hemp rope

[EdS]

anyone know anything about making hemp rope?

It for a future project at work - its the commercial farm stuff, with Home Office approval before anyone askes.

 

[Toddy]

Yup, I do
Do you mean to make masses of rope or are sample lengths, like 3 or 4 metres what you're after?
I make it, but the damn stuff makes me suffer hayfever like symptoms....watch the dust, depending on how it's been retted the fibres carry an awful lot of gunk. My biochemist colleauge threw hysterics when she tried to do the H & S for our schoolkids stuff on it.
Outhwaites in Yorkshire have good demonstration, http://www.ropemakers.co.uk
There are hand tools available, twisters, crowns, etc.; fibrecrafts sell some, and if this is what you want I'll find the links.
Toddy

 

[Seagull]

Hey up, EdS

For the chapter and verse about the manufacture of any sort of natuaral fibre rope, you can,t do better than have a word with Des at Footrope Knots.

You can find him on the web, someplace.

Charmin, guy to talk to and very very knowledged, take my word for it.

I would add that , if youre wanting to mess around with hemp rope, you,ld be well advised to include a reference to Hempex, a modern, artificial-type of hemp, which, not only handles and works the same as, but, damn me , even smells the same!

Des can tell you all about that, too.

regards
Seagull

 

[Toddy]

:thumbs_up Hear , hear, Des is excellent. His workmanship is brilliant and he's a really good teacher.
Toddy

 

[EdS]

Toddy,

The links would be cool. We're lookingat making useable length or rope & twine.

 

[Toddy]

Okay, sorry for the delay, some of my links were broken and I've had to root about to find them again.

Ann Norman illustrated some of Des Pawson's books and has worked with Peter Collingwood too. http://www.sagaman.co.uk
Ann also supplies rope making tools or patterns for making them.

Fred Aldous http://www.fredaldous.co.uk also carries not only fibres but twisters.

I gave up on buying a crown and persuaded my friendly woodturning group to make me one.

I'll post other links as I relocate them...some of them were just folks I wrote to or phoned.

Let me know how you get on, and it'd be interesting to see what you make.
Regards,
Toddy