knot work

[ManyHats]

What kind of rope is cheap but works good for learning knot tying? If white is cheaper I figured I could dye 1/2 blue and the other half red to make it easier to demonstrate/follow along. How long should the pieces be?

[DanKroh]

If you have the equivalent of a Dollar Store, I'd try there. You can usually get colored rope in fairly small quantities (as opposed to the humungo lengths at the hardware store). You don't really need pieces bigger than about 12 inches each.

[Gunny2862]

From a Boy Scout Scoutmaster perspective, I really like the 3/16 and 1/4 inch diameter varieties in 24 inch and 30 inch lengths respectively. (edit)I like two diameters to illustrate the Sheet bend, and why you need it, and it doesn't significantly affect the other Scout knots. (end edit)

 

They're small enough to carry with you so you can practice as you have a moment here or there.

I have so far always given Crossovers to our Troop either a Yellow and Blue OR Green and Red set(availability occasionally drives color choice) as my gift to them with a Square knot pre-tied.

 

My thought process on this is that, priced per foot, the decent quality but short and thin length is cheaper than more poor quality and much thicker rope they won't carry around and use. It usually costs me about $.55 per Scout to give them the two rope set.

 

If you've already got your inexpensive white rope I would say not less than 50 inches for a single length, but that is dependent on the ropes diameter. One way to test is to tie a Sheepshank, if you can tie it you should be able to tie every other Scout knot in that length.

And dyeing/coloring the ends is a great idea. Go for it. (This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

[SSScout]

Go to your local hardware store or home depott, mention Cub Scouts and watch the price drop...

Any 1/4 to 1/2 inch, braided, cotton wound rope. Think big venetion blind cord. For Cubs, the twisted strand rope, unless it is old and "worked" so as to be pliable, will be hard to manipulate. NOT nylon or poly rope, the knots will slip and be frustrating. If you have a bigger caliber (diameter ) cord, you can do knot tying relays, rope rings, and the boys can pull on it without fear of failure or not being able to untie it. Heard of the "Tug o' Peace"?

Pound two nails about 4 feet apart into your deck railing, coil the rope around them as many times as necessary, cut the cords at the nails. (my son liked to WHACK with a sharp hatchet, all at once) Don't forget to "Whip" the ends with masking tape or friction tape (also called tar tape). Duct tape will do, but pulls off leaving a sticky residue. Stretch the ropes next to each other out on the driveway or someplace you don't mind getting messy (hold'em down with old bricks), spray paint one end, about a foot long, a contrasting color (black? blue? red?). One end is already white, yes? Let it dry, roll over and spray both sides of the same end.

 

*ahem* Okay, we have imported at no great expense, the RARE, double ended, bi-color rope from the Peruvian Andes, these are freshly picked. You know, not every rope has two ends! And these are the very best of the latest crop! They get darker with age...

Ya take the RED end in your RIGHT hand.... your OTHER right, son,...

 

Sorry, but to tie an easy successful bowline, you need 3 to 4 foot of rope. To demonstrate a one handed bowline (wow factor) around a waist, you need about 5 feet. ("help, help, oh help. pull me up, oh help...)

 

After they have mastered (!) the square knot, get'em in a circle with their ropes, have them tie them all end to end in a circle and pull/push to see who has the strongest side?

 

Your next decision is whether the Cubs get to KEEP their practice ropes. We taught with the 4foot 1/2 inch rope, then later, taught a "rattail" knot with about 15 inches of 1/4 inch cord on a mini carabiner that they took home. Just like the big one the Cubmaster had hanging on his belt, for "emergencies".(This message has been edited by SSScout)

[Gunny2862]

Don't forget Army Surplus stores, and your local independently owned hardware store.

[Hal_Crawford]

SSScout mentions the "wow" factor of the one-handed bowline. I have found that some boys who cannot master the rabbit and hole method to save their lives can learn the one-handed version in five minutes. I'm told that it is a difference visual and tactile learners. It might also be the wow factor and bragging rights make the scout actually want to learn the knot.

 

Hal

[ManyHats]

Is clothes line a good or bad choice?

[SSScout]

Plastic coated clothes line I say no. Too stff and unyeilding. Wire line, definitely no-no. The preferred is the cotton wrapped braided stuff. Think unseeing personages from Venice.

 

Next, the 2 inch hemp anchor hawser. (see SeaScout Manual for splicing instructions).

 

Just kidding....

[ManyHats]

Dollar store had 100 ft. of cotton clothes line for $3. I haven't compared it to other rope but it sounded like a good deal.

[IM_Kathy]

I'm glad to hear someone mention the one-handed bowline... I'm in my 30's and been involved in scouts with my daughter for 10 years and my son for 7 years (I think those years are right) and I have yet to tie a bowline without doing it the one-handed method. but hey, I can do it right handed or left handed ) it's also the only way I teach it.

[shortridge]

For really cheap rope, check with a local climbing club or center and see if they have extra climbing rope that's at the end of its useful lifespan that they'd otherwise throw away. Ask if they'd like to make a donation to Cub Scouts! :-)

 

At my local camp, we once got two giant rope coils of surplus climbing rope, cut it into 3-4-foot sections and fused the ends. It was the perfect diameter for teaching both Cubs and younger Boy Scouts the basic knots. Just make sure no one uses the old rope for climbing purposes.

 

Instead of dyeing the rope two different colors, a simpler solution is to wrap a few inches of colored electrical tape around the ends. A lot easier, trust me!

 

ManyHats - "Dollar store had 100 ft. of cotton clothes line for $3." Wouldn't that make it a Three Dollar Store? (This message has been edited by shortridge)

[sherminator505]

Do yourself a favor. DO NOT get the yellow plastic stuff! It unravels way too easily and does not straighten out entirely when it's untied.

[meschen]

Don't make the mistake I made and cut the ropes too short. I followed the instructions someone gave me and cut them into 2 foot lengths. I really should have made them 4 feet long so the scouts could tie a decent bowline.

[AlabamaDan]

I had some 1/4 inch white rope that I cut into 24 inch sections. I gave a section to each boy earlier this summer to start tying knots with. It's the perfect size to fit into a pocket and they can tie all the 5 knots for Bear with it. I plan to give them some longer sections of rope like 4 feet at a den meeting soon. But I think it's good to have both varities. The little version is good for pockets and bedtime. My son sits in bed and practices while falling asleep. He has a printout of all the knots on the bottom of the upper bunk.

[AlabamaDan]

I was thinking about my son't handout. It's just a one page B&W copy of a copy of a copy thing. Anyone have something nicer, in color that I could print for my boys?