Front View	Rear View	Bottom View

Technical Details

I made my Spool Eight in 2009 as a copy of a similar device in the NSS museum. It was given to Paul Steward in 2006, who then donated it to the museum.

My Spool Eight is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. It is 205 mm. tall, 107 mm. wide, and 145 mm. thick. The rope hole is 76 mm. wide. The shaft length and width are 158 mm. and 25 mm., respectively. The eye measures 13 mm. by 13 mm. My eight weighs 474 g.

Comments

The spool eight is one of the "other eights" that do not fit into my normal categories. It is arguably the most unusual figure eight in my collection. It looks like a horizontal spool, but the rope path is the same as the path for a figure eight.

The clip-in hole is too small for many carabiners, but it copies the one on the original. If one seriously wanted to make one of these for regular use, they should flatten the lower shaft and elongate the clip-in hole into a slot.

My spool eight has a threaded connection between the shaft and crossbar to provide strength. Unlike steel welds, aluminum welds are weak and I would not would trust this eight if the weld was the only think holding the shaft in place. The original had a welded connection, but I didn't have aluminum welding capability when I first made this. In 2021, Amy Skowronski graciously welded mine to provide a smooth rope surface. Thank you, Amy!