Capstan winches

[Lynn]

I'm intrigued by capstan winches.

I'f you've ever used one, I'd like to hear about your experience. I know that some had drive mechanism problems, but apart from that, I would like to know what you did and didn't like about 'em. Oh, and in a 4x4 application, not on a sailboat

Thanks,

 

[Alaska Mike]

I think a better extraction tool would be a hand winch like this:

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/general_equipment/black_rat_winch.htm

More than anything, it's a question of strength and gearing.

 

[Lynn]

Specifically, I'm curious about the vehicle-mounted type:

 

[Alaska Mike]

I looked into them years ago, but they didn't suit my needs on a modern trail rig. On a classic/resto rig? Maybe. Parts availability might be an issue. Anyway, here's a link with some good information:

http://www.peak-recovery.fsnet.co.uk/rec/capstan.htm

Googling capstan winches delivers a whole bunch of hits that might give you the information you seek.

 

[Lynn]

I looked into them years ago, but they didn't suit my needs on a modern trail rig. On a classic/resto rig? Maybe. Parts availability might be an issue. Anyway, here's a link with some good information:

http://www.peak-recovery.fsnet.co.uk/rec/capstan.htm

Googling capstan winches delivers a whole bunch of hits that might give you the information you seek.

Thanks Mike.

I have googled 'em, and read a lot, but was looking for even more opinions.

The site you linked I had not found, though.

 

[ntsqd]

I wonder if our use of current winches has evolved to accomodate a spooling winch and that with suitable adjustment a capstan would work just as well; or if current recovery methods & techniques have obsoleted capstan winches.

One prime advantage to a capstan is that it would always be winching on the bottom wrap.

A rather large disadvantage would be where & how do you store 100+ feet of winch cable/line?

 

[Lynn]

I wonder if our use of current winches has evolved to accomodate a spooling winch and that with suitable adjustment a capstan would work just as well; or if current recovery methods & techniques have obsoleted capstan winches.

One prime advantage to a capstan is that it would always be winching on the bottom wrap.

A rather large disadvantage would be where & how do you store 100+ feet of winch cable/line?

That's exactly what I'm wondering. More and more people are putting synthetic rope on their spool winches; maybe it's time to revisit the capstan winch?

And I like the idea of controlling the winch action by pulling on the free end. Seems like a natural action. The harder you pull, the harder it pulls...

Like you pointed out, it's always pulling on the first layer, so no reduction in power, 'omnidirectional' pull...

 

[aricea]

Lynn -
The heat generated by slipping a synthetic line on a capstan melts the line. So, unfortunately, it is not well suited for that purpose. - Aric

 

[Lynn]

Lynn -
The heat generated by slipping a synthetic line on a capstan melts the line. So, unfortunately, it is not well suited for that purpose. - Aric

Well, it depends on the synthetic, doesn't it? Take Aramid fibers, for instance...

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=25854&postcount=10

 

[aricea]

Sorry, my reply was based on my experience with Samson's Amsteel Blue. Looks like some of those other types would hold up to the friction just fine.

What kind of availability is there for modern vehicle-mount capstan winches?

 

[Lynn]

What kind of availability is there for modern vehicle-mount capstan winches?

None, as far as I can tell. At least not at your offroad supply house.

There is a small portable one:

http://www.novajack.com/en/0101_05.htm

And remanufactured parts are available for the LinkBelt capstan Willys used:

http://www.capstanwinch.com/

There are also commercial 'material handling' capstan winches that could possibly be modified / repowered for vehicle applications, but the ones I've found so far are heavy.

 

[Robthebrit]

You are not going to find a Warn capstan at your local 4wheel parts store but you can find them in all sizes. Lots of capstans are rated in torque not in line pull so they are difficult to compare directly with drum winches. Most large capstans will be hydrualic and I mean real hydrualic not powered steering powered.

http://www.team-twg.com/DpWinch/ProductList.aspx?Category=Capstans&Type=Capstans&Company=DP+Winch

Rob

 

[paulj]

Lynn -
The heat generated by slipping a synthetic line on a capstan melts the line. So, unfortunately, it is not well suited for that purpose. - Aric

Don't they still use capstans on sailboats. Another thread indicated that winch lines are essentially re-badged running rigging.

In nautical use, winch and capstan mean the same thing - neither stores the line on the drum.

paulj

 

[ntsqd]

Max line tension would be a function of the Torque generated and the capstan's working diameter.

In checking out the link above I noticed that in the individual unit pages there is a "Line Pull" spec. All except the smallest unit has a Torque to Line Pull ratio of 4:1

So the largest winch listed there is roughly equal to a 6000 lbs spooling winch when the spooler is on it's first wrap.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

I'd love to put a capstan winch on my Series III Land Rover, just because it would be cool to have alongside the FJ40's factory PTO winch.

Here's a capstan application that baffled me. Cable, not rope, and stored on the capstan drum. I don't see how you could spool this evenly, especially under load. But it was on a beautiful Series II.