Forming an end on Tirfor winch cable

[Mikes]

Not sure if this is the best section for this question but please feel free to redirect it if required. I was given a 5 ton Tirfor winch which has been sat unused for many years with a cable threaded through it. Everything was badly seized and the cable wouldn't move either way. I've split the casing and cleaned as much of the mess out as possible (hardened grease, mud, rust, acorns, straw, dead mouse etc but to get the cable out, I had to cut it. Managed to then get both forward and reverse clamping mechanisms to work so it's now all back together.
The original cable is generally in good order but I need to put an end on it so that it will be possible to feed through. The original end that is on the 9" section that I had to cut-off looked to have been welded and than ground into a slightly conical shape. Anyone done this before and if so how. I've had a look on the net and can't find anything really relevant. Cable is about 1/2" dia .

 

[8ob]

Pointed end you can silver solder or braze and then grind to a point, pulling end will be ok with bulldog clips and a rope eyelet.

Bob

 

[Welderpaul]

This is how they are normally tapered

 

[Paul.]

I haven't done one for many years but we used to braze or silver solder the cut ends with O/A to stop them fraying, these were new cables though, good luck with an old oily or rusty one

 

[Agroshield]

...we used to braze or silver solder the cut ends with O/A to stop them fraying... good luck with an old oily or rusty one

Do you think impregnation with epoxy resin would have a similar effect? All the process is doing is encapsulating the strands.

 

[balmerchris]

Very interesting thread. Ive had my tirfor for years but was afraid to take the rope out incase it wouldn't go back in, so it always stays in the winch which is a royal pain in the backside. Going to try the silver solder.

 

[cheb]

When doing polypropylene rope I heat the end and then smooth it down with a piece of tetrapak in a twisting motion. Could something similar be done by heating the end of the rope cherry red or more and then forming it to shape with a suitable former in the end of a drill?

 

[James1979]

Do you think impregnation with epoxy resin would have a similar effect? All the process is doing is encapsulating the strands.

It is but I seem to remember that the reason they are tapered otherwise the end wont feed through the winch? Been a while since I used one mind!

 

[Onoff]

Stick welder on the end and a mini grinder. Been muddling along doing them like that since 1983.

What Tirfor model I might have the manual for it? Got loads of Tirfor and Tirak winch info here along with Blockstop stuff.

 

[8ob]

Cant beat having a Tirfor about, excavator was struggling so pulled out this stump with the trusty Tirfor

 

[Agroshield]

It is but I seem to remember that the reason they are tapered otherwise the end won't feed through the winch?

Sorry, I should have said that it would then be tapered after the epoxy had set sufficiently. Instead of silver solder or braze gluing the strands together, the epoxy does this. As others have said, soldering or brazing rusty, dirty stuff is difficult.

 

[Welderpaul]

Sorry, I should have said that it would then be tapered after the epoxy had set sufficiently. Instead of silver solder or braze gluing the strands together, the epoxy does this. As others have said, soldering or brazing rusty, dirty stuff is difficult.

I don't think it would work - solder or braze will 'suck' into the wires by capillary action; epoxy will just clart round the outside.

 

[Onoff]

Or "Tirfor jacks" as my ex Army brother insists on calling them!

He's behind the camera. From when they recovered the Dambusters practice bombs at Reculver.

 

[Onoff]

Info I have:

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Wonderful machines, I’d give my right arm for one

 

[Robotstar5]

I seem to remember when I had one that they used oddball sized cables? probably to stop you using any old standard size cable.

 

[Seadog]

Hi-Lift jacks have their place too.

 

[Robotstar5]

Hi-Lift jacks have their place too.

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Still got mine from my recovery days, useful as they can pull or push, I used mine for pulling out some self seeded sycamore trees when I bought my first house, but after the first one I realised if I parked the Landy in front of my back gate I could run the winch cable up the garden, much easier pressing a button instead of swinging the jack handle

 

[Seadog]

I only used this once to recover a vehicle, my Series II LWB when it got stuck in a rut, 1990 I think. I managed to bend the beam setting the Landy across. The two other occasions were 2007, to pull out some small trees and 2020, to pull out a small tree. I'm glad I kept it. I managed to more or less straighten the beam this week since I moved my press into a usable position.

 

[Onoff]

Got two farm jacks here for a rotisserie project.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/stolen-tech-make-your-own-rotisserie-pics-plans.279265/