# Wire rope winch for Flyrail vs Capstan



## RHasler (Apr 22, 2018)

I am looking for a wire rope version of a capstan winch for the fly rail. I used one years ago built by Texas Scenic. I've been talking to their guy on the east coast and he can't find a record of it and is having a hard time trying to figure out what I want.

It had a cable drum that was deep so the cable just piled but since it wasn't wide it tracked pretty well. It had momentary switches for up/down. It was great for those handing steel frame drops that get built on the deck and hoisted out. I love my capstan but would like to add a wire rope version to my stock. 

Any thoughts? I've contacted a few other companies without much luck.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Apr 22, 2018)

You might using other than "capstan" which has always meant to me a very unique "drum" using a few wraps and manual tension to make it work. I think you just want a drum winch without groves. Even when I google "wire rope capstan winch" most of the images are not wire rope.

Columbus McKinnon make wire rope hoists that might work, and probably less expensive than any a rigging company makes.


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## MPowers (Apr 22, 2018)

Part of your problem in finding the winch is nomenclature. "...It had a cable drum that was deep so the cable just piled ..." If the line (rope or cable) "piled" up on the drum, it wasn't a Capstan winch. A capstan winch only has one or two complete wraps of line on the drum at any time. Tension is controlled, as Bill said, by the operator pulling, releasing or "holding" tension on the free end of the line which feeds off the drum as it operates and does not accumulate on the drum. Trying to hand feed cable is rather difficult at best and very dangerous if the cable is under any kind of load or tension. It sounds like what you are actually looking for is simply an overhaul winch, possibly a yo-yo drum type of winch, that attaches to the arbor to pull down an unweighted arbor after loading. Is this how you intend to use it? If you can describe how you intend to use it or what you are trying to accomplish, your factory rep should be able to find what you need.


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## RonHebbard (Apr 22, 2018)

RHasler said:


> I am looking for a wire rope version of a capstan winch for the fly rail. I used one years ago built by Texas Scenic. I've been talking to their guy on the east coast and he can't find a record of it and is having a hard time trying to figure out what I want.
> 
> It had a cable drum that was deep so the cable just piled but since it wasn't wide it tracked pretty well. It had momentary switches for up/down. It was great for those handing steel frame drops that get built on the deck and hoisted out. I love my capstan but would like to add a wire rope version to my stock.
> 
> Any thoughts? I've contacted a few other companies without much luck.


 @RHasler A couple of thoughts for you. The narrow drum you're describing is often called a 'yo yo drum' where the aircraft cable is dead-ended within the axle and piles up on itself as the drum rotates. When electrically operated, they're often rotated by a 90 degree worm gear drive as it's somewhat self braking although redundant brakes are always employed especially for applications involving overhead lifting. When used on hydraulic cranes, construction site tower cranes for example, the winch is often fabricated as two groups of sheaves with the aircraft cable laced back and forth. One or two butch hydraulic cylinders are used to force the two groups of sheaves apart thereby forcing more aircraft cable to be taken up and / or allowed to come closer together by gently releasing the hydraulic fluid to return to its resevoir and the aircraft cable carefully paid out slowly and under complete control. 
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.


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## porkchop (Apr 22, 2018)

I dislike the idea of being far enough out of weight that this is necessary, but if we're already in that world wouldn't a prostar chain hoist be an easier and more standard fix? They come in capacities up to 1/2 ton.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Apr 22, 2018)

porkchop said:


> I dislike the idea of being far enough out of weight that this is necessary, but if we're already in that world wouldn't a prostar chain hoist be an easier and more standard fix? They come in capacities up to 1/2 ton.


Of course but the op was lifting "steel framed drops" which would be hard to be in weight the entire time.


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## derekleffew (Apr 22, 2018)

@RHasler , perhaps call it a bull winch rather than capstan winch.

https://www.controlbooth.com/thread...t-linesets-to-correct-them.20142/#post-182073 The one pictured, by Tiffin Studios, appears to use wire rope.

Although, at least one rigging professional says they are synonymous

> For venues without a loading rail/bridge, A purpose build capstan winch (also known as a bull winch) should be used.


 From https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/chain-motor-on-flyrail.40147/#post-348739 .

Some also use mule winch as a synonym but I think they're just confusing bull and mule. Mule in rigging simply means a change of direction, as in mule block or muling block.
.


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