Anyone ever just use straight up amsteel rope or something of that nature for replacement depower lines? Does the throw of the bar wear it out too fast, or does it actually last?

I think the one I'm replacing was a dyneema line sheathed with dacron or some other synthetic braided covering. I assume it doesn't make a big difference since it's relatively inexpensive to replace 4 feet of rope at the bar.

I think back in 2009 (8 years already :puzzled: :sniff: ) I sent Bobby some bare amsteel to replace the centerline on an arc bar.

I don't think the wear resistance is the concern, it's the fact that when it does go, you have little to no warning. If you are far from base camp it might be a long walk.

If you have a source that will sell you Amsteel II Plus, it's not painfully expensive and it's Amsteel with an polyester sleeve/outer casing. II Plus is "life of crime" spendy if you try to buy it by the spool. :o

When the sleeving wears out you know it's time to replace, but still have a bit of a safety margin because the sleeving has been protecting the dyneema core.

In the end, I guess it depends on if you are the type of person that waits for the low fuel light on the car dash to come on before looking for a gas station. :D

ATB,
Sam

Flysurfer's original line must have been skinned with dacron. it's definitely not as strong as what looks like an 800lb dyneema core. The core is comically thin compared to the casing (which failed).

I got a piece made from a local sail shop and tying it off was about the only problem. This stuff is like trying to tie snot together. I managed to get a knot to work but it needed a big one to avoid slipping, and I lost an inch or two of bar throw.

I don't really see how amsteel could fail without warning. This is probabaly 1/4 inch amsteel so if it doesn't hold about 10000lbs without trying, I would think it would have to at least fray pretty badly before breaking. I'll keep an eye on the knot slippage and everything else and see what happens. I can always go get a sleeved version of amsteel and try again.

The cheapest Amsteel Blue I have seen is at defender.com. See http://search.defender.com/?expression=amsteel&s=1 FYI, the "Blue" is just a name. It does not imply color. As to color, always get the gray stuff as it is uncolored. The ones with color leach the color onto your hands and your gear. Then they look faded. The gray stays gray and never turns your hands gray. :-)

Philip

This might be a dumb question, but what exactly is the difference between Amsteel and Dyneema? And Spectra for that matter?

As far as I know, Amsteel is just a re-branded Dyneema material (fibers braided into a rope)

Dyneema and Spectra are the two brands of UHMPE fiber
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-molecular-weight_po...

Two good reads:

- Whose Line Is That from the CoastalWindsports website

- Kent's (awindofchange) postS from the "Dyneema vs Spectra" thread.

ATB,
Sam