100 pound kevlar shock cord line: Braided versus Twisted

[brockrwood]

I bought braided kevlar line (kite line) on Amazon. 100 pound stuff.

See pic. On the left.

On the right is some 100 pound kevlar line that I had in my parts bin. It seems to be merely “twisted” not “braided”. I thought that the braided stuff would not unravel as easily. Both of the cords seem fairly resistant to unravelling. The twisted stuff is thinner.

I guesd I will find out if there is any advantage to using braided kevlar line by just using it and observing.

 

[Grog6]

Typically, twisted line untwists under a load, where braided does not.

 

[mh9162013]

I prefer braided. Just add a dab of glue to the cut end and no worries about unraveling.

With twisted, it could come undone just from regular use.

 

[brockrwood]

It still unravels. Even the braided stuff.

 

[brockrwood]

I prefer braided. Just add a dab of glue to the cut end and no worried about unraveling.

One dab of glue coming up…

I sometimes avoid dabs of glue on knots because sometimes it gives me a hard, little, pointy piece of cord sticking out that tends to catch on the shroud lines and shock cord. Better than fraying and the knot coming undone though.

 

[mh9162013]

One dab of glue coming up…

Just don't use CA.

 

[MidOH]

CA is fine if it's just the tip. Epoxy is smarter, but slower.

Just the end, not the knot.

 

[mh9162013]

CA is fine if it's just the tip.

OP: It's easier to keep it at just the tip when using thicker CA formulations.

I just use wood glue to keep things easy.

 

[MidOH]

It's a good place for the cheap gooey Gorilla glue brand CA.

 

[brockrwood]

It's a good place for the cheap gooey Gorilla glue brand CA.

Like this stuff I got at the 50 percent off shelf at Safeway a couple of days ago?



If the purpose is just to stop fraying and to keep a knot from coming untied, a little drop of Titebond II should also work, no?

 

[mh9162013]

a little drop of Titebond II should also work, no?

It should, yes.

 

[MidOH]

Yeah, that's it.

Titebond take 87 weeks to dry. I can storm Canada and conquer it with a plate of waffles and syrup, in the time Titebond takes to dry in the most mundane rocket tasks.

 

[mh9162013]

Titebond take 87 weeks to dry. I can storm Canada and conquer it with a plate of waffles and syrup, in the time Titebond takes to dry in the most mundane rocket tasks.

Does that apply to the II and III versions?

 

[MidOH]

Yep. It's insanely slow. Unless you need to slide in a coupler or motor mount. Then it grabs and dries in less than 1 second.

I'm all epoxy and CA now.

 

[rharshberger]

Yes the tips of the free end of the knot unravels, twisted will unravel in the load bearing section braided will not.

 

[MadRocketer]

I just wrap the loose end and the working end together with a couple wraps of masking tape just below the knot. Kind of like shrink tube, but with tape.