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Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
Just wanted some opinions , the original lines on my canopy were just set to length with lots of excess. For the longest time I just set my toggles to where it felt best for deep brakes and flare and tied a bunch of knots to mitigate the excess. 98% of my jumps were slider down, but I've been doing some S/U lately so I finger trapped my lines to remove the excess line as well as mainly so I could re-install my WLO toggles. My long winded question is, I do not have access to a sewing machine to run a bartack or straight stitch to help secure the finger trap. As I don't want to tie a knot ( to prevent a knot hang-up in the Guide rings in the event I have to release the toggles) would it be suitable to just jump them configured as is? The excess of the finger trap runs a good 5-6 inches back inside the line.

Cheers,

- Rick
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Re: [kiss_the_sky] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
You can do this (attached, too big to embed)
google for 'no sew fingertrap', or alternatively 'locking eye splice' for more options

ETA: And just cut the excess off...?
Stitchless finger Trap_Page_1.jpg
Stitchless finger Trap_Page_2.jpg
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Re: [kiss_the_sky] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
I would put a few manual tacks in the line with a needle and thread for my own peace of mind. The finger trap should not move under load if you didn't tack it but the extra safety provided by a few stitches i wouldn't
gamble without a few stitches..
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Re: [kiss_the_sky] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
Just hand tack them with a needle and thread. If you have enough line finger trapped in there, the sewing is just to prevent it sliding around when it's not under tension.
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Re: [OLopez] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
OLopez wrote:
You can do this (attached, too big to embed)
google for 'no sew fingertrap',

I doubt this would be possible with heavy dacron. And if it was it would be a pretty shitty version of the No Sew. Works great on thin lines though.
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Re: [Fledgling] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
I've done it on heavy dacron. It works in a pinch, but in this application it wouldn't really be a good idea, because you're still in the process of adjusting the brakes and finding a new toggle setting, and the 'no sew' won't let you do any more adjustments.
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Re: [kiss_the_sky] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
As some others I would do it by hand.
If you have the normal minimum 7-8cm trapped the sewing is just here to maintain it in place when you do not have tension on it.
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Re: [Fledgling] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
Fledgling wrote:
OLopez wrote:
You can do this (attached, too big to embed)
google for 'no sew fingertrap',

I doubt this would be possible with heavy dacron. And if it was it would be a pretty shitty version of the No Sew. Works great on thin lines though.

It does work on dacron, it's not pretty and it takes a bunch of massaging the line, but it does the job.

Tom is right though. Once it's in and set it's not coming back out
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Re: [kiss_the_sky] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
Anyone ever tried superglue ?
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Re: [flite] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
Super glue only glues flesh. Just try needle and thread (dental floss, fishing line. Google "backstitch" (handsewn) for the stitch. Or #B, Find the optimum toggle setting length for slider up, bartack it and just do an extra loop over the back of the toggle for using the slider off/down LRM. Will post photos if needed. Note; I am not sure if this will work on WLO toggles. Maybe having a 2nd set of toggles for SD is better with this last method.


take care,
space
basic-hand-stitches-6-638.jpg
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Re: [base283] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
Hi Space,

Would you please post a photo of this, I don't quite understand what you mean by the extra loop over the back of the toggle?

base283 wrote:
do an extra loop over the back of the toggle for using the slider off/down LRM
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Re: [rushchaser] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
Here ya go.
Take care,
space
DSC04074-min-min.JPG
DSC04075-min-min.JPG
DSC04076-min-min.JPG
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Re: [kiss_the_sky] Not Bartacking Fingertrapped Steering Lines
kiss_the_sky wrote:
JMy long winded question is, I do not have access to a sewing machine to run a bartack or straight stitch to help secure the finger trap. As I don't want to tie a knot ( to prevent a knot hang-up in the Guide rings in the event I have to release the toggles) would it be suitable to just jump them configured as is? The excess of the finger trap runs a good 5-6 inches back inside the line.

Cheers,

- Rick

Almost definitely yes, you are very unlikely to lose 5" of line through a fingertrap.
If worried, just run a few passes of hand sewn super tack through it.
I've done that successfully for 25+ years.

Have fun.