JimK,
Is your surgical tubing throw weight launch system ready for prime time?

I found that a length of surge-tube between upper & lower ascenders on SRT works way better than the old bungee trick. Way better!

Also. . .
A while back I came across a factory in Australia that manufactures hi-tech bungee cord for marine use which boasts a stretch & recovery rate of five times greater than surge-tube. I never did follow up on it though.

So Jim, does your Short-Shot device have a future?
Can it be refined?
Even 30 feet would make it a handy short range gadget.
Looking for more info on this,
-Ej-
----------------------------------
P.S. “Hooded screaming monkey attacked by mad Corgi”.
Gee, I’m finally starting to feel at home here on the TCI board!

Hey EJ,

To me this is ready to implement on the fly. I think there's more definition on the type of material and length of segment to be worked out. There are some nuances to explore. There's an early indication that this will boost a conventional throw. Probably a tweak of technique and configuration will provide the best yield on performance. I know of one other climber that has that underway. If you're able to explore bungee material that would be very cool. Having others pass a technique around and finding ways to optimize it is fun. Though I'll play with a concept like that for a couple of years, I'm very frugal about exploring all possibilities. For me it has to be off the shelf from the local hardware store or something that I can sew with my basic skills.

If you map out the climbing process step by step, a list of opportunities for improvement bubbles up. I recognize that a shrewd machinist could whip up widgets right and left - which may or may not be economically practical. _base_d on how I grew up, I'll always take the Apollo 13 approach where you dump out the available materials on the table and reassemble them into a new process flow.

For example the simplest implementation of this is to attach a 10 inch "latex" tubing via a Pile Hitch to the throw line. It juts out perpendicular to the throwline. It ain't pretty, but it works. Because of that feature, I'll keep a piece of tubing on me as an option.

Please furnish us with some more specific specs. What size latex tubing do you use? Where do you get good tubing? What size weight do you use? What kind of throw line are you using?

What is a Pile Hitch? My knot books do not list it. Could you show us how to tie it?

You show an underhand grip while shooting. Could a top of the hand pinch grip (thumb and index finger) be used?

What is the misfire ratio? Is it dependable?

Jim, I didn’t want to push you for the engineering details but since the Treeman has set the table here, I might as well ask. . .

Is the tubing simply tied between the end of the throw line and the weight?
I have a few different tricks for attaching tubing to hardware but they are mediocre at best. How do you do it?

I’m sitting here on this cold winter night with 2 foot of tubing, a throw weight, some line, and the burning desire to build a better mouse trap.

Tutelage welcomed,
-Ej-

Treeman,

Let me know if this list answers your quesitons. There's an early indication that the 5.b. configuration (described below) will add power and height to the conventional swing and throw method.

Specifications
1. Wgt 8 oz.
2. Latex tubing 3/8" OD x 1/4" ID part no. 048643-065222
3. Throwline type shouldn't matter. The one depicted is 1/8" polyester from Sears Hardware.
4. Tubing length 10"
5. Configurations:
......a. Line threaded through the tubing
......b. Tubing connects the line to the weight.
......c. Only one end of the tubing connects to the throwline via the Pile Hitch below. This is the quick and dirty set-up done on the fly.

Throwing Procedure
1. Think of this as adding power to a flick of the wrist throw. It's not a sling shot type of shooter.
2. Holding the end of the tube in one hand and the weight in the other hand, stretch the tubing out.
3. Aim with the hand holding the end of the tubing.
4. Keep the wrist and elbow bent
5. Feel the force. Want the target. It's reliable on hitting it.
6. Release the weight.
7. Flick the wrist and add arm motion.
8. Release the tubing
9. Do this in any position on the body where the arm has ~1 foot of follow through. It can be a flick or a full arm extension.


Details on the Configurations
5.a. Once the 10" tube is placed on the throwline, the throwline is attached to the weight. A long tail is left. That tail is tied to the tubing. Thus far the Buntline Hitch has been highly successful in gripping the tubing over repeated cycles of throws. The advantage is that the integrity of the original throwline isn't compromised. The downside is that it's more cumbersome to reach maximum throw.

5.b. Here the tubing is the last 10" of the line. Slits small enough to run the throwline through are made in the tubing 3/4" from the end. Once the throwline is brought inside the tubing and back out of the slit, it's tied with a Buntline. A ~6" segment of throwline is made to connect the tubing to the throw weight in precisely the same manner. The advantage is that maximum distance is easily achieved. A second advantage is that it adds power to a conventional swing and throw. The downside is that the strength of hold is unknown.

5.c. This configuration is for the scenario where you have a conventional weight and no good option to swing it. Since we all carry 10" latex tubing in our pocket, you quickly pull it out and attach it via the Pile Hitch (below). The Pile Hitch holds one end of the latex tubing on the throwline. The other end sticks out away from the line. This configuration ain't pretty, and it ain't aerodynamic. It simply shoots a conventional weight, where a swinging throw can't go. The advantage here is the quick set-up on the fly. The negative is that it results in the shortest throw.

The Pile Hitch is commonly used to attach the throwline to the climbing line.

This will show the throwline connecting to the weight. A long tail is used to connect back to the tubing with a Buntline.

Though I've made configuration 5.b., it hasn't been photographed.