Braiding machine to make mooring hawser

[Fred P.]

Hello friends,
I present to you the braiding machine that I made using a 3D printer and a laser cutter. This machine produces braids of 8 threads (8x1 or 4x2) with or without core.





Here are examples of produced braids:


I used FreeCAD to model this machine.



I posted a video of the machine in operation on Youtube:

Best regards,
Fred

 

[Don Case]

Very cool! It reminds me of May Pole dancing in elementary school

 

[Steef66]

Amazing work what you did.
Just a question, where do you need this for in our hobby of shipbuilding? I only know this to bind bundels of elektrical wire.

 

[Fred P.]

Hi Stephan,
The mooring lines of modern ships are often braids of four pairs of rope as you can see in these photos:

It is to make these mooring lines that I built this machine.

Regards.
Fred

 

[JGR]

Hello friends,
I present to you the braiding machine that I made using a 3D printer and a laser cutter. This machine produces braids of 8 threads (8x1 or 4x2) with or without core.

Fred

Hello Fred
This is a terrific project , very well done. Was this your idea and design? I certainly would like to build one of these.

Thanks for introducing this idea.

Greg

 

[Fred P.]

Hello Greg,
For this project, I was inspired by 19th century braiding machines and also current machines that braid real ropes for large ships or for climbing ropes for example.
Here are two videos that I really liked:

see in particular at minute 4:00

Fred

 

[Steef66]

Thanks for the explanation. I was thinking, did I miss something on my study to shipropes of the 17th century. Lol, they where used much later. But I like your machine. Nice work what you did there.

 

[MM2CVS9]

In the 1960's, on the aircraft carrier I served on, the mooring lines were a braided construction using both wire rope and natural fibre rope. Wish I had a picture of it. It was called "spring lay" and was used in larger diameters for hawsers.
EJ

 

[Sailor_ed]

On our 40 ft sailboat we use this sort of line for anchoring. It is very flexible and stows very compactly in the chain locker. Also easy on the hands and it is not too much hassle to splice. In US yachting it is referred to as "8-plait" . Fair winds.. Ed

 

[Uwek]

Hello friends,
I present to you the braiding machine that I made using a 3D printer and a laser cutter. This machine produces braids of 8 threads (8x1 or 4x2) with or without core.

View attachment 295677

View attachment 295678

Here are examples of produced braids:
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I used FreeCAD to model this machine.

View attachment 295687View attachment 295688View attachment 295689View attachment 295690View attachment 295691

I posted a video of the machine in operation on Youtube:

Best regards,
Fred

Hallo Fred alias @Fred P.
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY

 

[Steef66]

Happy birthday

 

[Jimsky]

Happy Birthday!!

 

[Fred P.]

Thank you very much for your wishes

 

[Uwek]

Hello friends,
I present to you the braiding machine that I made using a 3D printer and a laser cutter. This machine produces braids of 8 threads (8x1 or 4x2) with or without core.


Here are examples of produced braids

I used FreeCAD to model this machine.

I posted a video of the machine in operation on Youtube:

Best regards,
Fred

Hallo @Fred P.
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY