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trenty75

nickle vs stainless parts

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well i am sure this has been discussed before but i am going to order a brand spankin new rig...if i order nickle ( which is chrome plated) it would take 4-6 weeks..if i order stainless we are talking 15-30 weeks...i am sure that nickle is fine or else they wouldnt put it on a rig..but i was just asking for some input...i need a rig..and want it now!! :)

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I got the nickel plating on my Mirage Unisyn and it looks absolutely incredible. It always gets compliments. I chose it over the stainless because I think it looks better. The fact that it was $150 cheaper didn't hurt either but it wasn't my deciding factor.

Don't confuse nickel plating with chrome plating. Nickel is much more durable and looks a lot better. It's more of a glossy satin finish.
Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

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For me, I would not get stainless steel hardware - it is heavier and does not improve function /safety. Yes, it looks OK but for me it is not worth it.

Nickel plating and chrome plating are not the same - chrome plating would not stand up.

I cannot understand why anyone would wait 26 weeks for a rig...but that is another topic.

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that is actually a good point - if the nickle will chip off on the inside of the rings then those rings will be exposed to rusting.

Yes this should be seen and dealt with, but if people are expecting their nickel rings to be rust proof they may not be looking.

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Stainless. And I don't live near the sea.

Always stainless.

As for the dude that said heavier... bet he can't tell the difference in weight between identical rigs with different sized mains, let alone stainless vs. Nickel...:S

t
It's the year of the Pig.

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Stainless. And I don't live near the sea.

Always stainless.

As for the dude that said heavier... bet he can't sell the difference in weight between identical rigs with different sized mains, let alone stainless vs. Nickel...:S

t



I've ordered my new Vortex, with stainless steel hardware. B|

In the long run, I think a rig with stainless steel hardware parts, will retain a better look.

;)

Yves.

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Why on earth would you want to polish and smooth and make slick part of a system that needs friction to work properly??

Everyone here realizes that the load placed on that little white loop and cable is all determined by how much friction there is in the system (and that it's properly aligned), right?

Before someone comes flaming back with the fact that "the system is so overbuilt that it doesn't matter...", I realize that. I also realize, as Relative Workshop tried to explain to the world years ago, that larger rings create longer lever arms and therefore reduce the force on that little white loop and cable even more.

As a note, I jump mini-rings...expressly because the systems are so overbuilt...I just wanted to throw out there that slick rings take you one step further down the road of decreasing the efficiency of your canopy release system...I know I'm being a hypocrite, but I wanted to make sure everyone has all the facts!

And you just thought it was a matter of looking cool, didn't you?... :P




"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

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I know I'm being a hypocrite, but I wanted to make sure everyone has all the facts!



Nothing wrong with that... knowing of a risk and accepting it is one thing, blindly following without a true appreciation of what you're doing is another altogether.

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:ph34r:

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Why on earth would you want to polish and smooth and make slick part of a system that needs friction to work properly??



The why on earth would Mirage or Javelin, or just about every other rig manufacturer would market such "fricitionless" release mechanism, if it's unreliable? The same reasoning can also be applied to regular rings and mini-rings and also regular risers, and mini-risers.


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Everyone here realizes that the load placed on that little white loop and cable is all determined by how much friction there is in the system (and that it's properly aligned), right?

Before someone comes flaming back with the fact that "the system is so overbuilt that it doesn't matter...", I realize that. I also realize, as Relative Workshop tried to explain to the world years ago, that larger rings create longer lever arms and therefore reduce the force on that little white loop and cable even more.

As a note, I jump mini-rings...expressly because the systems are so overbuilt...I just wanted to throw out there that slick rings take you one step further down the road of decreasing the efficiency of your canopy release system...I know I'm being a hypocrite, but I wanted to make sure everyone has all the facts!

And you just thought it was a matter of looking cool, didn't you?... :P



If the system is so "overbuilt", I fail to see the point. People have jumped rigs equipped with stainless steel hardware, for a long time, and I have not heard of any failures on their rigs.

Stainless steel never rust. It's a fact. Rust can be a problem, and can cause premature failure of webbing, due to increased "friction" :P


;)

Yves.

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If the system is so "overbuilt", I fail to see the point. People have jumped rigs equipped with stainless steel hardware, for a long time, and I have not heard of any failures on their rigs.



Stainless steel 3-rings reduces the efficiency of the 3-ring, which means higher loads on the white locking loop and higher pull forces on the cutaway handle. This can contribute to impossibly high cutaway forces, which has happened. This is a failure.

Things that increase cutaway forces:

Stainless steel 3-rings
Mini-rings
Excess cutaway cable s twisted around each other without hard housing inserts
The channel on the back of the rear risers 'gripping' the excess cutaway cable if hard housings are not installed.
Dirty cutaway cables
Rough spots or sharp bends on the cutaway cables
3-rings not manufactured to specs.

Things that can reduce cutaway forces:

Cadmium or electrolysis-plated 3-rings
Standard (large) 3-rings
Clean cutaway cables
Riser inserts
3-rings manufactured to specs
Straight, knick or bend-free cutaway cables

All that being said, stainless hardware doesn't seem to rust, and if manufactured to specs, maintained every 30 days, hard housings are used in the risers, stainless 3-rings are OK.

Derek

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The why on earth would Mirage or Javelin, or just about every other rig manufacturer would market such "fricitionless" release mechanism, if it's unreliable?



I didn't say it was "unreliable"...and the reason that mfgs. use it is because the general population is convinced that if someone builds it, it must be safe. Safe yes, safest, no.

As long as there are consumers who think the world revolves around shiny things, mfgs. will find a way to give that to you.

Again, it's safe enough to use stainless or nickle...but for a group of people who commonly looks for the safest or best pieces of gear, slick rings are neither the safest nor the best. That's all!


"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

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Yep, I agree.

Which is why my rig has LARGE NICKEL rings on type-8 risers, hard housings and riser inserts, and I clean my cutaway cable at least every 30 days. I sure would feel stupid going in because I was yanking on a stuck cutaway cable thinking "At least my 3-rings are shiny!" :S
7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez
"I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

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my rig has LARGE NICKEL rings on type-8 risers, hard housings and riser inserts, and I clean my cutaway cable at least every 30 days.



That is the most efficient cutaway system there is (if there are manufactured to specs). Any deviation from that can increase cutaway forces.

Derek

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Just curious, how does the fact that the rings are stainless reduce efficiency?

-R

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If the system is so "overbuilt", I fail to see the point. People have jumped rigs equipped with stainless steel hardware, for a long time, and I have not heard of any failures on their rigs.



Stainless steel 3-rings reduces the efficiency of the 3-ring, which means higher loads on the white locking loop and higher pull forces on the cutaway handle. This can contribute to impossibly high cutaway forces, which has happened. This is a failure.

Things that increase cutaway forces:

Stainless steel 3-rings
Mini-rings
Excess cutaway cable s twisted around each other without hard housing inserts
The channel on the back of the rear risers 'gripping' the excess cutaway cable if hard housings are not installed.
Dirty cutaway cables
Rough spots or sharp bends on the cutaway cables
3-rings not manufactured to specs.

Things that can reduce cutaway forces:

Cadmium or electrolysis-plated 3-rings
Standard (large) 3-rings
Clean cutaway cables
Riser inserts
3-rings manufactured to specs
Straight, knick or bend-free cutaway cables

All that being said, stainless hardware doesn't seem to rust, and if manufactured to specs, maintained every 30 days, hard housings are used in the risers, stainless 3-rings are OK.

Derek



You be the king and I'll overthrow your government. --KRS-ONE

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Just curious, how does the fact that the rings are stainless reduce efficiency?



As it was explained to me by Bill Booth and mentioned by Rigging65, the stainless steel rings are very smooth, which causes more force to be transmitted to the locking loop. Friction between the rings and webbing absorbs some of the force, reducing the amount transmitted to the locking loop. He was asking because he had just developed the new electrolysis-plated hardware at PIS 2001. He said that the plated hardware had the nice look of the stainless, but retained the efficiency of the Cadmium plated hardware that was lost with the stainless.

Derek

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Nice points!

Ryan and Derek bring some great information, and make the point that it should be every jumpers responsiblity to investigate rather than accept on blind faith.

Kudos.

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And you just thought it was a matter of looking cool, didn't you?...



It isn't?:D:ph34r::S;)
----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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Roger that, I suspected it had to do with the increased friction of the non-stainless hardware...It's an interesting point, but do you really think that there is THAT much more force on the locking loop with stainless? I wonder if anyone that has any numbers on the comparison.

-R

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Just curious, how does the fact that the rings are stainless reduce efficiency?



As it was explained to me by Bill Booth and mentioned by Rigging65, the stainless steel rings are very smooth, which causes more force to be transmitted to the locking loop. Friction between the rings and webbing absorbs some of the force, reducing the amount transmitted to the locking loop. He was asking because he had just developed the new electrolysis-plated hardware at PIS 2001. He said that the plated hardware had the nice look of the stainless, but retained the efficiency of the Cadmium plated hardware that was lost with the stainless.

Derek



You be the king and I'll overthrow your government. --KRS-ONE

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Roger that, I suspected it had to do with the increased friction of the non-stainless hardware...It's an interesting point, but do you really think that there is THAT much more force on the locking loop with stainless? I wonder if anyone that has any numbers on the comparison.



I don't have the numbers, but there is a difference. Therein lies the rub. The 3-ring release must work when we need it. If it doesn't, we can end up dead. Using stainless steel mini rings increases pull forces. They must be manufactured correctly and maintained to prevent hard pulls. If we choose to use a release system that is less efficient than possible and is affected by a lack of maintenance to a higher degree, we must be aware of the downside of our choice and perform the required maintenance.

An analogy; a high performance sports car requires maintenance to run well. If we don't maintain a Ford Taurus, it will still run, just not as well. Don't perform the maintenance on a Ferrari and it will not run at all, not simply run poorly.

Derek

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