Reuse old spectra lines for tube attachment

[Deimian 43]

So I have this old Stiletto worn to shit that will never be in the sky again. And I have a freefly tube that can have a better handle and attachment lines.

I am planing to:

-Remove the lines from the canopy
-Reuse the lines creating 4 attachment lines using non-sew fingertraps (I have no sewing machine)
-The lines will be attached to a swivel in the bottom and to the tube ring in the top
-The swivel will have an extra line attached to the bottom of it. That line will be a loop, passing through itself and through the handle twice (one long pass to reach the swivel, one short to lock the handle in place, going through itself in the edges of the handle). That will allow to remove the handle on the field and:
-in the more distant future: replace the handle for an ankle brace with a cutaway.

My questions:
-How do people remove lines from canopies minimizing the amount of damage to the lines? Simply cutting one of the lines after the cascade? Ripping the fingertrap bartack and undoing the fingertrap? Cutting the line attachment points of the canopy (since it is not airworthy)?

-Any idea on how to create/connect a net to the bottom of the tube, so the fabric doesn't come out from the bottom? I was thinking in using more lines between the 4 attachment lines (like a spider web), but this seems like quite a bit of work, not very neat, and an extra risk to snag something on this homemade net. Maybe using 2 extra lines making a tight cross in the bottom of the tube, right inside the ring? Remember that I don't have a sewing machine.

-Any known issue with any part of my plan?

-Any other idea? (eg: using 8 lines instead of 4)

[riggerrob 643]

I use scissors to cut suspension lines just below the attachment tapes.

First time anyone has suggested "netting" the bottom of a Freddy tube. ????? Not sure if you really need a net, since they so rarely invert.

[Deimian 43]

I'd rather avoid cutting the lines at that point and reuse the finger trapped loop. That can safe me some work.

Regarding the net: It is definitely not a must. It simply helps to keep the material neatly inside the tube on the ride up and avoid the rare inversion. A friend of mine made a couple of tubes with a net, that's where I took the idea from. BTW: he had an inverted tube once (before adding nets to his tubes). It wasn't a big deal, it just stay there streaming uninflated.

[Elisha 1]

I cut a piece of old line off so my roommate could hold a pork roast together.

Never mind that they were a bit dirty though.

This was a couple years ago now.

[gowlerk 2,206]

Elisha

I cut a piece of old line off so my roommate could hold a pork roast together.

Never mind that they were a bit dirty though.

This was a couple years ago now.

And nevermind that butcher's twine is made of cotton. Because who wants melted nylon with their roast?

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[hackish 8]

I wonder if spectra or vectran would melt in the oven? I'm not willing to stink my place up to find out. I can guess kevlar doesn't but nobody uses kevlar lines anymore.

-Michael

[gowlerk 2,206]

hackish

I wonder if spectra or vectran would melt in the oven? I'm not willing to stink my place up to find out. I can guess kevlar doesn't but nobody uses kevlar lines anymore.

-Michael

Quick Google search says melting point of Spectra fibre is 284 F.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[hackish 8]

Interesting, I assumed that dacron melted before spectra but it does not. In fact at 260C it would survive the oven.

-Michael

[gowlerk 2,206]

hackish

Interesting, I assumed that dacron melted before spectra but it does not. In fact at 260C it would survive the oven.

-Michael

Spectra is very heat sensitive. That's why it is not dimensionally stable when subjected to friction.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[Deimian 43]

Well, I just noticed that all the no-sew fingertraps that I know of require to either have the opposite end free, or to pass the whole loop through a second hole in the line (like Paul V. Fries described). To attach the lines to the swivel I need to make the loop with the swivel already inside. Does somebody know any technique for it, or do I have to visit my rigger to get a few bartacks done?