you can't beat it.

[waters'l]

Sweet, thanks for the tips Vince. When I worked as a cabinet installer i couldn't go to someones house without secretly going over their cabinets. After reading the tutorial, I went to a friend's ranch and kept eyeing their dinner bell and trying to figure how long of a bellrope I should make for them.

[Vince Brennan]

I went to a friend's ranch and kept eyeing their dinner bell and trying to figure how long of a bellrope I should make for them.

In the tutorial I make an argument for the 4:3 rule (12" dia. bell, 9" rope), but for a dinner bell or other bell perched up high on an axle, you want the rope to be sufficiently long for 'Cookie" to be able to reach out from the shoulder and grab the end.

Also, (unless you really WANT to do a proportioned rope) a straight rope is usually better for this purpose, since it'll get hard use over time. A nicely wrapped piece of 5/8 manila is ideal for most applications. You can fancy it up as you please.

(Dang... now I gotta include a section on stropping out an eye when using large manila....more work!)

[Vince Brennan]

Thanks, George. Pictures now correctly linked. Let me know if you still have print problem.