50' Long Lead Tutorial


Hello fellow DIYers! Long leads are a fantastic tool in dog training. Their most popular use is for training one of the most important skills to master: recall! Having a strong recall can be the difference between life and death in some cases so it is important that you and your pup work consistently to master it. Another use for the LL is playing fetch at on-leash locations, hence the need for a longer than normal lead. I decided to make my own LL because the ones I found in-store were not long enough and poor quality for the cost. This is an easy project that only took me about 30 minutes and cost less than 20$.
Finished product

Please read through the whole tutorial before beginning, being prepared makes a big difference with this project.


Materials:

50' 3/8'' Diamond braid poly rope (detailed description here
This rope is fantastic in-hand, and resists kinking up. Use whatever rope you want, just make sure it has a high enough working load.

They also sell a 100' but I will say the longer the lead, the more of a pain it becomes. It's also very bulky.
I recommend 50'. Still kind of bulky to carry but having the freedom to work at greater distances is worth it.
Heres a visual of how much bulk 50' of rope is

Nylon string for lashings (details here). I already had this at home, use whatever lashings you prefer.
Pros of Nylon: 
Can be melted to form strong bond
Many color options
Mold resistant
Cost effective

Cons of Nylon:
Slippery material when knotting and handling, which can be really frustrating
Causes discomfort when held tight, making it hard to keep your lashings even

Metal fastener (details hereMake sure the working load is at least 100lbs. 

Lighter
Scissors or knife


Got everything? GREAT! Let's get started.


A tired puppy is a happy puppy
Ok so I have a little confession to make, I didn't take any pictures when I made the original because quite frankly I forgot. I know, bad blogger... I'm new at this... So these pictures are not actually making the lead, but do show the process. 

It won't happen again guys, promise.



Lay out materials:
I lettered each picture and referenced them like this: (A...) for easy reference.



For the handle, measure out the desired size of loop you want plus room for lashing. When forming the loop, keep the rope side-by-side (A), not crossed (B).
(A) RIGHT
(B) WRONG
Okay, I had to take these pictures myself so I couldn't hold the lighter up to show exactly where to melt. The goal of the melting is to bond the rope together in the"gutter" of the two rope sections. You won't be able to do a solid line of adhesion with a lighter because you want to melt the rope together in the "gutter" of the two rope sections and the melted rope cools and hardens too quickly. The best way to do this is using a "tack weld" type of melt. Pinch the two parts together (C) and melt as close to the pinch as possible making sure not to over-melt because the best bond is formed from the outer layer. Burning too long exposes the white core that doesn't melt as well as the outer layer (E). A few seconds is all it takes then you want to pinch the "weld" together tightly until cool. Once the first bond is done, repeat the melting process down the length of the lashing location (see final product picture at the top of the page for a visual).
(C)
(Pretend the lashings aren't there yet) Melt the end of the rope to keep it from fraying (D) (If you didn't cut it, it should already be melted):
(D)
Burn mark. Womp womp...
(E)
Now get your nylon ready, and your game face on. This part sucks, but you can get through it! To start, tie a simple slip knot (F) at the beginning of the fused pieces, pull tight. Flip it over and tie a second slip knot on the back (G) pull TIGHT. I have never done lashing before so if you have a better way then by all means do share!
(F)
(G)
Once you have the lashing started, start TIGHTLY wrapping the string over the tail, keeping the wrapping as close and as tight as possible (H). The tightening is what really hurts your hand, but the end result is worth it.
(H)
Keep going! I believe in you! The frayed end is the tail from the original knot (I). Cover it completely with the lashing string and then you reach the end of the fused parts (use lashings in (D) as reference), DOUBLE back over to where you started (I know, GAME FACE). This second layer is about when your hand cramps up. keep strong! Keep constant tension on each wrap so you get a stiff finished handle.
(I)
These pictures of the lashing process are for display only. My lashings are about 5" long. when you make it back to your starting point and are happy with the appearance of the binding, cut the string off the spool, leaving yourself some slack to tuck into the last loop to help anchor the lashing. Once you have it tied, gently melt the tie-point (O) and press the melted part down with the bottom of the lighter. repeat until you feel confident it will not unravel. If you wrapped it tight enough, the other end of the lashing should need no melting.
(O)
Close-up of my finished lashing (P), it's not perfect but it is close enough.
(P)
You are half-way there! for the clip side, loop the other end of the rope through the eye (Q) and repeat the melting/lashing procedure. This melting/lashing sequence is the most important of the two because if this is not strong enough, it could come apart and your pup could be released.
(Q)

And there you have it! Post your pictures of your leads to the Facebook and Instagram pages along with more tips and suggestions you may have! I want to see them! Even if it's a "Nailed It!" attempt, theres no shame in sharing!

Alvin approves

You guys are fantastic! 

-M

3 comments:

Terri Landrum said...

Good job!

Unknown said...

Thank you!

Unknown said...

This is great! Thank you!! We have a 10' lead - but a 50' would be awesome!!!

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