How much stretch for lateral tubing (5/16")?

[kiteflyingeek]

I've read that the mainline should be stretched 3% of its length but I haven't seen anything like that for the lateral lines. I have Max Flow Grip Tubing from Leader that I plan to put up this year for the first time. I'm wondering how tight is "tight".

This will be a take down system with 20-35 taps per line. I have to take it down since my family members don't want the line up in their woods all year long.

Thanks for the inputs.

--andrew

[adk1]

Pull it tight! Once you put your drops in your kind of stuck with it. Pull tight first, secure then go back through and put in dops

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Pull it tight! Once you put your drops in your kind of stuck with it. Pull tight first, secure then go back through and put in dops

Also when you put in the drops cut a section of tubing out at least equal to the base of the "T" for each drop or you'll end up with a line that has more slack than you started with.

[miller maple]

I start the lateral at the furthest point take it to the mainline, then usually stretch nice and tight, then go back and place my dropps. I allways make sure when im doing the loop at the last tree furthest from the mainline that i have that nice and snug around tree, and like Sunday Rock Maple said if you need to cut out a little peace of tubing you can do that. I have had it were i had to cut out 5 or so inches when installing my drop. something else i found another reason you wanna have the end loop tight around the tree is once your tubing has been in the woods for a year or so it will start saging and if you dont have it tight around the tree you wont be able to tighten the tubing enough and you will have to cut it and take a section out of the tubing and splice it back in. Don't know if this made any sense Good luck.

[adk1]

Also when you put in the drops cut a section of tubing out at least equal to the base of the "T" for each drop or you'll end up with a line that has more slack than you started with. great point and one that I did not do when I first installed my tubing...

[SeanD]

I found the Max Flow Grip to be too elastic for mains or laterals especially if they are long. You can pull and pull and pull on it which at first feels great because you feel like you are getting it super tight, but it can overstretch and deform. Go easy on how hard you pull and try to use the side trees and tensioners to do the straightening and tightening for you.

The one big advantage to the Max Flow tubing is its flexibility in the cold. No matter how cold it is, it just slides right on the fitting. The 30P I used in the teens last year took all my effort.

Sean

[BreezyHill]

Mains andtubing are different product types. So there is not a stretch percentage on tubing that I have been informed of.

There is such a difference in tubing types and they too will have different stretch rates between the different types also.

Your less rigid...flex type tubings will stretch more if used as laterals rather than as drops. Semi ridged will stretch less and rigid will stretch the least.

The longer the run the less affect the 1/2" that each drops connection will have on the tension of the lateral. If you pull an extra 5" on a lateral you will eliminate the need to cut out a section for each drop installed. That is if you are putting in only 5 drops per lateral. I install a 36" section of rapid tie at the saddle to supply a 30" tension adjustment to hold the lateral. The extra 30" is turned into a drop if that much is available ever. This has not happened yet with the CDL Rigid or semi but did with the 30p we finished up.

The person pulling lats goes to the last tree and wraps around the tree and hooks the end hook and walks back to the mains with the tubing reel in hand. Second person has attached the length of rapid tie to the main and is installing the saddle. #2 pulls line tight while the first installs a hook connector and attaches the tight line to the rapid tie anchor. The tubing is cut and a new end hook is installed. #1 walks to install the next lateral.