THE IEELOATION AGE. 



213 



Tar Weakens Rope. 



Rope is often tarred to protect it from the 

 weather. This is a somewhat doubtful practice as 

 the acid in the tar weakens the rope to such an 

 extent that engineers estimate tarred rope to be 

 only two-thirds as strong as clean, 

 new rope. 



No kind of oil or other prepa- 

 ration has so far been found that 

 will not injure the rope, except 

 tallow. Tallow and graphite are 

 used in making transmission rope, 

 and for lubricating it when in use. 



Taking New Rope From a Coil. 



The proper way to take rope 

 from a coil is to draw it from the 

 middle. There are two ways to 

 do this a right and a wrong way. 

 If it happens to be done the 

 wrong way the rope will become twisted in a man- 

 ner that will make it almost unmanageable. 'If done 

 the right way it will come out without any twisting 

 or snarling and all the rope in the coil may be drawii 

 out without trouble. To do it properly the rope 

 should be uncoiled toward the left, or opposite the 



way the hands of a watch or clock 

 run. By finding the inside end oi 

 the coil and observing how it un- 

 coils, one may tell whether or not 

 he is starting in the right way. If 

 the rope uncoils to the right in- 

 stead of the left the whole coil 

 should be turned over and the 

 end pulled through from the op- 

 posite side of the coil. The rope 

 will then uncoil to the left and 

 cause no trouble. 



New, Stiff Rope. 



A new rope, particularly if it 

 be sisal, often causes trouble be- 

 cause of its stiffness. If used as 

 a hay fork rope, or in any place 

 where it runs through a set of 

 pulleys, it is apt to be trouble- 

 some until it has been used for 

 some time. This trouble may be 

 avoided by boiling the rope in 

 water. The plan usually used is 

 to coil the rope in a boiler or 

 large soap kettle and cover with water and bring 

 to boiling heat. The rope is then stretched out and 

 allowed to dry, when it will be found to be soft and 

 pliable. Manila rope is usually soft enough to use 

 without such treatment. 



Knots. 



The square knot shown in Figure 1 is also 

 known to sailors as the reef knot, because it is used 

 in reefing or shortening sail. It is very commonly 

 used in tying two ropes together, and in tying up 

 packages. Figure 2 shows the granny knot which 

 is often made in the effort to tie 

 a square knot. Notice the differ- 

 ence between them. In the square 

 knot the parts of each rope lie 

 parallel to each other where they 

 pass through the loop in the op- 

 posite rope. In the granny knot 

 these parts cross each other. The 

 granny knot is easily pulled apart 

 unless drawn up very tightly; and 

 ij^k far then it is apt to become so tight 



^bJJr and hard ("jammed," the sailors 



say), that it is almost impossible 

 to untie it. 



