“NEW” 300% Breaking Strain All Dyneema soft shackle

[Boatguy30]

100% BS is usually my limit.....

[StuM]

Originally Posted by FabioC

Interesting work, although a % strength claim based on a breakage test is always a gray area... (most of the time, the dyneema line would not break at the stated tension in a test either).

Are you going to publish how to make your improved shackle (like most of the other improved shackles)? If so, where?

Thanks.

Relevant post in the previous link?

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2428513 and subsequent posts

[rom]

How many %BS would I reach if made 4 turns of dyneema instead of 2 ?

[StuM]

Originally Posted by rom

How many %BS would I reach if made 4 turns of dyneema instead of 2 ?

To a "close enough approximation ", with a long enough soft shackle to make the necessary wraps, doubling the number of turns halves the load at any point in the system and so doubles the breaking strain.

It's the same principle as working out loads with blocks and tackles.

[Jim Cate]

Honest question for the designers of soft shackles: would it not be easier to simply up the size of the Dyneema line used in construction and use a simpler shackle design (if greater strength is needed)?

My personal experience is that the standard designs in reasonable size line are more than adequately strong for my uses. YMMV, of course!

Jim

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Honest question for the designers of soft shackles: would it not be easier to simply up the size of the Dyneema line used in construction and use a simpler shackle design (if greater strength is needed)?

Jim

My choice too, a 1/4" soft shackle is probably strong enough for the sheets to genoa on a 31 ft yacht but I went up to a 1/2" size which just looks better, nice blue colour too. It is also easier to open with cold wet hands.

Pete

[rom]

Originally Posted by StuM

To a "close enough approximation ", with a long enough soft shackle to make the necessary wraps, doubling the number of turns halves the load at any point in the system and so doubles the breaking strain.

It's the same principle as working out loads with blocks and tackles.

Really !? but then the OP could have achieved the same strength with 1 single rope double the size ? ah no, doesn't work, that would 100% breaking strength, arf there is got to be something magic in there !

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Honest question for the designers of soft shackles: would it not be easier to simply up the size of the Dyneema line used in construction and use a simpler shackle design (if greater strength is needed)?

My personal experience is that the standard designs in reasonable size line are more than adequately strong for my uses. YMMV, of course!

Jim

Agree going up in size, it's so strong already all that force concentrated in such a small area doesn't feel right.

[Benz]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Honest question for the designers of soft shackles: would it not be easier to simply up the size of the Dyneema line used in construction and use a simpler shackle design (if greater strength is needed)?

My personal experience is that the standard designs in reasonable size line are more than adequately strong for my uses. YMMV, of course!

Jim

The trouble I have with going up a line size is that the knot gets bigger as well--sometimes the elegance of a smaller knot is desirable.
The direction everything seems to be going is toward covered loops, with multiple turns of small line inside, where the spliced ends don't bulk up the strop very much. The problem with these, although very versatile, is that there's no diamond knot option, so a toggle (sometimes called a "dogbone") is used for a closure. Tylaska makes some; so do I.

[Pilgrimtex]

Thanks to everyone for sharing. And for the addition of (Breaking Strain). First off the shackle uses a standard button knot like the one Brian toss came up with for shackles. The Chinese Button knot. I started tying shackles using a diamond knot and slowly developed y diamond knots to where they had the strength of a standard button knot shackle but the eventual failure mode was always at the knot in the end; whereas the standard button knot was usually at the loop around the knot. I had long since eliminated the loop failure but not the knot failure so I adopted the button knot.
What I call my standard shackle or the little brother breaks at 250-260% on average and the failure is always in the Dyneema around midway in the knot. This is because my shackle has reinforcing Dyneema going around the knot and then you have the tails of the button knot that is buried in the shackle so both ends are strengthened.
Recently I worked on a new design that utilizes the tails of the button to reinforce the entire shackle. In order to do this I had to come up with a new idea for where the lines cross to form the loop. (Attached Pic). With this new design I was able to achieve 280% strength but the shackle is complex requiring a calculator and some lock stitching. I had not yet reached my goal as well. The two shackles pictured is my 280% and a standard shackle design using the button knot. (Not my standard shackle).

[Pilgrimtex]

Living on a dock with the marina wifi is a real P.I.T A. LOL

[Pilgrimtex]

I live on our boat with my Baby. “Treva”. We use my shackles all over the boat so yes they are for marine use. LOL
I did not pursue this quest just for the sailor. The need for a tough strong compact shackle that you can depend on is needed not just by us but racing, off roaders, climbers, flat wire, Rescue etc. That’s where my new shackle fits. It’s not for your run of the mill sheet or halyard but for extreme conditions and that’s why I call it my TOUGH GUY shackle. For the rest of the world TOUGH GUY’s little brother is up to the task.
There is no hype or whatever. It is an all Dyneema shackle. It uses the Button knot which has been taken to the extreme. And uses good construction techniques acquired over a year of work striving to take the button and Dyneema to the max..
Walt Spang

[Suijin]

So you're going to market this as a product, and not reveal how it's made, is that correct?

[Pilgrimtex]

I should market it as a product for all the time and money I've invested in the last year. But that's not where I'm coming from.
I will continue to reveal the construction and I plan to make a you tube video though I never made one before. I'm a just 72 year old Vet with a 100% disability. We are sailors not business people. It would be kinda nice though if while traveling someone might say They heard of me and my shackle. LOL
By the way if you go to l-36.com there are posts I have made over that time that reveal a lot about the little brother shackle for now as well as some other work I've done.
Walt Spang

[unbusted67]

Bumping this for myself.

I know this probably falls under "Dyneema Shackles: a beginner's guide" but can you use these on sheets and halyards? What stops them from opening up when flogging?