Ropes and Poles

Guitar String Turk's Head Woggle

2009-06-05T12:00:00.002+02:00

Other than Scouting, one of my hobbies is music: I play bass guitar (like this one, and recently the one I made as well), and the other day when I changed bass strings I made this woggle (neckerchief slide) for my Scout scarf out of the thinnest string from my bass.

The knot is a Turk's Head, tied using the 'round the fingers' method which is commonly used to tie woggles in leather or cord.

Unlike leather or cord, steel wire tends to slip and jump open. It's worthwhile to make the first round of this woggle a little smaller than you intend it to be, as it will widen while you are weaving the following layers through. Steel is also difficult to fasten (superglue does a great job on leather), so I have twisted the two ends of the knot together with pliers.

Pioneered sculptures on the 49th floor

2009-04-22T19:03:00.002+02:00

Dor Posner has reported on some enormous Scouting structure before (like these), and has been busy again, this time to celebrate the 90th year of Scouting in Israel, and the centenary of the founding of the city of Tel Aviv:

40 scouts (ages 16-18) built a model of the land of Israel on the roof of the Azrieli Towers, over 2 days.

the model includes four special things: the Underwater observatory in Eilat, the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv, the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem and the Golan Heights wind farm.

Over 900 poles had to be raised to the roof of this 193 metre (633 foot) tower before construction could begin. Thanks to Dor for these photos - the Israeli Scout Association also has a photo gallery (and a writeup) here (machine translated from Hebrew).

JOTI pioneering- the router lashing

2008-10-24T01:05:00.000+02:00

I've featured a few JOTA towers, but no JOTI pioneering.. until now. :)

We were relying on a wireless internet connection this weekend, so the modem needed to be placed high up for good signal. So here is the modem, securely lashed to the wan router, both suspended from a window in our Scout hall.

JOTA Tower from the Netherlands - 2008 edition

2008-10-24T01:00:00.000+02:00

Loy shared a great explanation of how his group built their radio tower last year.For JOTA this year, they have built another radio tower, and pictures of the tower, as well as the rest of their weekend, are available here. Thanks for sharing, Loy.

JOTI/JOTA this weekend

2008-10-17T12:15:00.005+02:00

This weekend, Scouts and Guides from around the world will be gathering around the world for the annual Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet. Around 570,000 Scouts and Guides took part last year, in 121 different countries. JOTA/JOTI is an opportunity to talk to other Scouts and Guides all over the world, using radios and internet chat.

Anyone with an Internet connection can participate in the Jamboree on the Internet. Details on how to get involved in internet chat, blogging and other activities is here.

To take part in JOTA, you will need some help from a licensed radio amateur ('ham'). Details about JOTA- including the frequencies used- are here. Most groups build pioneered towers for radio masts, and Loy's 13m tower was featured here last year.

For those taking part, enjoy the weekend, and feel free to share any news in the comments to this post (especially if you build a nice tower, of course).

Three years of Ropes and Poles

2008-10-10T01:00:00.005+02:00

Next Monday, it will be three years since I published the first post on this blog- a small Scout trebuchet. Here are some highlights from the last three years:

Massive Israeli pioneering projects

It's been great to hear from Scouts around the world. I've learnt that Israeli Scouts can build anything - flaming, written-word sculptures, giant hedgehogs, even walking pioneering projects.

8m (24 foot) Treehouse

In December 2005 my troop built a treehouse in our local campsite, and I documented the whole project step-by-step here.

Tensegrity Tower

Tensegrity systems work by suspending rigid elements in a network of tension cables, and at first glance look like they should collapse, yet somehow they stand. Along with a fellow student at university, I designed and built this tensegrity tower, which has shown up in a few places on the web, most notably on the MAKE: magazine blog. I believe these were the first Scout tensegrity structures.

SketchUp resources

Along with a collection of models made for this site, I have written a series of lessons on using SketchUp, Google's free 3d modelling software.

Thanks to everyone who's contributed, written to me or offered encouragement.

Swingboat

2008-10-03T01:00:00.000+02:00

8th Pretoria Saint Alban's built this Swingboat earlier this year at Gauteng Kontiki. Total construction time was around 4 hours, with a troop of approximately 20 (relatively young) scouts. The swing seat plank is suspended using a scaffold hitch. A complete list of equipment for a smaller version of this swing is available at the SA Scouting website (PDF).

Pioneered Millenium Dome

2008-09-27T16:28:00.003+02:00

This beautifully drawn and well explained project is modelled after the Millenium Dome in London. The instructions explain the whole process of construction, including the procedure to make the net which supports the plastic sheeting forming the dome. The net alone requires some 1700 feet (625m) of rope, so this is not a small project, but looks well worth the effort.

This project comes from the UK-based Pioneering Made Easy website, which has many original and unusual projects (I'd be particularly impressed to see a troop build one of these)

Simple Friction Lock 'Bridge' - Instructions

2008-09-19T01:00:00.003+02:00

I've written about friction lock projects before- like this table and this pole rack. This post a simplified friction locking pioneering bridge.

The purpose of this project is as an 'icebreaker' in a pioneering session - even Scouts who have no knotting experience can build one of these 'bridges', and feel that they have achieved something. A patrol will gain confidence from this exercise that will motivate them to learn lashings during the later parts of the training session.

This project requires 9 Scout staves or similar sized poles (bamboo may be too slippery), and the instructions show a sequence for the construction of the bridge (inspired by my favourite childhood toy, of course). Click on the image to enlarge it, and print the enlarged image. Step 5 is the critical one: your Scouts should pay careful attention to the placement of the two transverse poles, making sure they go over and under the correct poles.

Using only these instructions, all of the patrols in our troop were able to build one of these bridges. The fastest was built in about 2 minutes (admittedly this patrol had built one before) but I would allow 10 minutes for Scouts who have no prior experience. Here is the first patrol finished, with a Scout testing the sturdiness of the structure (please excuse my grainy camera-phone photograph):

Scouting Cartoon- the Highwayman's Hitch

2008-09-12T01:00:00.001+02:00

From John Sweet's weekly 1950's Scout magazine page. (...and more about the Highwayman's Hitch for those who are mystified by the cartoon)

Belgian arch bridge

2008-09-05T01:00:00.003+02:00

This bridge was built at last year's Belgian Jamboree, by members of Ploeg Technieken, who have featured previously with the cloverleaf lashing. Kim notes that this was built 'only with manpower, no cranes, winching ... just people with hands ;-) '

This is a large and complex project, built from a series of smaller assemblies- see, for example, the 'ladders' that interlock to form the arches in the middle photograph below.

Thanks to Kim for sharing this. More photographs, including construction details and closeups of the model, here.

Pioneered 'Strandbeest' walking machine

2008-08-29T01:05:00.001+02:00

I posted a couple of weeks back wondering whether any Scouts could build one of Theo Jansen's walking creatures out of ropes and poles. As you can see in the video above, it has been done- be Shevet Hanasi in Tel Aviv.

Thanks to Dor Posner (who first introduced me to the large-scale brand of pioneering Israeli Scouts practice) for sending this in.

Northern District Pioneering projects

2008-08-22T01:00:00.001+02:00

These projects are all built by troops in the Northern District in Gauteng, South Africa. This district holds regular inter-troop Pioneering competitions, as well as a Scouter's competition. The above photo shows the winning Scouters from 2008, 1st Athol, in front of their 35ft-span suspension bridge, built in 4.5 hours.

Included here are two tall towers built as Springbok construction projects and a windmill from a district pioneering competition. Shakir, Scouter at First Athol troop, who supplied these photos, writes that "if it's not hard to build, it's not worth building". This is the opposite end of the spectrum from my beginner's project last month, and definitely something to try with ambitious Scouts.

Vleermuis tower

2008-08-15T01:00:00.002+02:00

"De Vleermuis" (Bat) Scout Group from Belgium built this tower, a relative of the Hourglass Tower, during December of last year. Klipdas sent me these photos, and you can see them and many more in the Flickr group here.

Sailing from California to Hawaii on 15,000 plastic bottles

2008-08-08T08:25:00.005+02:00

JUNK is a raft made from recycled and discarded materials, that is sailing from California to Hawaii to highlight the problems caused in the ocean by discarded plastics.

Built only from discarded materials, and held together using knots, this is a perfect example of modern pioneering,even if the materials used might not what we traditionally think of as pioneered materials. The beginnings of the substructure are visible here, with aluminium spars being fastened together with nylon kern-mantel rope.

While 'traditional' Trans-pacific rafts use a palm and timber hut for shelter, JUNK has the fuselage of a light aircraft that provides shelter.

The floats that provide buoyancy are used soft-drink bottles held together by large nets. Some of the ropes on board are even made out of braided plastic bags.

As I write this JUNK has around 999 miles to go before she lands in Hawaii- and even this far out at sea they are surrounded by plastic litter. Head over to the blog to keep up to date with their news, posted from the middle of the Pacific Ocean!

(all images on this post are courtesy junkraft.blogspot.com)

Japanese lashings

2008-08-02T12:00:00.000+02:00

Japanese traditional architecture and crafts are a great source for inspiration about lashings and pioneered structures. The images above and below are from the book 'Structure and Form in Japan' (apparently out of print but possibly available from Amazon.com)

Flickr user Anthony Grimley took this beautiful photograph of a fence outside a tea house:

And of course the Japanese Square lashing and Philipino Diagonal lashing were introduced to Scouting by Scouters in Asia.

Best project for beginner's pioneering?

2008-07-24T23:30:00.001+02:00

I received an e-mail this week asking for advice on the best simple project for people who have never done any pioneering before. I suggested an A-frame, because it is a simple, stable structure that is quick to build and can be used for many fun activities.

But I'm interested to hear what other people think. What have YOU used for a first project?

The Combined Fish Harvester: vintage chain reaction project

2008-07-18T12:00:00.002+02:00

Like the breakfast machine, this device comes from John Sweet's weekly column in the 1950s (page 104 of the 1953 Scout annual). He writes:

...
A rather more orthodox use for cast-off mousetraps is proposed by Patrol Leader Phillip Edwards of the 12th Stockport Mallory Patrol, but also breaks new ground by suggesting that we might all go fishing with baited mousetraps. What a fascinating idea!

J G Gardner, of the 95th Manchester Curlews, has had the same idea, which he has elaborated in his wonderful Combined Fish Harvester. This device can be set up on the bank of any stream when the water bailiff isn't looking. All you need is a couple of mousetraps, a few odd spares, a pair of pulleys, about half a mile of string and a fine day for it.

What happens is this:

The baited mousetrap A is anchored by means of a Highwayman's Hitch to the staple B, the releasing end of the string being tied to the spring-arm of the trap. When a fish is caught, the trap is released, from B and is hauled up by brick H, which also swings the pivoted pole D so that the arm O sweeps F aside and allows C (with the mousetrap and fish dangling from it) to the spring-arm of which is tied a match which strikes itself on the matchbox 1 and is plunged into the fuse of dry grass L, which lights the fire M, which boils the water in N; which cooks the fish (and the mousetrap), which is finally consumed by the scout Patrol. “Boiled mousetrap, if well seasoned with pepper and salt” writes J G Gardner, “should have no deleterious effect on the flavour of the fish, which will probably taste pretty horrible anyhow”'.

I now see that in copying Gardner's drawing for purposes of reproduction I have made a very silly mistake which will no doubt be at once apparent to one and all. No need, therefore, for me to draw your attention to it.
...

Theo Jansen's walking sculptures

2008-07-11T12:00:00.003+02:00

(thanks to AxelHH for the photograph)
Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist who builds enormous, walking sculptures powered by the wind. He calls this type of creature a Strandbeest- 'beach animal'. I first saw these sculptures in a South African BMW advert (watch it here). Theo talks about his sculptures at the TED conference, and you can watch that video or download it here.

The question is, would it be possible to pioneer one of these out of ropes and poles? Theo uses PVC tubing, and works to very precise measurements for the legs of these creatures. But considering that he has also built a creature called Animaris Rhinoceros out of steel, it might just be possible. Mekanizmalar has an incredible animation of the walking mechanism, that lets you play around with different lengths of the various parts, for those who want to experiment. Any takers?

Water writing

2008-07-03T12:00:00.000+02:00

Here's on for those used to celebrating tomorrow with fireworks: 'Tekes Esh' is a ceremony in Israeli Scouting that I have blogged about, where Scouts write messages and draw pictures in flames- using fire-proof pioneered structures soaked in paraffin.

Omer and the Shevet On group (sorry, Hebrew only website) in Kiryat Ono, Israel, had an idea for a safer version of this idea, powered by glow sticks(available from Amazon) and water. Omer writes:

"The idea was born because you have to bring firefighters here any time you want to light fire inscriptions (and that costs a lot of money) so we decided to think cheap...=]

What you need:
A lot of 1.5 litre water bottles (from recycling bins usually...) filled with water
An iron net
Iron poles (to lash the inscription to the ground)
Ropes (!)
Sticklights (and lots of em...try to get the cheap ones)

All you gotta do is lash the bottles on the shape of the letters (when they are already filled with water) onto the net.

When you want to light the inscription, break all the sticklights and drop them into the bottles (some whole and some cut into pieces)"

Thanks Omer - this is a very effective display that can be used where safety laws don't allow fire writing. Glow sticks can be a little pricey but for a special event this is really impressive. The good news is that unlike fire writing, glow sticks can last up to 12 hours, so your signs will be visible all night!

New SketchUp 3d web plugin

2008-06-27T12:00:00.003+02:00

Google have released a new tool for SketchUp that lets you share your models on the web in a different way: try clicking on the image of the two barrel raft above and dragging your mouse left or right to watch the model rotate on your screen. This new plugin for SketchUp lets you export a 3d animation of your model to a website. Unfortunately the exporter only works with the PC version, but you should be able to view the results on any computer. A youtube video here explains how to use the exporter.

(If you are having trouble viewing the rotating model please let me know in the comments)

Bowline in 3 strand rope- as a SketchUp model

2008-06-24T12:00:00.007+02:00

Browsing the 3D Warehouse the other day, I found an incredible model TaffGoch posted - a bowline made entirely in SketchUp. This is a pretty impressive piece of modelling work, and complete instructions for modelling a knot are included. The first file shows how to model the shape of the knot, while the second one shows how to make a three stranded rope following the shape of the knot(see this thread from the SketchUp help group for more information).

So modelling of knots is possible in SketchUp- are there any volunteers for the rest of the six basic Scout Knots?

Model Pioneering from Malaysia

2008-06-20T12:00:00.000+02:00

Keat Lee is a former Scout from Malaysia who has shared some model pioneering photos with me. The five models featured in this post are all of Keat's own design- thanks for sharing them with us!

Keat uses cotton thread to tie the lashings, and uses real square and diagonal lashings, not the elastic band cheat version. Working on his own, the models above took around 2 weeks each to make, while the detailed model below took about a month.

...blogging again

2008-06-19T12:00:00.004+02:00

Things have been quiet around here since October. I'll be posting regularly on this blog again in the next few weeks. The final term of a Master's degree, followed by a new job have been keeping me busy since October but I'm going to try and post regularly here- starting from tomorrow I'm going to be posting some projects that have been sent to me over the last six months.

But first, a follow up on the post that has been at the top of the blog since October. If you follow rugby union, you may know that South Africa won the World Cup final against England, and this is how we watched the match that night: with a pioneered screen, under the trees at our campsite, during the Jamboree on the Air/Internet

Rugby World Cup 2007 Final

2007-10-19T09:46:00.000+02:00

GO BOKKE!