Hemp Lines

You can find information on Hemp Flying here Hemp Flying

All hemp within the Conservatoire has been measured and marked to stock sizes of 20m, 30m, 44m and 60m. What we use for this is standard 14mm Manila with a breaking strain of 100kg.

The markings used take the form of traditional finishing terms called whipping and serves two purposes;
1: Easy identification of rope lengths when laid out or coiled, and
2: Prevention of fraying and damage, thereby reducing the need to cut and therefore shorten the rope to retidy the ends

This form of rope finishing is preferable to using electrical tape in that it does not come off easily and will not leave a residue. For an emergency repair electrical tape can be used but must be replaced with the appropriate colour of whipping twine.
Please see your Stage Technologies Lecturer or a Venue Technician if you are unsure on how to do this or would like instruction.

The two common types found are the common/standard/simple whipping which is a basic simple process of finishing rope and sailmakers whipping, which is a stronger, more durable form of finishing rope.

Here is an example of common whipping

All Images below will show Sailmakers Whipping.

All the hemp has been colour coded to enable easy identification of length. These are marked as;

Blue - 44m
White - 30m
Red - 20m
Green - 60m
White/ Black Concert Hall sized at 12m