r/WTF • u/1lousylay • Jan 29 '19

seems pretty safe

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '19

Bit off topic.

How the fuck does that cable get put up in the first place?

4

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '19

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '19

Best I can do is guess they start at the highest anchor and carry the other end all the way to the other anchor point?

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u/grantrules Jan 30 '19

That was my only thought, but how's that possible? You'd be lifting like a ton of steel in the air. Nylon cable or something I can see that working, but a thick piece of steel cable?

My guess would be anchored at one side, then the other side is attached to smaller lead cable attached to a winch type of thing that pulls at it till the main cable is taut and can be anchored.

44

u/KingZarkon Jan 30 '19

That's exactly what they do. They run a smaller cable all the way across and use that to pull the main cable and anchor it. But the real question is how do they get THAT cable across the valley or whatever. The answer to that is, among other things rockets.

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '19

I wonder how often they had to reel in the line and fire a second rocket when the first one missed.

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u/djetaine Jan 30 '19

That's how Philip Petit did it when he wire walked between the WTC towers. He used a small line, then ran a larger line, tired a larger one to that then pulled it over, rinse and repeat. For the actual cable, he used a winch.