petzl rack
Posted: Mar 10, 2007 12:49 pmDoes anyone know where I could find stainless steel bars that will fit a 5 bar petzl rack?
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petzl rack
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Posted: Mar 10, 2007 12:49 pmPosted: Mar 10, 2007 12:56 pmI don't believe that they are available. I could be wrong though.
Re: petzl rack
Posted: Mar 10, 2007 1:16 pmREB wrote:Does anyone know where I could find stainless steel bars that will fit a 5 bar petzl rack?
can't help you on the bars, but curious why you want them - just for wear resistance?
Posted: Mar 10, 2007 2:53 pmAt least one reason - Some people prefer you not use aluminum descenders on their rope. At least in TAG, it is pretty common to share rope.
Change to SS - You lose some friction, but you make more friends!
There are also those that feel that the increased friction comes at the price of increased heat, perhaps to the point of glazing the rope.
And more friction means more wear, which means more frequent replacement, as you suggest Hank.
Point? There are various reasons to go to SS.
Of course Hank would know, but I didn't have any luck finding anything but aluminum replacement bars for the Petzl.
Sorry REB!!!
Change to SS - You lose some friction, but you make more friends!
There are also those that feel that the increased friction comes at the price of increased heat, perhaps to the point of glazing the rope.
And more friction means more wear, which means more frequent replacement, as you suggest Hank.
Point? There are various reasons to go to SS.
Of course Hank would know, but I didn't have any luck finding anything but aluminum replacement bars for the Petzl.
Sorry REB!!!
petzl rack
Posted: Mar 10, 2007 4:53 pmI guess a new ss smc rack may be in my future then.
Posted: Mar 11, 2007 6:16 pmDane wrote:At least one reason - Some people prefer you not use aluminum descenders on their rope. At least in TAG, it is pretty common to share rope.
Change to SS - You lose some friction, but you make more friends!
We(club) use Aluminium racks on our ropes after washing you wouldn't know the difference.
Dane wrote:There are also those that feel that the increased friction comes at the price of increased heat, perhaps to the point of glazing the rope.
If you go down the same rope at the same speed on either device the amount of fricton you 'use' is the same whether the bars are Aluminium or steel (your hand might get warmer though).
Aluminium tends to transfer heat better than stainless so it may feel hotter but that's only because it's better at getting that heat away from the rope (which is a good thing)(Computer CPUs generally use aluminium heatsinks).
PS: I prefer my stainless steel rack to an aluminium one, but that's because it is faster and on small drops with stiff ropes I won't have trouble descending with a stainless steel rack, (feeding rope into a rack is a dangerous practice, better to pull it out the top)
Posted: Mar 12, 2007 6:29 amI agree 1000% (and I hate that - leaves us nothing to debate!)
I was just stating common differences (real or perceived) between SS and aluminum
Personally - I have always used SS as well - I'm a big guy and almost always have to use all the bars on my rack, with the exception being really stiff/dirty ropes. While I may try aluminum at some point, the std rack is servicing my needs very well, giving me the variability that I need/want.
I have also read that SS provides a "smoother" ride but I do not have the experience to debate that one.
As far as its ability to transfer heat, that heat is generated by the increased friction - would it not radiate heat uniformly, meaning that it would also be hotter on the rope as well on your hand?
I was just stating common differences (real or perceived) between SS and aluminum
Personally - I have always used SS as well - I'm a big guy and almost always have to use all the bars on my rack, with the exception being really stiff/dirty ropes. While I may try aluminum at some point, the std rack is servicing my needs very well, giving me the variability that I need/want.
I have also read that SS provides a "smoother" ride but I do not have the experience to debate that one.
As far as its ability to transfer heat, that heat is generated by the increased friction - would it not radiate heat uniformly, meaning that it would also be hotter on the rope as well on your hand?