RE: [balloon-makers] Parachute Vent and Centering lines

[Tom Deering <private e-mail address>]

On 4/1/01, Paul Vincent Craven wrote:
>What is a 'fid'? A 'findertrap'? I'm lost.

The Chinese make a child's toy which is a braided tube.  You can put 
your fingers in the ends of the tube, but it's hard to pull them out 
again.  When pulled, the tube compresses, squeezing your fingers. 
Finger trap!

Braided rope has similar properties.  You can use a narrow, pointed 
tube (called a "fid") to feed the end of a rope back into the center 
of the rope.  This makes a loop in the end of the rope that is very 
clean looking.  When the rope is under strain, it squeezes the same 
way as the Chinese finger trap, keeping the loop from pulling out.

Tom

PS: (Yay, I finally got to *answer* a question!)




>> -----Original Message-----
>> Keith,
>> I used Type IIA nylon suspension line sleeeving for my parachute
>> lines. Part
>> number W9680 from Para Gear parachute supply.
>> http://www.para-gear.com   It
>> is about $18 for a hundred yard roll. It is flattened and sized so it is
>> easy to work with. You can also use a small fid to fingertrap the ends to
>> make a loop, run a stitch to hold it and voila a perfect loop. I'm sure
>> others have used different methods but this has worked well for me.
>>
>> Mike Lavoie
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