Next Return Previous

John Woods
(#2032)

Version A

Version B

Version A Version B
Version A Version B

Overview


Version A
(#2032)

Front Rear
Front Rear
 
Open for Rigging
Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my John Woods, Version A from John Woods at the 2015 NSS Convention.

Version A is 109 mm. tall, 75 mm. wide, 70 mm. thick, and weighs 197 g.

The shell is bent from 2.5 mm. aluminum sheet (probably 5051). The internal width is 19 mm. The shell has an 8.1 mm. through hole for the cam axle located 30 mm. from the inside of the shell groove. There is a 3.9 mm. through hole near the top of the shell on the right side. A second hole has a galvanized steel plate that provides a hole for attaching a 1.5 mm. cord pin keeper. The rivet also secures a 6.7 mm. braided cam keeper on the inside of the shell

The cam is hand-made from 15.9 mm. aluminum (probably 60-61) plate. It has nine teeth on a spiral face that increases in radius from 20 to 35 mm. over an angle of 69°, giving a 24° cam angle. The cam keeper is screwed to the top of the cam. The cam axle is a 7.8 mm. diameter quick-release pin with a 36 mm. useful length.

The quick release pin is stamped "AVDEL PUSH" and "MS17984-515."

Comments

The workmanship is fairly good for a home-made ascender. The holes in the cam are countersunk, including the one for the axle pin - this helps align the cam when placing the ascender on rope.

The quick release pin is longer than it needs to be. Ideally, it should be 12 mm. shorter.


Version B
(#2033)

Front Rear
Front Rear
 
Open for Rigging
Open for Rigging

Technical Details

I acquired my Version B from John Woods at the 2015 NSS Convention.

Version B is 108 mm. tall, 76 mm. wide, 70 mm. thick, and weighs 195 g.

Version B has a wire D-ring on the left side held by a steel clip that pivots on a rivet through the shell.

Version B has the same markings as Version A.

Comments

The D-ring on Version B facilitates floating the Gibbs in a single-bungie system.

John told me that it required quite a bit of effort to make these ascenders with hand tools. The final step in bending the shell was particularly clever: they started the bend and then placed a tire iron inside, then completed the bend by driving a truck over the ascender.


For far more content, use a larger monitor and a full-width window.

Hundreds of cell phone users complained and asked me to for a simpler, mobile friendly site. In particular, they wanted me to limit each page to a small number of pictures and minimize my use of text. This new site provides what they asked for.