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SRACK1B
SRACK2B
SRACK3B
SRACK4B
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I acquired this rack from Barry Duncan at the 2016 Old Timers Reunion.
My CMI SRACK1B rack is 369 mm. tall, 103 mm. wide, 46 mm. thick, and weighs 784 g. The frame is made from 9.5 mm. stainless steel bent into shape, with an internal width of 35 mm. and a 27 mm. diameter welded eye twisted 90°. There are six hard-anodized aluminum brake bars, each 16mm tall and 22 mm. thick, with one rounded side and a rope grove on that side. The top bar is a 86 mm. long hyperbar with a 34 mm. tall, 9.5 mm. diameter pin. The remaining bars are 16 mm. in diameter. Allowing 45 mm. for the rope leaves 109 mm. for spreading the bars.
The second bar is printed with "Mi" and "MBS" 10,000 lbs."
This rack is very well made. The hard anodizing should limit brake bar wear when used on clean ropes. The bars pivot on the closed side of the frame, as they should for safety.
CMI has made a number of CMI U-frame racks over the years, but I believe that this is one of their first of the more versatile J-frame racks.
The hyperbar is longer than necessary; in fact, I’d rather have a standard top bar and dispense with the hyperbar entirely.
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I acquired this rack from Mathew Lee in 2023
My CMI SRACK2BNFPA rack is 424 mm. tall, 103 mm. wide, 32 mm. thick, and weighs 928 g. The frame is made from 9.5 mm. stainless steel bent into shape, with an internal width of 35 mm. and a 25 mm. diameter welded eye. The top bar is a 100 mm. long, 29 mm tall U-shaped bar with a hyperbar pin on one side. The hyperbar pin is 9.5 mm. stainless steel and extends 34 mm. above the top of the U-bar. The remaining five bars are 68 mm. long. All six bars are formed from 2.35 mm. stainless steel. Allowing 45 mm. for the rope leaves 104 mm. for spreading the bars.
All bars are stamped with "Mi"
This rack is very well made. The stainless steel bars should wear well, especially when used on clean ropes. The bars pivot on the closed side of the frame, as they should for safety.
I saw one of these pull-tested at the CMI factory. It survived a ridiculously high load without breaking, and I was impressed. I won't say what the load was, since excessive strength hardly matters.
Although nicely made, I do not like this rack. It is too long for anything that I am likely to use. It is too heavy for regular caving use. The bigger-is-better crowd conducting INS missions will love it. I absolutely hate U-shaped bars, feeling that the argument that they help prevent rigging the rack backwards is specious (with proper technique, reverse rigging is impossible). The hyperbar is not only longer than necessary, but I don't see any need for hyperbars on my standard-length racks. Some feel differently, but I find the disadvantages overweight the advantages for what i do. I’d rather have a standard top bar and dispense with the hyperbar entirely.
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I acquired this rack from Barry Duncan at the 2016 Old Timers Reunion.
My CMI SRACK3B rack is 272 mm. tall, 103 mm. wide, 46 mm. thick, and weighs 528 g. The frame is made from 9.5 mm. stainless steel bent into shape, with an internal width of 35 mm. and a 27 mm. diameter welded eye twisted 90°. There are six hard-anodized aluminum brake bars, each 16mm tall and 22 mm. thick, with one rounded side and a rope grove on that side. The top bar is a 86 mm. long hyperbar with a 34 mm. tall, 9.5 mm. diameter pin. The remaining bars are 16 mm. in diameter. Allowing 45 mm. for the rope leaves 26 mm. for spreading the bars.
The second bar is printed with "Mi" and "MBS" 10,000 lbs."
This is a shorter rack that does not have much room for spreading the bars, so I view it as a constant friction device. Light cavers might find that it has too much friction.
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I acquired this rack from Barry Duncan at the 2016 Old Timers Reunion.
My CMI SRACK4B rack is 281 mm. tall, 103 mm. wide, 26 mm. thick, and weighs 528 g. The frame is made from 9.5 mm. stainless steel bent into shape, with an internal width of 35 mm. and a 27 mm. diameter welded eye twisted 90°. There are six hard-anodized aluminum brake bars, each 16mm tall and 22 mm. thick, with one rounded side and a rope grove on that side. The top bar is a 86 mm. long hyperbar with a 34 mm. tall, 9.5 mm. diameter pin. The remaining bars are 16 mm. in diameter. Allowing 45 mm. for the rope leaves 26 mm. for spreading the bars.
The second bar is printed with "Mi" and "MBS" 10,000 lbs."
This is another shorter rack that does not have much room for spreading the bars, so I view it as a constant friction device. Light cavers might find that it has too much friction. At least this one does not have the twisted eye.
The SBRACK3 and SBRACK4 are different sizes, but mine weigh almost exactly the same amount.
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