How to remove bird poop, cut rope?

[Moses Yoder]

My dad's block & tackle has some bird poop on it, I am wondering if just a wet rag will remove it. White splatters. It was hung under an open roof for several years. I have re-assembled the pulleys, everything is back in place, but I am whip finishing the ends of the rope with some cord. What is a good way to cut the rope off flush with the end of the whip finish? We have bought a new pair of loppers for tree limbs that I am thinking of trying. Other wise I guess just a sharp knife, a new Stanley blade would be the sharpest thing I have. Unless maybe I took out one of my Hock irons, now there's a thought, or maybe a big chisel. The block & tackle is very old, I have not found a maker on it but it is all steel, I have one with wood blocks. We used it for years pulling engines and hoisting cows until we got the big chain hoist in the garage on an I-beam.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Moses:
What about a water spray for the poop?

As for the rope, I cut it after I have whipped the end, with a Stanley knife or equivalent, leaving about 3/8" after the last wrap of whipping so it can flare out a bit. If it is a ' meltable ' material, I use a lighter to seal the ends of the fibres and fuse them together a bit.

Hope that helps.

Dave B

[ray hampton]

I know nothing about the bird poo BUT a hot wire cutter is a good way to cut ropes that are made from man-made materials
if this rope are water-proof then a high pressure water stream will remove the dirt

[Jim Koepke]

A picture might help with the poop. If it is just a little some scrubbing should do the trick. A little more poop, get a little more serious with the scrubbing. Even more poop bring in the wire brushes and mineral oil.

I use a 1-1/4" chisel to cut rope all the time. Sometimes it is used to shave the strand before the last pass of a spliced eye or blind eye. Then to trim any excess at the end of the splice. Kind of like a razor but on rope. Almost all my rope is natural material.

jtk

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I don't have a good handle on your rope, but.... I sometimes do "magic". I was teaching a bunch of kids how to do this one illusion that requires three pieces of rope, so, I needed to cut a bunch of rope. They make a machine that is rather pricey to burn through it, but, I purchased this hot knife from harbor freight for $20 (http://www.harborfreight.com/130-watt-heavy-duty-hot-knife-60313.html) and it did a great job. Depending on the rope, you may be able to simply cut it and then burn it with a lighter (or similar).

For the bird feces, start with a wet towel (or similar) and let it "soak" for a bit to loosen things up. Bird poop often contains small stones, so, be wary of simply scrubbing unless you don't mind a few scratches.

If that does not just work, try an old tooth brush. Typically, a bucket of hot soapy water with a some household disinfectant is what you want. Assume it contains harmful stuff in it that will make you ill with too much exposure (clean hands, don't breath it, etc)

[Andrew Bangs]

My dad's block & tackle has some bird poop on it, I am wondering if just a wet rag will remove it. White splatters.

Yes, probably. I had some "barn find" wooden moulding planes that were white with bird poop and I used a wet sponge. I probably should've worn gloves but I only though of that half way through the job. (I'm still working on cleaning/restoring them but at least they look wood coloured now!)

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Hang it outside in the rain for a day.

[Ryan Mooney]

For cutting: Put the rope on a block of wood then place a sharp axe on top. Smack the poll of the Axe with a block of wood.

[Winton Applegate]

How to cut the rope
A very thin knife with the blade sharpened to a very shallow angle.
Wipe the blade with paste wax a few times while you cut.
If a very thick rope with some grit in it you may have to rehone partway through.

If there are any ragged areas on the end of the rope after cutting off the end touch to a bench grinder. Assuming as Dave said you have already whipped it first.

I keep this knife (http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Bantam-Pocket-Knife/dp/B0007QCO4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402260182&sr=8-1&keywords=bantam+swiss+army+knife)just for this kind of work.
I rebevelled it much shallower (don't expect to order it and then just cut the rope).
It even cuts easily through thick wire ties when people swear I will need to use some diagonal cutter pliers.

PS: She's lying about the paunch. She told me that to. Be careful ! That's my advice in this area.

[Winton Applegate]

A picture might help with the poop.

Taken out of context that sounds pretty funny.


If it is just a little some scrubbing should do the trick. A little more poop, get a little more serious with the scrubbing. Even more poop bring in the wire brushes and mineral oil . . . I use a 1-1/4" chisel.

ha, ha, ha, aaah, ha, ha, ha,
I'm having too much fun ! Somebody stop me.