I am wanting to run a Zip Line across my swimmin' hole ( nice sized pond) but I don't know anything about them except that I came down a mountain that way once upon a time.
Anyone have any real words of wisdom on them?
Although it would mostly be used to enter the water with style I think I'd like to make it so that you could go all the way to the other side feet dry.
I think that would mean I'd have it with a dip in the center so that it would slow you down before you hit the other side (tree).
Assuming you would like to jump off into the pond It would probly be a hang-bar type, as compared to one that conects to a climbing harness. Definging this will help narrow the search
MAKE magazine had an article on this. It should be on makezine.com.
how deep is the pond?
Could you sink 2 support posts?
heh.. why when you say zip lines.. I think explosives?
The pond is plenty deep 15-20' in this area and I have steep banks on one end with low bank on dam, so I was going to go from tall end to the other.
And yes, I was thinking hang bar rather than harness like I used to come down the mountain. I can just see you trying to un hook yourself with the harness in time to splash down into the water rather than on land.
I have about a 250' run so this could be fun.
I'd never heard of Makezine but that's pretty cool. They really didn't have much info on a zipline tho.
With a long run, what's the easiest way to get your Zipper (I made that up) back?
It would slow it down a bit, but you could run a line off the "zip" and either use some sort of counter weight or spring system to pull it back.
ncjay
New Reader
5/13/09 5:38 p.m.
When you get it finished, let us all know so we can come over and check out the craftsmanship. I'll bring beer.
So you want a video of my fat a$$ screaming like a girl as I rocket towards an immovable object at high speed with no brakes and no R compounds?
carguy123 wrote:
So you want a video of my fat a$$ screaming like a girl as I rocket towards an immovable object at high speed with no brakes and no R compounds?
in one word........YESSSSSS!!!!!!
Osterkraut wrote:
Zip lines, no.
Zip ties, yes!
My first thought to this response was Duck Tape. Dont know why. 
Slightly different type of Zip than I had in mind. This is for after the autocross/track day/HPDE when you really need to cool down and unwind.
Ebay? I hate ebay, but I never even thought of looking there. I guess I'll just swallow my pride, win a few bids, have all the sellers refuse to sell, insult me, my kids, my wife, my ancestry, sexual preferences, lack of sex, try to scam their way into my bank account, steal my credit card numbers, have to report yet another ebay seller to the police dept on my end and on his end and oh wait, there's nothing in this world I want enough to cause me to even pull up an ebay page.
Datsun1500 wrote:
I have a 150 foot line that I put up last month for my Daughters birthday party. I found the easiest way was to buy a kit off of ebay. Mine came with cable, clamps, and a hang style bar. I have a part of a tow strap tied to the bottom that you can grab and pull it back to the start. I had a small rope but when you let go the bar would spin and wrap the rope around the cable.
How hard was it? I've heard there can be severe wear factors on the pulley if it's not sized properly to the cable.
How big was your cable? (be nice everyone) How hard was it to get the cable up and stretched?
Obviously we can't walk under the cable and drag the pulley back to the starting point, so would a larger/longer rope that would reach to the shore to allow you to drag it back get in the way or worse yet hang/burn someone at the starting end?
How much did it cost you?
carguy123 wrote:
Ebay? I hate ebay, but I never even thought of looking there. I guess I'll just swallow my pride, win a few bids, have all the sellers refuse to sell, insult me, my kids, my wife, my ancestry, sexual preferences, lack of sex, try to scam their way into my bank account, steal my credit card numbers, have to report yet another ebay seller to the police dept on my end and on his end and oh wait, there's nothing in this world I want enough to cause me to even pull up an ebay page.
hmmmm. have an issue with a seller?
A seller? Try I've only had one transaction that they didn't try to shake me down and I have spent many a useless hour with Ebay security or whatever they call it and have spent many an hour with local law enforcment officials both on my end and usually California law officials.
alex
HalfDork
5/14/09 2:20 a.m.
carguy123 wrote:
With a long run, what's the easiest way to get your Zipper (I made that up) back?
Hmm. This is a very interesting problem that had not previously occurred to me.
We have a zip line out back for the kid. He loves it.
One thing I quickly learned, have it high on the ends and drooped in the middle so that it's nearly stopped at the end of its travel. Having your son slam into a tree at the far end of the cable because you didn't quite recognize the importance of that sag gets you in trouble with your wife.
A few feet of rope hanging off the bottom works perfectly for getting the zipline zipper back up. You sort of whip toss it and back up it goes.
3/16" cable? Man, I had it pegged for needing bigger which made we worry about the weight.
I will be using pipe poles and then I'm guying them off to some handy trees so the guy wires don't clothesline you when you come walking buy or have to work around them when mowing. Thanx for the truck tip. I really hadn't thought about how hard it would be pulling it tight. I guess I just thought I'd use a fence stretcher.
I had intended it to sag some for just the reason you mentioned, although my neighbor said that you really went a lot faster on a tight cable.
The full length rope is the first thing that came to my mind for retrieval, but I have been worried about tangling with itself and on someone's hand, arm, whatever. This is the main reason I was wondering about a kit, thinking that they would have an elegant solution.
$139's cheaper than I thought. Now to see if I can find on that's not on Ebay. I appreciate you sharing.
My neighbor said he bought his pulley set up at Home Depot in their playground equipment area, I'll have to go check them out today.
It's amazing what you can find on the internet.
http://www.outdoorfunstore.com/zipline.asp
Here's twin zip lines for racing. Now that's more like it!
http://www.caverntours.com/MC_zip_line.htm
Here's a homemade on near me with some sage words of wisdom.
http://www.briangreenstone.com/zipline/page2.html
Who'da thunk it, zip lines are therapy.
My daughter teaches special ed in HS. Maybe I can charge to send them down it.
http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/backyard-zip-line.html
I knew a guy who broke his leg badly by falling off a zip line into shallow water. It wouldn't stop me from trying it, though.
Clem
