Help on making a custom fire roapdart

Hey all! I was wondering if I could get some help on selecting the right parts before ordering and building a fire ropedart.

First off, for peeople who don't know what a ropedart is, its basically a long length of chain with a weighted tip on one end. Basically a single really long poi.

Right. My personal specs were a 2.5" monkey fist on around 44"-45" of chain, plus a handle (which I may have to custom make -- I want a single 5" nylon loop to fit into my palm).

What I need to know is what type of chain I should use, and what links/joins I need to fit it all together, as I'm not entirely sure which part goes where on the different chains.

Also, does HoP make custom handles? If not, I'm sure I can find some ballistic nylon lying around somewhere ^_^

Thanks!

Why not use rope instead of chain?
It'll be much nicer on your hands and wont weigh one metric tonne.

Here's my rig:

About 10' of 4mm rope, 1' of chain and a BIG 3 1/2" diameter monkey fist, all tied together with 250lb.+ split rings\quick links and a swivel.

The rope length will depend on your arm length and what you feel comfortable spinning.

NOTE: Only use that thin of a rope if you don't mind tearing your fingers and whatever body parts you wrap around to pieces.

Wow, mtbeer, thats huge O.O"

Mmm... I have two reasons not to use a rope, and they're both pretty pedantic lol!

One, I've practiced with a rope-bound RD before, and I just can't seem to get used to the weighting of it. I've tried an XL poi before and found that the heavieness was something that I found a sort of comfort in.

Two (this is the REALLY pedantic one), is that I don't like the way it wraps when I join two lengths of materials together as the join gives it a bit more dynamic movement, which annoys me to no end =/

Wow you guys have been really helpful, thanks!!!

Last two questions, and I'll promise to stop being a pain =)

What type of chain do you recommend? There are three types that I think are suitable, but I'm not too sure how heavy they would be.. the 15# ball chain, the SS oval and the Nickle plated steel oval. I'm leaning towards the oval chains, since I'm familliar with them, but feel free to voice your opinion on them!

Lastly, for something like this, is it nessesary to include a swivel in the design? Would it make a huge difference if i did or did not include it?

Thanks sooo much guys!

I use twist oval link chain but it's really up to you. I would however recommend stainless steel for it's corrosive resistance. The oval link chain here at HoP is super beefy and fine for nine section whip size lengths but a bit extreme for anything longer.

The swivel helps out quite a bit for heavier fire heads and even more so if you plan on big circular burnoffs. If you are using a small to medium size fire head or ball chain you can do without the swivel.

happy spinning