This device and its predecessor the rig'n'wrench is perfect for small teams that work in confined rigging spaces. The main point of this device is for hinging and raising limbs. As the limb is being raised by a single person or two (even the climber) who can exert all their body weight to lift the limb into a vertical position to either avoid obstacles or thread a limb through a canopy. Once the hinge closes and the limb breaks free the friction is engaged and the limb that was raised so easily with no friction can now be easily controlled on decent by a single person usually the climber who can control the rope from the tree. This is perfect for small teams as it frees people up to assist in receiving the limb as it approaches the ground and often needs to be manouvered to a resting position around obstacles. Note : This device should never be used for negative rigging. As the forces generated in free fall can easily shock the working parts beyond their load limits.
A few words about the load rating: The pulley is rated at 30 kN total or 15 kN MBS each side. That is 3372 lbs mbs, and 1/5 of that is (3 kN) 674 lbs, the working load rating is (120 kG) 264 lbs. or 40% of the normally expected load rating for rigging applications. You may be wondering why? This unit is intended to be used as Joe demonstrated with the climber controlling the tension in situations where the ground guy cannot see what is happening before the limb is half way to the ground. The climber needs physical control, yelling orders to the ground guy is awkward and troubling. The friction factor in this device is going to be about 6 to 1. That limits the climbers controlling pull to about 50 lbs. This is the magic number. The rigging wrench is quite robust for its size. Also, consider dynamic loads. It is not practical to ensure a slack free separation and there will be a jerk on the line. Good practice minimizes this effect. It may be practical to tie off the line and let that anchor absorb the jerk. So, we may be dealing with only a sustained 50 lbs on the climbers arm. If you are riding spurs, you don't want to risk a gaff out because the line jerked and you also don't want to be pulled around the tree, so 50 lbs is definitely the upper limit for the climber. Note also that this device is limited to 1/2 inch (13mm) rope. Another reason for keeping the loads low is wear. The wrench part of this device has a fixed pin instead of a pulley. This friction pin is not replaceable. When they wear thin, its retirement time. So, keeping the loads on the low side and keeping the rope clean will increase longevity. While it is possible to add friction at the climber, it is better to use a pulley or shear reduction device at the limb. This will reduce the forces on the Rigging Wrench and wear and offers the climber a chance to use an additional anchor in a load sharing situation. . The Singing Rock Red Block is what I use instead of a pulley when there is no lifting involved. It is usually used for top roping at climbing gyms. The red block has about a 2 to 1 friction ratio on the ropes, so you get a 3x reduction in load on the Rigging Wrench for heavier cuts. The downside is minimum weight, the normal 20 kG becomes about 60 kG (132 lbs) and of course more rope is needed. However, this increases the upper limit to almost 800 lbs. A word about PPE. This thing looks so inviting, but it is marked: "NOT FOR PPE," just like the Rope Wrench. You can think of this as a Rope Wrench with a remote tether in a floating false crotch. In application, your PPE is still your Blake's hitch or other climbing device that can be effective without the Rigging Wrench. Were you wondering why a rigging device came in a fitted case? One of the reasons climbing lines have a 23kN rating when our saddles are only rated to 15kN is knot strength. The assumption is that most knots will reduce the rope strength by about 1/3. You could also use this in a base tied SRT climbing system without the wrench being engaged since the pulleys rating is the same as your saddle. However, you might not be able to convince an OSHA inspector about that because no part of this device is certified by any testing authority. That could be because there is no applicable standard to test to. Bureaucrats rule.
OldSloGuy thank you for that. That’s exactly how I see it. If you’re subcontracting working alone it’s an awesome tool. Coupled with a Captain Hook rather than a running bowline so you can lower multiple pieces by yourself.
Thank you for taking the time to explain the theoretical side of this piece. I've just purchased the Rig "N Wrench and plan on using it for light limb drops by myself. I figured it was pretty ideal for solo work - especially if you have access to it for slack take-up. I did question the rather low capacities myself, but your analysis made it much clearer. Thanks again sir.
Hi Old Solo. I'm having trouble picturing where you put that singing rock in conjunction with the wrench. Where exactly are you utilizing it in the system?
Nice man! I'd been looking at this every since ISC was showing them at the March 2019 Arborfest. I wasn't sure about the practicallity of them for solo rigging. However, looks like you just sold me on one. Thanks for the indepth review!
I dig it man. Never ever going to buy one but looks fun anyways. Seen this product in a magazine and was wondering how it worked so cool I know now. Stay safe brotha thanks for your time.
Joe Bisping dude absolutely know what it takes to put these things together and I really do appreciate it. Was really curious and you answered all my questions 💯 thanks buddy stay safe
Do you find that once the piece is mostly on the ground that the ground guys really struggle to pull the piece very hard to get the rope on the ground? Have only tried this tool one time and that was the number one complaint. The tips of the limb would reach the ground and then the limb would need to be reefed on to get the butt on the ground. The running part was great, but actually getting the piece flat on the ground was a real struggle. Wondering if I'm using the wrong rope. Was a buzzkill for sure.
Nice demo Joe! I miss your videos but that thing seems kinda worthless to me... if you have a guy on the ground to undo the load why not just have him hold it in a standard false crotch situation and since it’s so hard for the climber to pull slack out I feel like that makes up the difference of how handy it might be, IMO Thanks Joe stay safe!
Sounds like you're way behind the times. Those and the Protos are great helmets. Nothing beats built in hearing and eye pro, and you can also integrate comms into these style helmets.
