[POLL] Which way to cut wooden chocks?

[jime]

Away from home I have one set of aluminum angles chained together. In the hangar I use U shaped wooden chocks made from 2x2's with two 45 deg angle cuts attached to a 2x2 with a rope thru the center...

Low profile, and I have different sets with different mouth openings and depths for different size tires.....custom made and no need to bend over to properly place them..can all be done with one foot...

 

[Dan Thomas]

https://ropechocks.com/

Expensive, but less likely to get blown away by strong winds. I've seen that happen to small wooden chocks. I think spending a bit more than $2 on chocks to protect a $150,000 airplane makes some sense. But then, too, flashy stuff gets stolen.

I've seen huge rope used like that on large military aircraft.

 

[Southpaw]

Made mine from sq aluminum tubing. Plasma cut in to angles. Cricket machine labels.
Light and fit under rear seat of my 172.

 

[Craig]

Here's one of the better ways:

 

[Dana]

Wow.

 

[Half Fast]

View attachment 108470

https://ropechocks.com/

Expensive, but less likely to get blown away by strong winds. I've seen that happen to small wooden chocks. I think spending a bit more than $2 on chocks to protect a $150,000 airplane makes some sense. But then, too, flashy stuff gets stolen.

I've seen huge rope used like that on large military aircraft.

Or you could buy 2.5 feet of rope and make your own in about a minute or two.

P.T. Barnum would be proud of this product.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Or you could buy 2.5 feet of rope and make your own in about a minute or two.

P.T. Barnum would be proud of this product.

It would take more than a minute or two to whip the ends so they don't fray. Getting nice heat-shrinkable tubing in that size might be difficult. Electrical tape just gets gooey and starts slipping apart after a while. Maybe the silicone "emergency" tape would be the best, if it would stay put on polypropylene. Then you need some device to hold the thing closed. The one they have there doesn't look that effective. Should have a clamping action.

I have made my own stuff hundreds of times. Once in a while I find that it cost me more and/or had an inferior result, than if I had just bought the real thing in the first place.

 

[Half Fast]

It would take more than a minute or two to whip the ends so they don't fray. Getting nice heat-shrinkable tubing in that size might be difficult. Electrical tape just gets gooey and starts slipping apart after a while. Maybe the silicone "emergency" tape would be the best, if it would stay put on polypropylene. Then you need some device to hold the thing closed. The one they have there doesn't look that effective. Should have a clamping action.

I have made my own stuff hundreds of times. Once in a while I find that it cost me more and/or had an inferior result, than if I had just bought the real thing in the first place.

It's nylon rope. Just melt the ends with a lighter or a soldering iron if you don't want to take the time to whip them. The heat shrink isn't needed. Tie a bowline in one end rather than the plastic loop; alternatively, if you're going to take the time to whip the ends you can whip a loop. Or, just tie a hitch around the tire, same as you use to tie down the plane, and cinch it up.

But aviators seem to like $50 solutions to $5 problems.

 

[Dan Thomas]

It's nylon rope.

But aviators seem to like $50 solutions to $5 problems.

It's polypropylene rope.

Aviators like to spend $100 on a hamburger.

 

[asicer]

View attachment 108470

https://ropechocks.com/

Expensive, but less likely to get blown away by strong winds. I've seen that happen to small wooden chocks. I think spending a bit more than $2 on chocks to protect a $150,000 airplane makes some sense. But then, too, flashy stuff gets stolen.

I've seen huge rope used like that on large military aircraft.

The free end looks rather long in that picture.

 

[nauga]

It's nylon rope. Just melt the ends with a lighter or a soldering iron if you don't want to take the time to whip them. The heat shrink isn't needed. Tie a bowline in one end rather than the plastic loop; alternatively, if you're going to take the time to whip the ends you can whip a loop. Or, just tie a hitch around the tire, same as you use to tie down the plane, and cinch it up.

Or just kick a couple of pieces of scrap lumber under the tires in less time than it takes to argue about how to push a rope.

Nauga,
and complex solutions to simple problems