Question on Rope Cutting.

peter nap

peter nap

Joined
Nov 27, 1999
Messages
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With the Central Va Hammerin coming up I want to make a rope cutter. I've never been in a rope cutting contest before and have a few questions....Like:

Are there RULES?

How long can/should the blade be?

How thick can/should the blade be?

Is this a hacking contest or slicing?
 
Hey Don,

I guess since this is a first hammer-in we can make up our own rules. Let set the over all length to 15" limit. This would be a hacking blade not a slicer as far as how many cuts. I guess the rope hacker is in itself sort of a challenge to make it thin enough to cut and still strong enough not to roll. Should be fun. I going to use either 1095 or some mystery steel. Might make a couple just for fun. God I hate grinding to whole thing. I might sneek in a few hammer hits to set the bevels. I think I can without hurting myself. Could try left handed forging but I have so little control over my left hand that I might hit myself in the gonads.
 
I would guess we should make it a rule to have at least one pin in the handle and a thong also for safety. How's that sound. Shoot , may as well chop some 2 x 4's and do a bend test, just kidding :)
 
How much of it has to be forged? I hope to make to event and would love to enter the rope hacking contest but other then putting a bend in the blade I do not really have the skill or equipment to forge a the whole thing. Oh sure I could hammer some hot steel and then grind it back into a knife like shape but I wouldn't want to do anything that would be considered against the rules. I have a basic set up that will let me heat treat basic steel so I can get it hot enough to forge but my massive 15 lb anvil and normal household hammers combined with no skill mean that anything beyond forging to very basic shape would be well beyond me and I am not even to sure about that! :D Thanks
 
I would imagine that the specticle of what we are planning might draw the attention of some unwanted company. Mainly little fellas and gals that are used to running amuk might get too close to us while we are doing our gig.

If you happen across a roll of the yellow caution tape p, please bring it with you to the H-in. I hate to rope us off , but I do not have the patience to tell someone more than once to back up or leave.

I'm going to be packed to the gills so if anyone has a truck that could bring a cuttoff of a tree for a throwing target, that would be great.
 
Don: At the last hammer-in here we went by the ABS rules, which are on thier site. The only exception was it could be stock removed or forged. Don't forget the lanyard hole.
 
Mark, I think George has a good idea. Your the kingpin on this, do you want to adopt the ABS rules?
 
peter nap said:
Mark, I think George has a good idea. Your the kingpin on this, do you want to adopt the ABS rules?
Click to expand...
Probably a good idea folks, with an eye for safety. The lanyard is a must. If a knife comes to the dance without a thong hole and a lanyard, the judges may allow it, as I understand it, if they can use enough duct tape to attach a lanyard. Under no circunstances, even if your arm breaks must the knife be free to fly out of the hand. Fatalities in the crowd are not desired.
 
peter nap said:
Mark, I think George has a good idea. Your the kingpin on this, do you want to adopt the ABS rules?
Click to expand...

Sounds fine with me guys, might as well be to spec with standards already in place. I found a BIG blade that I had rough forged out of (store bought) 5160 that was going to be a short sword. I think I'll just cut it down and use it.
 
Mark Williams said:
I'm going to be packed to the gills so if anyone has a truck that could bring a cuttoff of a tree for a throwing target, that would be great.
Click to expand...

Mark I call that a stump :)

at our H/I
on 2x4 chopping
we got off to a rough start not thinking about how to
judge it,, how many chops to get through it or timed?
we ended up with how many chops..

it's interesting to do hanging rope with 2x4' chopping and can cutting
with one knife, because with can cutting the thinner blade works well but not
very heavy for the chopping,, and cutting the hanging rope takes a bit of the both..
with an 8 1/2" blade
I was in the middle for the 2x4 chopping but the rope was no problem,
and I cut 5 cans at once I should have trying 6 :D

so to do well the knife has to be averaged out,,and next time I'll have a full 10" blade.
Dan K had more of a clever
type blade and that put more weight to it and worked very well.
moving the sweat spot out some adding a little more speed to the swing
... hope this help you guys out some.. :)
 
Thanks Dan, I never knew what to call those things. I'm refering to a thin cross section cut and you know it :)

I copied the ABS rules and here they be.
TEST KNIFE SPECIFICATIONS:
- Overall Length of Knife: Maximum fifteen (15) inches.
- Blade Width: Maximum two (2) inches.
- Blade Length: Maximum ten (10) inches from point to the beginning of either the guard, bolster, or handle of the - blade.
- Handle Configuration: Any handle configuration is acceptable with or without guard, bolsters, ferrule, etc.
- Handle material is irrelevant and solely the choice of the applicant.
- Blade Material: The Journeyman Smith may test with any forged steel of his or her choice except Damascus.


So other than the forged part this will be the criteria if y'all want.

Mark
 
Mark Williams said:
Thanks Dan, I never knew what to call those things. I'm refering to a thin cross section cut and you know it :)

Mark
Click to expand...
:D you got to hang it somewhere... :D
 
IG got a picture of that I think
I wish we could get all those pictures up on the site. :(
 
I've offered, but George says it's too big for email. Maybe you could burn it on CD and send it to me, George?


Another key part of a good cutting competition is the order in which you do the events. Whatever's going to dull the knife the fastest should go first.


Also, be sure to figure out the 2x4 stand ahead of time....:rolleyes: :D

:p
 
pendentive said:
I've offered, but George says it's too big for email. Maybe you could burn it on CD and send it to me, George?


Another key part of a good cutting competition is the order in which you do the events. Whatever's going to dull the knife the fastest should go first.


Also, be sure to figure out the 2x4 stand ahead of time....:rolleyes: :D

:p
Click to expand...
yeahup start wide or gain about ten swipes :grumpy:


Ig?? can you down load the pictures on Joe's Puter? if you don't have a cd burner?
 
Dan - I was thinking mostly of the stand itself...ours was a bit wobbly, methinks.....:D


Y'all missed Crazy Dan the Can-Cutting Man....:eek:

George - we gotta get those pics....you made poor Dan do 7 takes and 3 false starts to get the "right shot"....! Don't make me hire a few of those "friendly neighborhood kids" you got 'round your place to come over and "kindly persuade" you....:D :eek: :p

:p
 
Well ,

I got to looking at the blade that I was going to grind (yuk). It's .332 thick x 2". That's a lot of grinding to get it flat ground. So I have decided to use some 3/16" x 1 1/4 inch 1095 instead. I'm just wondering if a 10" blade at this width and thickness will have enough mass for 2x4 chopping?

Whatya think?
 
Dan :eek: :rolleyes: :D

mark I'd go no less then 3/16" x (1 3/4" to 2") it should help with the weight and still be good for the rest. put some weight up front,, :p
 
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