View Full Version : Nettle Cordage, How Strong!!
After reading a recent post I thought I would have a go at making some nettle cordage. I was surprised how strong it was so I thought I would carry out a small test.
I made about 50cm of cordage and used a bowline knot at each end to form a loop at each end, pictured below with group buy Para cord for comparison. This cordage was made straight from a freshly picked nettle.
http://img428.imageshack.us/img428/4883/pa180033wn7.jpg
The cordage was then looped over a tripod with both loops hanging down to witch a hanging basket was attached, so in fact I have doubled the strength of the cordage by doubling it up. The basket weighed in at 2.2kg
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/6301/pa180028di3.jpg
http://img428.imageshack.us/img428/2656/pa180022fr2.jpg
So for a bit of fun how much weight do you think the cordage managed to support? I only had wet house bricks as ballast so it was a very basic test in every sense of the word.
I know there are many variables and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link etc, etc, but just have a wild guess and I will post the answer in a few days.
Cheers P@ul
its pretty strong stuff when gradually loaded so I reccon 9 bricks! ;)
well i made some and me and my sister tried to break it by having a game of tug of war with it, and it didnt break then so i'll go for 11 bricks
leon
No, you are too positive:
6 bricks is my guess.
Well being a bricky, I have to ask what sort of bricks were they....I will assume they are flettons and go for 14 bricks.........
Doh, I knew I would fail to mention something. :)
Well being a bricky, I have to ask what sort of bricks were they....I will assume they are flettons and go for 14 bricks.........
Not a bricky, but the same bricks as used to build the wall in the photo. :confused:
P@ul
i am going for 10 bricks :banghead:
I reckon you'd have a hard job to squeeze ten brick into that hanging basket, so I'm going for 7...
Boy is this the cutting edge of science, or what ;)
British Red
19-10-2006, 12:43
Lower, lower...sorry, "play your cards right" moment there
I'm going for 5
And giving some rep for the best new thread in a long while - well done mate!
Red
James_m246
19-10-2006, 12:46
Well seen as they were wet bricks i'll go for 6. :p
I think the bottom of the basket fell out at 200 bricks
(OK 4)
I'll put in a rather optimistic bid of 12 bricks.
Big John
19-10-2006, 13:26
Hmm, I can't see the pic here at work - is there a join in the cord or is it made from a single length?
If it's joined I reckon it will come apart at 6 bricks (that's where mine always fails anyway), if it's one piece then I'll go for 10.
Bisamratte
19-10-2006, 14:42
9 and a half bricks :D
16.
Or then again it could be 13. :eek
I think 16 will be it until it breaks.
James_m246
20-10-2006, 11:51
Come on!!! I wanna know how many, the suspence is killing me.
Hey, maybe you could make it into a movie?
WhichDoctor
20-10-2006, 12:54
Having been lugging bricks around all last week to make are chicken run more interesting I do know they are heavy :) , but then again the cord is doubled up and fairly strong. So im going for more bricks than you can fit in the basket :confused: :lmao:.
Failing that about eight.
bent-stick
20-10-2006, 13:11
I'm going for 3 bricks because I made some last week that didn't even register on the bowscale (15lbs) before it broke...
OK everyone I will put you out of your misery. I was feeling quite chuffed with myself when I made the cordage and was quite surprised at how many bricks it managed to hold. But now after seeing some of your guesses I am doubting my ability to make good cordage, I’ll keep practising and see if I can do any better, but enough waffling, lets get down to the business at hand.
The cordage managed to support five bricks for a good five minutes and broke just before I was able to place the sixth. Bricks weighed in at 12.5kg + the weight of the basket 2.2kg, that’s a total weight of 14.7kgs.
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4412/pa180029rc5.jpg
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1685/pa180030sd1.jpg
Thanks to all for taking part, P@ul
thanks paul this was a really great thread and also a good bit of fun
leon
14.7kgs is a good wieght for cordage that thin..... Good little test there mate.
Ed
British Red
20-10-2006, 19:45
What do I win :D ?????
James_m246
20-10-2006, 19:50
I was close!
British Red
20-10-2006, 19:51
But no cigar!....ooh I win a cigar????????
What do I win :D ?????
Where do you want the five bricks sent, can't cover the postage though :D
I'll buy you a drink if our paths ever cross.
P@ul
British Red
20-10-2006, 19:55
Nah mate - I'll buy you one - great thread - would rep you again if I could!
nice one good thread :lmao:
Actually that is better than you think.
I did some tests on 3mm cordette (the stuff that looks like climbing rope in miniture) it easily held my 103KGs / 16.5 stone. I tried again with 'Authentic' paracord, again no problems.
I then stripped out the single strands and tried that, they broke consistently at around 15Kgs. They didnt break at the joint or knot but in the middle.
What I did was tie a small stick at the end of a single strand so that it looked like a tiny rope swing. I then threaded the stick through a weight lifting plate(15Kg/33lbs) and very very carefully allowed it to take the strain.
So, in brief, you should be proud of yourself!
Paracord holding 103Kg
http://www.shouri-knife.com/assets/images/CC-hang.jpg
The 'Seat' :) (good job I wasnt on it for long)
http://www.shouri-knife.com/assets/images/PC-knot.jpg
You can see where I rounded off the corners to stop cuts in the single inner strand.
Neanderthal
25-10-2006, 07:56
P@ul
At what part of the cord did it break?
In the middle?
Where it went round the ring? A smaller bend radius would increase preasure at this point.
At the knot? If this one, what knot did you use?
Well done, you've started a great thread here. :)
I'll have to dig out my bits of nettle cord to experiment, I've also got some yucca cordage I made which is much stronger.
Stu
P@ul
At what part of the cord did it break?
In the middle?
Where it went round the ring? A smaller bend radius would increase preasure at this point.
At the knot? If this one, what knot did you use?
Well done, you've started a great thread here. :)
I'll have to dig out my bits of nettle cord to experiment, I've also got some yucca cordage I made which is much stronger.
Stu
Stu,
The cordage broke about 25mm from one of the knots, I also thought it would fail at one of the knots or where it past over the top hook but that wasn't the case.
I would love to hear how other materials and techniques compare.
Cheers P@ul