Pioneering

Once you’ve mastered your basic rope work skills, you can move on to Pioneering. Pioneering uses ropes and spars to build tables, dressers, gateways, towers and many other things. Before you start you will need to learn a few more knots called lashings. Once you learn these then your imagination is your only limit. Figure of eight Lashing Used to make a tripod, lay three spars alongside each other, with the two outside spars running one way and the centre one the opposite direction.

The Square Lashing This is used for securing one spar to another, when they cross each other, at any angle. Start with a clove hitch around the bottom or most secure spar. Do 3 or 4 complete turns under and over each spar. Pull each turn as tight as possible. The lashing is passed around between spars frapping over the first turns several times and pulled tightly to draw the whole thing firmly together. Finish off with two half hitches Start with a clove hitch around one of the outside spars, and give six or eight turns around the spars working under and over alternately like a figure of eight. “Frap” between each spar, and finish with two half hitches. As the legs of the Tripod are opened out, the lashing automatically tightens so you have to leave a certain amount of slack in the lashing from the beginning in order to be able to open out the legs.

TIP

To ensure stability of any pioneering gadget, build triangles into the design.

Pioneering

Diagonal Lashing Used to lash together two spars which from their position tend to spring apart. Begin with a timber hitch round both spars, drawing them together, then take three or four turns around each fork, follow with three frapping turns between the two spars and finish with a clove hitch on one of the spars.

Sheer Leg Lashing This lashing is used to lash two spars which will open slightly to form sheer legs. Start off with a clove hitch around one of the spars. Make seven or eight turns around both spars, then several frapping turns between them and finish off with two half hitches around one of the spars. This lashing will tighten further when the two spars are pulled apart to form the sheer legs. TIP

Make sure all pioneering projects are properly secured with guy ropes when necessary.

Sheer Lashing If you want to add to the length of a spar (to make a flagpole), two sheer lashings are used without frapping turns. These lashings have to be very tight and the initial clove hitch is put around both spars, as is the two half hitches used to finish off the lashing. The lashing can be tightened further by driving wooden wedges down between the two spars, tent pegs are ideal for this.

Pioneering Projects

Pioneering Projects