GroundquestMSA wrote:I'm not working, so I'm building a new, all wood descender today. I'll let you know how it goes.
It works, which is surprising. I expected too much friction. There are no advantages to this contraption, which is a dual ATC/fixed-bar micro-rack, and plenty of disadvantages. I discovered one big disadvantage when I went out to test it. I had forgotten to make an attachment point, and hadn't allowed enough material to add one. Eager to test the thing, I poked a small hole and used a prusik cord for attachment, making this not only a completely impractical, but wildly dangerous invention. And it isn't entirely wooden, I lied, it incorporates a carabiner. The ride was smooth and easy to control. I only rappelled 20' x2 before a thunderstorm started. Rappeling without a helmet down a metal ladder, hanging by a hairbrained wooden descender from the tallest tree around, in a thunderstorm, was even a little too much risk for me, so I took a break.
I'll add photos in a bit.