The Captn's Wench: PE Device

My Lowe’s store is also sooo far away and had to look for a substitute for the grippers. Being in the building trade, I spotted super dense foam squares that were stuck to the new windows that I ordered. They protect the windows when stacked together. I tried them and they work fantastic! one side is super sticky and the other side is sorta bumpy and easily cut to size and free. Try your local lumber yard (hehe) and take a couple for nothing. Use the blue colored ones and not the multi-colored type. These things grip like mad and are yet gentle to your skin .

OK Ike,
Sorry it took so long but the day was so nice here and the water was just demanding my time today. Not only is PirateSteve my forum name, it is what everyone I know has called me in person for quite a number of years (it’s even on my monkey-business cards). My location listing is indeed my boats name also. I don’t hide behind pseudonyms!

Now, my gel insoles are (or were before I cut them up) clear ones, but I have cut up blue ones in the past. This is not the first time gel insoles have sacrificed themselves for an experiment as I use them to cushion electronics on the boat as well as for PE purposes, not to mention always wearing them inside my shoes. I have never had an ooze problem, they seem quite solid and easily cut up. Not all of them have a felt backing, but if you score one that does you need no “girlie” Velcro to attach it to some “boy” Velcro, it sticks all by itself. I only cushion the grippers, not any more of the “cylinder”. You could just as easily contact cement the cut up gel insole and the gripper together and skip the Velcro altogether if you wanted.

Last night I took one pair of grippers (goodness knows I have almost a dozen in the package) and spread a nice thick even layer of aquarium silicone on the rough surface top (it HAS to be the aquarium kind if you are putting it next to your skin, the regular silicone is toxic). Tried it out hanging just now and it worked as nicely as the gel insole. This gave me another idea. Since a lot of folks (including me) are having difficulty getting the grippers, I think ANY hard material with a layer of silicone on top could work to replace them. I will cut up my wooden ruler tomorrow and lather up the pieces with silicone. Should be able to try them out AM on Monday. Admiral Hook, you see any reason why this wouldn’t work?

Oh, a side note to the above post. My wife saw me hooking up the Wench and said “You are crazy!” She doesn’t mind me pumping my dick up and wandering around the house with the tube stuck on but this kinda scared her a bit. So, I cut a 40 inch piece of webbing for an extra long loop and fished it down my sweats. Put on black socks to match the black webbing and stuck my foot through the loop. She didn’t know I had it on and did my stretching while watching the boob tube. STEALTH WENCHING :D

PirateSteve, so you know, I wasn’t seriously challenging your identity by asking if that’s your real name. It’s just a silly thing my friends and I say to each other sometimes. I think it’s probably ripped off from some old spy movie. We use it for things like: “So Ron Goldblum, if that is your real name, are you getting the chicken phad thai?”

I’m envious you had sun down there at the complete opposite end of the country. It’s been raining kittens and koala bears up here.

And Clawhammer, next time you need to go to Lowes just paddle over. I’ll give you a ride and drop you off back at the beach, or ferry, or whatever.

OK Guys.

I have been unable to locate the “grippers” that have been recommended.

I have found that if I substitute 8 of the little (1/2 “) square ,adhesive backed bumpers from “waxman” , which I found at “Home Depot”, that this is a very effective replacement.

I’m probably not a good judge on this subject, as this is my first voyage into the hanging realm.

Wow - a lot of activity here.
Gprent-
>I am holding one of those pink erasers in my hand. It measures: 1”x2”x1/4”. Pliable hard rubber. Don’t know how much they cost, but I bet it is a hell if a lot cheaper then grippers, and might even do a better job. Seems to me would be a perfect replacement, if not a better way to go altogether.<

I’m curious as to what brand eraser this is - I’d like to check them out. Try to post the name brand of this product. Those dimensions perfectly match the Waxman Grippers. I doubt they match the perfect density of the Waxmans so please hold off on anointing them “a better way to go altogether”. If ever you get your hands on the Waxmans I think you’ll understand why I’ve used them in the design and continue to recommend them.
It has already been noted that the Waxmans have a sticky adhesive backing. The bond this achieves with the Velcro backing is hard to believe. Once stuck together it’s almost impossible to take apart. Also, the Waxmans have an excellent textured front-face that provides the tooth in its bite.
An eraser is designed to wear down, to essentially “crumble” when friction is applied - that’s part of its function. The Waxmans do not wear down, they’re all at once soft and pliable but hard as hell. An amazing combination of resistance and give.
And let’s not forget appearance. The dark, nearly black color of the Waxmans only enhance the “stealth” advantage that the Wench has over many other hangers.
I know, I know…none of that means shit, Cap if we can’t get the Waxmans. But I need to stress that if anyone building a Wench can get them - don’t even consider an alternative.
Trust your Captn on this one: There is no better way to go.

Thanks Gprent

It absolutely would - if you can deal with the texture of an Ace on your skin. This is a personal preference of mine, but I like using Theraband solo. It has no texture whatsoever and therefore really easy on the skin beneath it.
I’m a total sissy-pirate when it comes to pain and discomfort.

As we get deeper and deeper into this thread I think it’s probably a good time to break out the ol’ messiah complex and let loose a sermon:
For anyone new to using a hanger I have to stress that you must become wise on the subject. For example, the guys who are entertaining the idea of no-wrap hanging have been doing this for a long time with various hangers and know what to expect from the experience. Others here can take one look at the Wench and immediately see the advantages and disadvantages it offers - all without ever strapping one on. If the Wench is your introduction to using a hanging device, understand that she might look sexy as hell but in the end she’s still just a hanging device.
Suck on some science and stay smart:
Hanging 101 + Sample Routine

Okay…..group hug.

Steve,
It probably will. I experimented for a couple of minutes with 1X2” rectangles of balsa wood covered with a beaded pattern of silicone early on and it did alright. I chose balsa for obvious reasons: It has that combination of “rigid give” that I wanted for lateral compression.
When I discovered the Waxman Grippers I never looked back. I knew I had found the perfect material for the ‘rectangles’ component. I guess it’s just spooky old serendipity that the product is called “Grippers”. And it’s also just shitty old bad luck that it isn’t a more widely offered product.
I’ll be interested to hear of your results. And you’re 100% correct about “Aquarium Silicone” being the stuff to use. The other stuff is poison.
Dick poison if you use it on your dick.

Ahoy! — Big Rear Admiral Hook

Psssst… Pirate (shhh)- Ike is full of shit with that whole “Sorry, it’s something me and my friends do” crap. I happen to know that Ike has no friends…..Ike is really Drew Carey (shhh)

I yield to the brilliant young designer on the gripper issue. Of course, original parts are always the best. I had to fire my editor on that eraser may be better comment.

Ironically enough, my eraser was made by Berol, a company in the UK, where some of the guys asking about gripper alternates are from. I agree, to use them, you would probably have to coat one side with contact cement, let it dry, and then bond it to the velcro. However, since the eraser is held statically in place, wearing out should not be an issue. You should be able to find them where ever school supplies are sold.

As far as color coordination, the black grippers are the only way to go. Pink erasers! Give me a break!!! At least the velcro wrap would cover most of that up when in use.

>I yield to the brilliant young designer on the gripper issue. <

Thank you Gprent. I’m a “frickin genius” after all - haven’t you heard ;)

>I agree, to use them, you would probably have to coat one side with contact cement, let it dry, and then bond it to the velcro. <

These erasers are probably cheap enough that you can experiment with bonding them to the Velcro and not go broke. Try it first w/out glue. It held just fine for me. You’ve probably noticed that the Velcro backing has a pretty strong adhesive on its own (its almost dangerous). A good rule to observe is to use a rectangle of Velcro that matches the proportions of the eraser as tightly as possible. This will minimize any “rocking” effect that can be created by using too small of a Velcro rectangle. It will also help prevent the Velcro rectangle from tearing loose from the eraser/rectangle when using too large a piece of Velcro.

>However, since the eraser is held statically in place, wearing out should not be an issue. <
But there is almost always some minor amount of slippage when hanging, even if it doesn’t effect the quality of your hang. Couple that with the extraordinary pressure of the cable clamp and there has to be some amount of wear on the rubber. Probably negligible in the short term, but annoying due to the “crumbs” it creates.
I arrive at this from experience I’ve had recently playing with this eraser idea. I notice that after hanging with the erasers as rectangles there is a super-fine layer of eraser crumbs on the side of my Theraband wrap. Not a lot, but never something you’d find with the Waxman product or a similar material.
Maybe a thin film of the Aquarium Silicone Pirate mentions would resolve this? I know that this stuff never “crumbles”.
The best results I’ve gotten so far with the erasers has been when I sliced a really thin layer of the “front-face” off of them. Imagine using a razor blade as you would a wood planer - you’re essentially “skinning” the surface face off. This creates a nice rough texture that adds a “tooth” to the eraser’s bite. again, the only problem with this is the crumbling effect caused by the the minor friction between the eraser face and the wrap. And this crumbling might only be increased depending on the type of eraser rubber someone is using. I’ve already noticed a huge variation in consistency from one brand to the next.
The more I think of it the more sense it makes to apply Aquarium Silicone to the front-face of the eraser rectangle, regardless of what brand eraser your using.

Gprent, thanks for the name of your erasers. It’s a different brand than the ones I’ve been trying (Faber Castell, Grumbacher) and could possibly hold better potential as a replacement.

>As far as color coordination, the black grippers are the only way to go. Pink erasers! Give me a break!!! <

Lol…. Go ahead make fun of Cap. But just imagine trying to explain to your wife why you keep applying Velcro to the backs of all these pink erasers.
Ah, the lengths we’ll go for length…..

—-Cap

And Clawhammer, next time you need to go to Lowes just paddle over. I’ll give you a ride and drop you off back at the beach, or ferry, or whatever. [/B][/QUOTE]

We’re not that far away from each other. I’m up in the San Juans!

Hi, for any people in the UK struggling to purchase the items, I managed to find similar products in UK stores - grippers & cable clamp in Bond&White (DIY store). I cut up a nylon strap I had on a gig bag. The only item which I couldn’t find in the UK was the industrial strength velcro, however I managed to find heavy duty velcro at this site 丝瓜app向日葵app幸福宝-丝瓜草莓芭蕉向日葵-丝瓜草莓芭乐秋葵黄瓜向日葵-丝瓜草莓向日葵 . Apparently it holds up to 7kg per square 50mm, which is probably about as much material as you will use on the strap, and 7kg is rougly 15 pounds so that should be ok for a beginner hanger I guess. If that isn’t suitable I found that you can purchase the same velcro product as in the Captn’s illustration on amazon: http://www.amaz on.com/exec/obi … 8862228-4869569

I hope I have helped.

shrd2-
Excellent work! Thanks for doing that.
Looking at the first site you posted, people should scroll down to the group entitled “Heavy Duty Stick On Tape” (not “strips”) this appears to be the same stuff, or very similar. The only differences I see are:
1. It is not described as “Industrial Strength”. Maybe “Heavy Duty” is the marketing term preferred in GB?
2. The dimensions given are 1m x 50mm or 5M x 50mm. Unlike the 1.2M x 50mm of the product I have shown.
BTW: The Amazon product is…”spot on” :)

shrd2 - Are the “Grippers” and clamps you found in the retail store really that similar to Waxman product? What are the brand names of these products. Maybe we can find them in the States or online.
You are man destined for PE sainthood.
All Hail Shrd2!!
-Cap

Here is another Velcro link. Note the search button at the top of the page. This seems to be a site/search link and is infested with leads to interesting items. I didn’t have the time to explore it thoroughly but I think it holds potential for some of the items. Maybe even international shippers.

The Velcro is definitely there via this Mr Art. com. site.