Knots on slippery dyneema shock cord

[martin 'hoff]

Uncovered dyneema has many good properties, but knot-holding isn't one of them. Same goes for shock cord. Put them together and you get some amazing properties (for small cats and dinghies, but the knots are a mess.

What I mean by this is that I end up with bulky knots that eat up a lot of rope and are shitty to adjust. I'm having ugly/bulky/unadjustable success right now with

• overhand knot, often as a terminator to prevent slipping out of other knots
  
• bowline, terminated with an overhand knot
  
• trucker's hitch
  

Because the context is small cats and dinghies, typical line is 4mm.

Ideas of better knots?

Are there techniques to splice 4mm shock cord with similar-sized line, for knot-less connections that run well through rings?

 

[cyclone]

The Zeppelin Bend and Anglers Loop are good for shock cord and the modified bowline seems to work with dyneema. None of these will give you a smooth splice.

 

[micha571]

You could just splice the shock cord into the dyneema and taper the shock cord a bit, then put a whipping on it to secure the connection.

 

[yoyo]

Maybe try the EStar Stopper Knot and Buntline hitch. 

EStar Stopper Knot | How to tie a EStar Stopper Knot using Step-by-Step Animations | Animated Knots by Grog

Buntline Hitch | How to tie a Buntline Hitch using Step-by-Step Animations | Animated Knots by Grog

I have no idea how they work with bungee. 

 

[micha571]

 

[yoyo]

4 minutes ago, micha571 said:

Thats pretty slick.  Maybe put some heat shrink over the joint after the whipping.

 

[Haligonian Winterr]

I have defaulted to the buntline hitch for a few years. For any permanent/clean applications, I splice. 

Roll the dyneema back like a condom, slice some core (bungee) and wrap in millionaires tape to prevent the elastic from sticking out the sides. Roll back over and straight-bury splice. This is the best way for any dyneema-bungee transition (backstay takeups, afterguy retrievers, etc).

HW

 

[Robc]

Robline do dyneema covered shock cord which can help neaten things up....

 

[martin 'hoff]

Robline do dyneema covered shock cord which can help neaten things up....

Yes that's what we're talking about. I'm using alpha's dyneema shock cord. 

It's hard to tie neat knots with it. 

 

[ScowLover]

Have you considered hog rings with heat shrink tubing or a wrap of electrical tape?

 

[Alberta]

I’ve given up on knots in shock cord. Hog rings all the way. West Marine is the best source I’ve found in the US. 

 

[ordkhntr]

I use a anglers loop on the shockcord on my genoa cars. Holds better than any other knot I've used. 

 

[maxstaylock]

A half hitch, with a single overhand knot to stop end pulling out.  Adjusting bungee to me normally means shortening it, to just cut and retie.

If its got to be a neat and tidy, pull the outer back, cut off a couple of inched of rubber core, then pull the outer back, so you only have the outer for the end 3", then you can do a small stitched knot or sewn whipping or tuck and whipping to finish.

 

[estarzinger]

>>Ideas of better knots?

It is not clear to me what you are trying to accomplish with the knots? Hard to make a recommendation without something more specific than 'better knot'.  There are knots of various types that will hold in bare Dyneema (and not slip), and there are knots that will hold in shock cord.  Splices and toggles are usually better than those knots whenever the application allows - which is most of the time.

>>Are there techniques to splice 4mm shock cord with similar-sized line, for knot-less connections that run well through rings?

yea, sure there are several ways to end for end splice shock cord to other line.