Clendenen Rope Machine
The Clendenen Rope machines are general purpose hand cranked rope machines for making twist style rope, up to around three fourths of an inch in overall diameter, depending on the lay hardness required. This machine is not for making competition grade very hard lay lariat ropes. The single piece length of rope to be produced with this machine is dependent on the fortitude of the rope maker, and using skirders (miniature utility poles with arms for supporting each strand) to manage and support the weight of the laid yarns. The Clendenen 4 strand hook rope machine is for making three or four strand twist configurations. The six strand machine can make three, four, or six strand rope configurations.
The body, gears and crank handle are produced with three Dimensional (3D) plastic printing technology. The machine body as about five inches in diameter with the strand hooks spread about a 3.5 inch mounting circle. Each metal shaft in the machine is supported by two ball bearings. The machine is geared 2.5 strand hook rotations per one rotation of the crank handle.
The Clendenen machine comes mounted on a wooden frame mounted to a wooden baseplate. The baseplate allows the machine to be clamped or bolted to a table or work surface for rope making operations. It must be secured to a nonmoving structure before the rope yarn laying activity begins. Bolting is preferred versus being screwed to the work surface to allow the machine to be easily removed for storage or transport.
The four strand Clendenen machine is shipped with with two cross style rope tools, and a T1 tensioner assembly for the far end, to hold tension on the laid yarns/string to be made into rope.
The six strand Clendenen is shipped with the six strand slot lollipop tool. This machine is not sold with tensioner assemblies, as it is targeted to experienced rope makers who should have their own tensioner rig(s) and be able to rig a second tensioner assembly to manage the core of the six strand rope assembly. Making six strand rope is like jumping from playing checkers, to playing chess, where new rules, equipment, and options come into play.