Free Krab in giants upper pullthrough!

2xw

Active member
I think I screwed it up whilst under load. Tried to get it off with my teeth and chipped one like a total nobhead (can I self refer as a nobhead on UKC?). I now consider it cursed, yours if you want it and can get it off  ;)
 

SamT

Moderator
Did you try putting it under load again to undo ?? e.g. clip your cows tail to it and hang off it?

Bair of grips should do the trick I imagine.
 

2xw

Active member
No I tried biting it - didn't work. But maybe I'll pop back with some grips and lube
 

Alex

Well-known member
Probbably not a good idea, but I always find hitting them with rocks gets them undone!
 

Wardy

Active member
As Sam says they generally need some load applying.
When there is a load on the karabiner it is quite common to just have a quick check to see if it is done up properly. When you do this you can often get a little bit of an extra turn on the gate, however when unloaded they are then more difficult to release.
The reason is most connectors elongate a little under load - allowing further tightening of the gate. They are in effect a C shape and under lower loads the gate pin does not take any load allowing the c to uncurls a little.
Once you unload the karabiner it reverts to its previous length and locks the gate - sometimes so it cannot be undone.
So rather than bite or hit it just clip in to it and apply a load and the try again.
If that fails then feel free to bray the living daylights out of it, but throw it away afterwards!!!!!
 

T pot 2

Active member
It's not correct practice but I never tighten a crab or mallion tight I always tighten them and then back them off a quarter of a turn
 

2xw

Active member
droid said:
Few pies from Bradda Chippy and go back later....

Actually this was the reason I was up there, couldn't get up the f'in stresmway


Thanks everyone for your advice and good technical explanation!!
 

andrewmcleod

Well-known member
It should also be pointed out that modern screwgates are much less prone to locking up when tightened under load than old ones.

Older carabiner gates used to tighten directly up against the top curve of the carabiner; that meant that tightening the carabiner under load, while slightly stretched, was almost guaranteed to jam it up.

Modern carabiners have a stop which prevents the gate from being tightened up against the curve of the carabiner. Consequently, they can routinely be tightened up all the way, and even if tightened under load they _shouldn't_ jam. Of course, the carabiner is still changing shape under load so it can sometimes jam that way, but usually not and less severely.

It's a 'modern' carabiner if you can 'click' the gate when it's done up tightly.
 

Pete K

Well-known member
Although the newer Petzl OK oval with I beam profile are total buggers for sticking shut. They occasionally needed mole grips after doing up with no force at all. Well they were sticky when first released, but I think they quietly solved the issue as I've not heard of it happening for a while now.
 
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