The steeple-jack's instructor

Chapter 15: HALF HITCHES

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About This Book

A practical manual that teaches the trade of steeple-jacking, offering step-by-step methods for rigging, climbing, and repairing tall structures such as smokestacks, towers, standpipes, water tanks, church spires, flagstaffs, and poles. It explains how to enter the trade, emphasizes safety and professional conduct, and details rigging techniques both with and without gimblet wires, reguying, tripping, handling decayed or lined stacks, and installing ladders and self-supporting fittings. A substantial section catalogs knots, hitches, bends and their uses. Practical advice on pricing, workmanship, and time management rounds out the handbook as a tradesman’s guide to maintaining and inspecting lofty structures.

HALF HITCHES

The half hitch is used very frequently by the Steeple Jack, especially in tying off the riggings for the night or pulling up a pole or paint. In making the half hitches, pass the end around the object you are tying, then over and around, standing part between the object and itself; then under and around the standing parts and between own loop and the one first formed. It is no more difficult and takes no longer to make this knot than it does for you to count three. Illustrations on page 65.

Half Hitch