Last updated: November 7, 2024
Place
Making Rope, wayside exhibit
NPS/Robert Hartwig
Quick Facts
Location:
Homestead National Historical Park
Designation:
wayside exhibit
Amenities
2 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information
Laid rope, also called twisted rope, is historically the most prevalent form of rope. Rope was made from something that was pliable and easily twisted together, such as cotton, hemp, or animal fibers.
Fibrous twine was fastened on the hooks of two wooden stands facing each other. These stands were called the traveler and the jack. The jack is the anchor, and the traveler slowly moves toward the jack when the cranks are turned in opposite directions of each other. This creates a three-ply rope that is shorter than the original length of strands. One person would hold a piece of wood called a "skirder" to keep the pieces of twine from tangling together.
Fibrous twine was fastened on the hooks of two wooden stands facing each other. These stands were called the traveler and the jack. The jack is the anchor, and the traveler slowly moves toward the jack when the cranks are turned in opposite directions of each other. This creates a three-ply rope that is shorter than the original length of strands. One person would hold a piece of wood called a "skirder" to keep the pieces of twine from tangling together.