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DominoSILVER Member UnNatural Scientist - Currently working on a Breville-legged monkey 757 posts Location: Bath Uni or Shrewsbury, UK
Posted: I need to order new ballchains (incase you hadn't read the subject). I have done a search on this but I can't find the idiot proof guide to choosing and ordering that I'm looking for. I vaguely understand that I can get them from www.ballchain.com or www.ballchain.co.uk but I don’t know what size, strength, type. Thanks for any help.
Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can beat the world into submission.
NOnactivist for HoPper liberation. 1,643 posts Location: ffidrac
Posted: I'd go by the specifications they have in the shop on here.. or just buy the chain from HoP. I think they have two different sizes - #13 or #15. I'm presuming it's for poi of course, if in fact, you need some super duper ballchain for a suspension bridge or something, then I'm afraid i can't help much
if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.
spritieSILVER Member Pooh-Bah 2,014 posts Location: Galveston, TX, USA
Posted: I would only buy the SS (stainless steel) kind. 13 or 15 guage, depending on how huge your wicks are. If they are normal size, you can easily use the 13 guage. I wouldn't get the NPS, and definitely not aluminum as it will break almost instantly. You will also need type A connects to attach your wicks and handles to the chain as well as quick links or some other such type connecter.
vanizeSILVER Member Carpal \'Tunnel 3,899 posts Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posted: I really need to write a ballchain article for HoP.
basically, the 13 gauge ballchain is barely adequate for fire, especially if you have anything bigger than very small wicks. the 13 gauge heat fatigues very quickly. it will last forever on practice poi. 15 gauge is superior for for fire play, but still needs to be closely watched and replaced after 100-200 burns. I have never seen 20 gauge SS fail, even when used for years with super heavy extra large wicks, but it is quite heavy compaired to 15 gauge and a little clunky looking (though some people like both of these qualities).
as spritie said, do stick to the stainless steel. the nickle plating on the nickle plated steel can flake off with hard use and cause very nasty metal splinters. unfortunately, last I looked, HoP only supplied NPS in 15 gauge, which is a shame, though Kombi Guy said to watch for SS 15 gauge to become available.
If you order from ballchain.com, be careful that you do not get anything other than strait plain jane steel chain. they have all sorts of cool chain (anodized or enamalized), but inevitably there is a flaw with these pretty chains - the anodized is aluminum and completely unfit for spinning with, not even with practice poi, and the other coatings will flake off even if they happen to be on steel chain (I've tried most of them)
back to the NPS vs. SS issue. Some people are never bothered by the NPS ballchain, others are so irritated by it that they just throw it away. I am in the latter category, but by no means the only one there. Other advantages to the stainless are, greater resistance to heat fatigue and much higher corrosion resistance. The latter I find to be very important - in certain cases (like a spin meet at the beach) I have seen NPS chain become totally worthless in a day from rust (exposure to salt water and sand) while the SS was untouched by corrosion and still perfectly fine. If your NPS is rusty at all, it will fail vary quickly and needs to be replaced immediatly.
-v-
Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!
DominoSILVER Member UnNatural Scientist - Currently working on a Breville-legged monkey 757 posts Location: Bath Uni or Shrewsbury, UK
Posted:
Thanks for you help but I'm still having trouble.
www.ballchain.com looks like it's out, as I really can't pay $300 (plus whatever it costs to ship it to the UK) for an entire spool when all I was is a couple of feet. They don't seem to do precut lengths for #15 in stainless steel. It is possible I'm being dumb and missing the "choose length" butten...
Any other help?
Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can beat the world into submission.
Kombi guyBRONZE Member HOP OM 225 posts Location: HOP Central, New Zealand
Posted: Hey Vanize, Ballchain.com told me that they do an SS15 ballchain but unfortunately dont do an SS type A coupling for that size ballchain which is a bit unfortunate as I was hoping to get hold of both the ballchain and couplings in SS15 I was hoping to make whole sets of SS and not mixing SS with NPS.
vanizeSILVER Member Carpal \'Tunnel 3,899 posts Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posted: yeah, that is the bummer about ballchain.com - not selling precut SS. That is why I am keen on getting you all to stock it!
so then - this talk about stainless steel "type A" couplings - I have never seen any 15/20 gauge couplings that were anything other than nickle plated brass - though that is no problem - not a big enough surface for flaking to be a serios problem, and the couplings are strong enough in brass, so long as you clamp them very tightly with pliers after connecting them to the chain.
now I'm wondering - are the 13 gauge connectors you sold me SS or NP brass? I did notice they were pretty stiff, so maybe they are SS? didn't even think to check since I just thought all connecters were NP brass. I'll have to investigate tonight...
Well, shall we go? Yes, let's go. [They do not move.]
DominoSILVER Member UnNatural Scientist - Currently working on a Breville-legged monkey 757 posts Location: Bath Uni or Shrewsbury, UK
Posted: So it's 13 gauge ballchain from HoP then I take it. This will be for fire, I currently have the smallest wicks from this site but I'm looking at buying the next site up. No better ideas/sites then?
Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can beat the world into submission.
Kombi guyBRONZE Member HOP OM 225 posts Location: HOP Central, New Zealand
Posted: The SS13 type A couplings sold here at HOP are Stainless Steel, and we have placed an order for SS15 ball chain and will be selling it on HOP in about a week or so.
DominoSILVER Member UnNatural Scientist - Currently working on a Breville-legged monkey 757 posts Location: Bath Uni or Shrewsbury, UK
Posted: Guess I can wait
Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can beat the world into submission.
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