Hi,
I am looking for a substance that I can use to protect a bell rope against the impact of rain/sun/etc.
Can anyone help me with the name of a material that can be used to protect bell ropes?
Thanks,
Bert
Hi Bert,
First things first - what is the bell rope made from? Also, what latitude is it in, so that we may know if this is equatorial, tropical, rain forest, tundra or what? Looking forward to hearing more from you
SR
PS - I was initially tempted to say “put a roof over it,” but that may be too expensive, so - next best thing may be to protect it with a grease or wax coating or a separate cover such as sewn canvas or a polyester cover from a piece of double-braid line. However, both of these types of answer assume something about what it is and where it is, so please do not think I am being deliberately difficult - I seriously want to know! Thanks,
Hi,
I’ve tried to change my handle but can’t seem to. Squarerigger is now the President of the IGKT-PAB and I want to be “KnotNow!” however the system keeps me as PABPRES. Forgive the system. I live in a temperate rainforest. 110 inches of rain and 60 degrees F. Mold, mildew rot and corruption. My door bell rope (about 50% to the weatherside) has black mold in 12 months after being soaked in bleach. Pine tar soaked work (in the shadow) gets mold and looks ugly in 6 months. Treatments with copper base seem to hold back the growth.. but seem to be hard to find “at the market” in some places. Knot work is attacked from both within and from the surface. The sun degrades stuff from the surface and humidity and the resultant bio’s degrade other stuff from the core. You have come on with one of the great problems… how to make hand made stuff last as well as plastic castings.
Here is some helpful thoughts: Traditional rope work was painted with oil base paint. It was also treated with pine tar. It was also left to weather to a happy patina. Knots rot away. There are no 40K year old fancy knots.
Many people I know use wood glue, the kind that is milky white when in the bottle and will dry clear. Make a solution like 10 parts water, one part glue, soak well and let dry with as little touching as posible. (Hanging in a ventilated room might be best.)
Various paints are also used but do hide the details of your knotwork.
Willeke
The white “wood glue” is also known as PVA glue. As Willeke already said this works rather good for protection. I also use acrylic floor laquer to paint my bellropes with. It gives the same result as good old (boat) varnish. This stuff is water based so less dangerous to you and the environment.
Hope this is of help…
André
I made a bellrope for a ferry 6 years ago…flat acyrillic paint - white..or 3 coats of varnish
Still looks good.
One VERY important factor that nobody has mentioned yet - TEST whatever you want to use on a piece of the same material BEFORE you treat your work.
Just as an example, clear varnish will turn a light brown hemp almost black - I know, to my cost!
Gordon
Thank you all for responding.
I have read the messages, but was wondering how to send an answer back.
I guess this is the way to do it, so here it goes.
I live in Atlanta, GA and the weather here is hot and humid in the summer. The winter is short and just around freezing point.
I used white Nylon .25" cord.
I tried to find the white wood glue, but the glue I found at Home Depot didn’t look white in the bottle - more of a beige/yellowish color. My neighbor works a lot with wood, but was on vacation for 2 weeks. He came back last night so I will ask him to try some things on a piece of rope, which was an excellent idea, Gordon.
I would like to keep the bell rope white if possible.
I saw waterproof boat sealing and wondered if that could be applied. It would stay flexible too. It would probably feel a bit rubbery, but ..
If you have any more suggestions, please let me know.
Onno
Some time has passed so I wonder what you ended up with? White Glue “elmers” really is quite good as are the best of the finishes intended for gluing wood. These make a hard finish and a hard bell rope, which may not be desireable. I was just “bleaching out” my “911” nylon bell rope (which is red, white and blue… and is my door ringer bell rope). Nylon just gets bleached out. The mold and milldew I took out were nasty black, turning the whole thing quite black and ugly. I could have put it into boiling water and worked it with a brush for much the same result but the residual bleach in the fiber keeps the mildew at bay for a few months longer than just washing at a boil. I can varnish it but the rigid nature that varnish produces is not wish for my bell rope. I do paint most of my outdoor stuff. Just think of 100% humidity and 40 degrees F, rain most days, overcast much of the time and damp 24x7x365. Mold and mildew are our big problems here in the rainforest. We do get some sun but almost nothing here degrades from UV exposure. I suggest looking around your area and seeing what is used on homes and for yard art or signs. Then you can draw on the experience of local people for durable finishes that they have used and have found available without sending off for the stuff. Please let us know how you finish your knots.