Tramp replacment tricks

I'd be interested in hearing about this, too. Getting mine tight has been a painful process. After the lacing is loosely in place, I go back to the beginning to begin the tensioning. I use a line with a loop in the end. I slip the end through the grommet, run it around the rear beam, through the loop, double back, and then pull tight to tension. (Using the loop gives me 2:1 pull.) I then pull the tramp lacing tight and have someone hold it while I pull the next grommet tight. I work my way down the lacing in this way until I get to the end, then go back and repeat a couple times to get it really tight.

I don't do it often enough to spend time coming up with an easier way, but I sure would be interested in hearing what others do.

**** plug gotten from Boat U.S. I just whittled the end down a bit. Then, I made a tensioner tool that consisted of a piece of shovel handle with two long bolts through the end, spaced about 1.5 inches apart.

Using these goes like this - I lace the tramp, as tight as easliy possible by hand. Then I go back over it, starting at the lacing two past the beginning, inserting the bolts of the tension tool around a piece of the lacing then rotating the handle - the bolts twist the line, tightening it. Jam the tapered dowel into the grommet hole closer to the starting point to keep the line tight, then move on to the next lacing. Tighten, jam, tighten, jam, etc. This turns it into a one-person job.

Care needs to be used with the tensioner tool, because you can generate enough pull to pull the grommets out of the material.

Keith,

Is this the same as what the "Uptight Tramp Tool" I see in the Murray's catalog does?

Yup! I believe that tool set is essentially the same thing. You can either buy the high-tech version or scrounge for bits and pieces in your junk pile! I couldn't resist finding a use for the broken off end of a shovel handle... Drilled two holes and put two bolts through it.

The Murray's tool looks like you would either use two hands, or twist with one hand. My version puts the two downward prongs/bolts at the end of a handle. The end with the bolts is stabilized pretty well with the tension of the lacings (and keep it low to the tramp), and then you have a one-hand lever action to tighten things. This keeps the other hand free to keep pressure on the lacing jammer.

You can also make a tool out of a pvc T just cut a slot in the bottom. Be carful because it will pull groments out.

Kevin,

This set-up works great. Mine is virtually identical except that I just sawed a notch in the handle to grab the rope. Also I found the best pin is an Easy-out. You can get them for a couple of bucks at any hardware store. They are spiraled and grip a lot better than my old wood dowel.

Matt

Won't the easy- out tear up the line?

And what did you use a old wooden handle? Just cut a slot in it o grab the line?