6 Rope Craft
Monkey Fist
Rope Craft
The Monkey Fist
Copyright ã 2002 by
Name: ______
Date: ______
The Frame
The monkey fist is traditionally made by wrapping rope around your hand.
Those with small hands (or those who need an extra hand to hold something in place) will find it helpful to make the frame pictured at the right. I used wood scraps and the exact dimensions are unimportant.
Materials:
· 14" 2 x 3 (upright)
· 12" 1 x 6 (base)
· (2) 6" long ¾" dowel
· 3" hook eye (optional)
Construction:
· Drill two ¾" holes, 3.5" apart (center-to-center) and about 1" deep into a side of the 2 x 3.
· Apply glue along 1" of the end of each dowel, and insert this glued end of the dowels into the holes just drilled.
· Secure the 2 x 3 onto the base using 2 long sheet rock screws screwed from the bottom of the base, upward.
· Screw in the hook eye about 2" from the base of the 2 x 3 and under the dowels.
Note: the hook eye helps hold the standing end of the rope. It is very convenient, but not absolutely necessary.
When the glue is dry, you are ready to begin!
Getting Started
You will need
· 12' (4m) Rope: I am using 3/8" twisted polypropylene rope still attached to a 100' (30.5m) coil. But almost any rope will do, braided or twisted, ¼" to ½" diameter.
· A golf ball or golf-ball size rock for the center.
The Plan
We will be making loops of rope that will "capture" each other at right angles as in the Borromean Rings shown at the right.
- First, we will make the large vertical loops,
- then capture these inside horizontal loops,
- then capture these, in turn, within another vertical set of loops that runs inside of (and at right angles to) the first vertical set.
The First Vertical Loops.
Measure off about 3' (3m) of rope to work with.
Make 3 or four vertical loops of rope. Make more or less loops as determined by the size of the rock or golf ball to be inserted. The total width of the loops should be about the width of the rock or golf ball.
Start the loops with the standing part of the rope lying in front of the frame. Wind from left to right. End with the working part of the rope going off to the back of the frame.
Compare your results to the diagram.
Starting the Horizontal Loops
These loops begin by bringing the working end of the rope around the back of the vertical loops.
[If you are not using a frame, but are winding these loops on your left hand, then bring the rope back to the front by running it through your fingers.]
Notice the tight turn taken around the bottom dowel.
Finishing the Horizontal Loops
Make a total of 3 or 4 horizontal loops (as required by the size of the rock or golf ball to be inserted inside.)
These loops proceed from the bottom up.
Do not make these loops too tight.
The very last loop is finished by passing the working end of the rope INSIDE the vertical loops, as shown in the diagram at the right.
Carefully compare your work to the picture.
If everything is OK, you have made the turn in the rope that is needed to start the second set of vertical loops.
Starting the Second Vertical Loops
When you finished the horizontal loops, you formed the upper part of the 1st "inner" vertical loop. Now form the bottom part of this loop by passing the working end of the rope underneath the horizontal loops as shown in the picture at the right.
Be careful to also capture the loop that began the horizontal turns (shown in the picture where the working end of the rope exits to the right—in front of the dowel but behind/under this loop.)
[If building this on your hand, make another loop, then remove the loops from your fingers before inserting the rock or golf ball.]
Inserting the Rock or Golf Ball
You can now insert the rock or golf ball into the center of the loops you have already made.
You may have to push the horizontal loops down (as in the diagram at the right) in order to have room to insert it.) Then neatly rearrange them before continuing with the last of the loops.
Finishing the 2nd Set of Vertical Loops
There is a convenient channel that you can pass the rope through as you make the last of the vertical loops. It is at the back, just beneath the upper dowel.
Start each new vertical loop by passing the rope through this channel. Then move this upper part of the loop forward. Keep these loops tight.
There is another channel just above the lower dowel that you can use to complete the lower portion of each loop. Run the working end of your rope through this channel, then move this lower part of the loop forward--under the rock or golf ball. Work slowly, keeping (only) these loops tight so that they capture the rock or golf ball.
When you finish these loops, the working end of your rope will exit toward the 2 x 3, at the back.
Compare your results to the diagram above.
Removing the Monkey Fist from the Frame
Simply slip the monkey fist off from the frame.
You are now ready to tighten the loops.
Tightening the Loops
Tighten the loops by pulling on one loop at a time. Do this gradually and in several stages and do not try to tighten the entire knot all at once.
Adjust the way the rope covers the rock or golf ball at the center, keeping everything symmetric.
Finishing
Finish the monkey fist by cutting the standing part to a convenient size and then tying the two rope ends together.
Some like to finish by splicing the two ropes together. See our "Making an Eye Splice" book for the how-to.
6 Rope Craft
Monkey Fist