Proper way to cut and protect webbing end?

[Walter]

Why?

 

[Hoosier]

Why?

The round one used to give more fraying points and it is much easier to cut the straight lined one and glue it again.

 

[GreenDiverDown]

They actually make nylon webbing cutters, similar to a sharp soldering iron.

Yes, they do. We use one at the shop. At home I just torch a blade.

 

[Hank49]

Why?

What Hoosier said. The ones I rounded frayed because, I guess, you do expose more single strands of the material and it unravels. Maybe also because the rounded end has more contact with the buckle as it slides in, wearing off the melted part. The ones I cut square haven't frayed. Plus, the belt is narrow enough to fit in the buckle without being rounded to guide it in. At least that's my limited experience.

 

[douglasville diver]

The heated knife sounds good I'll try it next time myself. I've been using a soldering iron ,works well ,but on the boat or at the dive site the lighter is about the only choice.

 

[Hoosier]

But, the heated knife with the small lighter..........I am not sure if you can get the same output....

 

[CompuDude]

What Hoosier said. The ones I rounded frayed because, I guess, you do expose more single strands of the material and it unravels. Maybe also because the rounded end has more contact with the buckle as it slides in, wearing off the melted part. The ones I cut square haven't frayed. Plus, the belt is narrow enough to fit in the buckle without being rounded to guide it in. At least that's my limited experience.

I don't round mine, but I do prefer to cut one corner at an angle... at 45 degree angle, nip off about 1/2 inch from the top corner. Makes it a little easier to get the belt in, and reduces the fraying problem to a manageable level. I haven't had to in a long time, but should you notice any fraying, 5 seconds with a lighter brings it right back into shape, as long as you catch it early.

 

[do it easy]

I throw some foil on the stove and heat the end up to get a decent amount of gooey, chewy, melted nylon on the end. It's not a huge blob, but more than a lighter would produce. Then, I'll drag it across the foil to shape it so that it's not a huge blob that won't fit through a buckle. I guess you could do the same thing with the hot knife, but you might have to apply it a few times.

In the field, I use a lighter for quick and dirty repairs.

I also cut my waistbelt at a slight diagonal, but that is just me.

 

[scscubadiver1]

Try this

http://www.rescuetech1.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=290

 

[ronrosa]

Sorry for the dumb question, but I want to trim a few inches off the waist webbing on my TransPac. What is an acceptable way of heating the exposed end so it won't unravel? I guess I could experiment with the piece I cut off but thought I'd ask those that may have gone before me. Thanks!

Yeah, my Transpac has a lot of excess waist webbing too. I was going to cut off some until someone showed me how to double back the extra webbing through the buckle for the left side, and through the crotch strap for the right side.