High Bar Straps

[birdi_gurlie]

Where do you get bar straps? The only way I can find them is to get the full set of 8 for 53 bucks.
Too much. Extra help?

[powerplant42]

That's what I did...

[rainbowgirl28]

Find someone with an industrial sewing machine and get them to make you a pair. They're super easy to make, you just need the material and a machine that can get through it.

[birdi_gurlie]

Well, we have a mighty fine sewing machine...we've got 3, though only 2 works, and, well, one considering that the other is locked under a cover and we can't find the key. Either way, yeah.

What kind of material?
It's just a mobius strip thing, right? [A circle with a single turn in it.]

[powerplant42]

Correct.

Nylon is what you should use...

Right?

[superpipe]

Go to a rock climbing store. They will carry a variety of extremely strong nylon webbing you can have cut to any length for like $2.00. You don't want just any nylon webbing. You want stuff made to handle alot of stress. Unless you have some special heavy duty sewing machine, I would doubt you have a sewing machine made to thread through climbing webbing. That's where you get caught having to buy the real thing. I'm no sewing expert either, but make sure you use the right thread and threading pattern to insure a strong hold. Basically use the same thread and technique that is used for all climbing webbing. I don't know what that is though. In my book, it's not worth the risk, buy the real thing. Maybe you can get some other people to split the cost with you.

[rainbowgirl28]

Go to a rock climbing store. They will carry a variety of extremely strong nylon webbing you can have cut to any length for like $2.00. You don't want just any nylon webbing. You want stuff made to handle alot of stress. Unless you have some special heavy duty sewing machine, I would doubt you have a sewing machine made to thread through climbing webbing. That's where you get caught having to buy the real thing. I'm no sewing expert either, but make sure you use the right thread and threading pattern to insure a strong hold. Basically use the same thread and technique that is used for all climbing webbing. I don't know what that is though. In my book, it's not worth the risk, buy the real thing. Maybe you can get some other people to split the cost with you.

Maybe someone at the climbing store would have suggestions of someone local who could sew them.

[master]

I personally don't think sewing the strap is that difficult and doesn't require any exotic machine. However, if you feel you want a more powerful machine, any "old fashioned" shoe repair shop has sewing machines that will sew through multiple layers of leather. They also have very heavy "thread". I would bet if you went to a shop that was equipped to repair shoes, and you had your strap positioned and pinned, you could get the job done for a $5 bill.

- master

[master]

Go to a rock climbing store. They will carry a variety of extremely strong nylon webbing you can have cut to any length for like $2.00. You don't want just any nylon webbing. You want stuff made to handle alot of stress.

I bought what I used from this store in my home town.
http://www.therainshed.com
I used 1" wide tubular nylon (rated 4000 lb test) found on the "Webbing/Cord/Tapes" link. It cost all of $1.20 per yard. I sewed it on my wife's sewing machine using upholstery thread. I have about a 4" overlap and 5 parallel runs of stitching along the 4" length. And a few across the width near the ends of the overlap.

However you choose to put a strap together, you should do some stress testing of your straps to gain the confidence they are safe. And every time before you use them, examine the stitching looking for any change that might indicate wear or degradation.

- master

[birdi_gurlie]

1. Well, the sewing machine we have that is in the cover is pretty heavy duty for sewing. My dad said that worst comes to worst, we take it to a locksmith.
2. There are no rock climbing stores near us. Our town does not have that sort of thing, unfortunately. Not sure about the shoe repair thing either.
3. That's the issue...there IS no one else where I know that uses them. And no one from my team would use them because we don't often do bar drills [except for me] and the weight training class won't use them.
4. I was obviously going to stress test it a little first...probably simply dangling from the bar holding them [I know how to land correctly if I'm just dangling...just not if I'm swinging. I would prefer NOT to learn to fly.] And I was going to WAY over-do the stitching...I'm notorious for that. Most of my sewing includes double/triple stitching non-necessary things.

[rainbowgirl28]

I think they are usually stitched in an X with a square around it. Not sure how much it matters, I am sure if you do it a bunch of times it will work.

Do you have pipe or something over the bar to use them with? You know you don't just strap yourself onto the bar, right?

[birdi_gurlie]

Yeah, they're usually stitched in an X, I think.

I have a pipe. It's not a gymnastics type bar, unfortunately. No, I don't have PVC or anything over them. But I WILL be using gymnastics palm grips and the pipes are smooth. I do high-bar drills on them all the time.

I do know how to strap myself into the bar. I learned at camp [Vault Assault at USC]. I have teeny hands and somehow I could strap myself in and it still be the right size strap. Like I said, I will have a gymnastics palm guard on, so it's not just my palm on the bar. They had an oven mit thing at the camp, but I was told that weight training gloves or a gymnastics palm guard would work well. And seeing as it's REALLY hard to get weight training gloves in my size, I went with the gymnastics grip.

Also, for the record, I'm not doing giants or anything. Just a tapswing and such...nothing above the bar.