Rope Washer Design and Usage - A Level DT Project

ben_m

ben_m

New member
Hi everyone. I'm aware that this topic has probably been covered extensively on this forum, but I would appreciate your feedback in the design of a rope washer for use in a caving hut setting. As part of my A Level in Design and Technology, I am required to carry out a survey of product users for my market research section of the qualification. If you have a spare minute, could you please click on the link below and answer my short survey. If you have any additional comments, I'd love to hear them on this thread :)
Thanks very much,
Ben Marks (TSG/YSS)

SURVEY: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...KlhsWMIvGBziK2WHet4T7org/viewform?usp=sf_link
 
Brains

Brains

Well-known member
My old rope washer was a length of kitchen waste pipe with a rolled up piece of astro turf or plastic bristles doormat inserted. Mid length a T piece was fitted to take a hose pipe. A length of copper pipe could be pushed into the tube and the ropes pushed into it. Pulling the pipe out left the rope ready to wash. Fixed to the wall with U clips huge amounts of rope could be done very quickly in only 2 or 3 passes
 
wellyjen

wellyjen

Well-known member
Brains said:
My old rope washer was a length of kitchen waste pipe with a rolled up piece of astro turf or plastic bristles doormat inserted. Mid length a T piece was fitted to take a hose pipe. A length of copper pipe could be pushed into the tube and the ropes pushed into it. Pulling the pipe out left the rope ready to wash. Fixed to the wall with U clips huge amounts of rope could be done very quickly in only 2 or 3 passes
Click to expand...
This is mine to exactly this design, except it is portable, as I don't have a wall to fix it to. Works very well, so it does. Done in 40mm PVC waste pipe and fittings, solvent welded together.
rope-washer.jpg
 
wellyjen

wellyjen

Well-known member
ben_m said:
Hi everyone. I'm aware that this topic has probably been covered extensively on this forum, but I would appreciate your feedback in the design of a rope washer for use in a caving hut setting. As part of my A Level in Design and Technology, I am required to carry out a survey of product users for my market research section of the qualification. If you have a spare minute, could you please click on the link below and answer my short survey. If you have any additional comments, I'd love to hear them on this thread :)
Thanks very much,
Ben Marks (TSG/YSS)

SURVEY: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...KlhsWMIvGBziK2WHet4T7org/viewform?usp=sf_link
Click to expand...
Just spotted that you're a TSG member, so you'll have seen the rope washer in the chapel.
Rope washers are of two basic types. A personal one, designed for occasional use, by some one used to whatever foibles it has and multi user ones. The latter might be in a caving club hut, or outdoor centre and need to wash hundreds of metres a week by many different people. For that it needs to be easy to understand and load up. Ropes need to not jump any pulleys in it and not go through tight angles without pulleys, as these add a lot of friction.
For materials, astroturf as the cleaning bristles is hard to beat. I've used coir matting, which is cheap to buy (cut up a rubber backed coir door mat) and works, but needs replacing more often. For the framework, that it gets wet a lot is the big consideration. Steel rusts, plywood delaminates and rots. I'd be looking at HDPE (high density polyethylene). As light as wood, cheap for a plastic and available in a range of thicknesses. Its low melting point isn't going to be an issue here. I've used the stuff for a lot of different things over the years and if I was building a big rope washer would use it.
Jen
 
wellyjen

wellyjen

Well-known member
To add, HDPE is near impossible to glue, but can be joined by self tapping screws, nuts/bolts.
 
pwhole

pwhole

Well-known member
For a club one like ours. add a clear front window so you can see it going though for added entertainment. If you can't see it going through it needs another pass! Does this mean ours if finally getting replaced as part of the project conclusion? ;)
 
wellyjen

wellyjen

Well-known member
BTWynn said:
I'll happily use a washing machine on only slightly dirty rope, but if its caked in mud after being down some foul hole on Mendip then an outdoor rope washer is a must, at least for a first pass.
Click to expand...
Or some one elses washing machine! :D
 
F

Fulk

Well-known member
While I acknowledge that this is not much help to the OP (sorry, ben-m), I used to use one of the 'conventional' type of rope washer, being a bit sceptical about sticking ropes in a washing machine. One day I decided to give it a go, and, glancing in the machine, was amazed at how much muck was coming out of a 'clean' rope, so I've used the washing machine for rope washing ever since – though with the caveat that really mucky ropes are given a pre-wash first (as already noted above).
 
ben_m

ben_m

New member
Hi everyone.
Firstly, can I just say I am overwhelmed by the quality and volume of responses I have received for this. I have read through everyone's comments on here too, and will take them all to heart. For now, I have stopped the survey accepting any more responses as I am having to process all of them for school, so I don't want too many! I will keep everyone updated on the progress of the washer, and who knows, you might get to use it at the TSG! If we don't want it at the chapel then I will auction it off and put the money towards cave rescue :)
 
pwhole

pwhole

Well-known member
To be honest if I ever use my own ropes they also go in the washing- machine at home if they're not filthy - loosely chained in one of those string vest pillowcases from the army stores up the road.
 
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