Tying a Column Off Using Excess Rope

We have shown you a lot of column ties to be able to safely put rope around someone's arm, leg, wrist, ankle, legs, chest, etc. These ties lock off so they can't tighten and secure the body part in rope. Now what do you do with them? You might want to tie off that limb or other body part with the rope left over after you do your tie. Just in case you want to have that limb a bit under control for some reason...

Before explaining this, be sure that you have your column tie down. If the column tie you are tying collapses and tightens that is no good. If someone were to be tied to a bed for example and their wrist had a collapsing column tie on it and they were to struggle for some reason- (hopefully a fun one...) then there is the possibility of nerve damage. Basically, make sure that your column ties are solid before using them in the manner shown here. 

Another safety moment: be sure that what you are tying off to is something safe to tie to. Wrapping the rope around a bedside lamp that will get pulled off the bedside table and fall on top of your bottom (or perhaps the both of you) when in the throws of passion is no good. Make sure that it is something that can handle the strain of being tugged on. If you are using gear from the hardware store, get the good stuff. For example, don't use snap clips or cheap carabiners. They do not handle strain well. Be sure that whatever you tie to is SOLID and won't move. At best it might wreck your scene, at worst, someone could get hurt. And think about how fun it would be to explain to emergency personnel why the lamp broke on someone that was tied onto the bed...  

Also note that the ties shown here need to be under tension to work right. They can, and will, collapse if not under tension. So be sure to use these to keep those legs apart or arms over the head... 

First let's demonstrate a technique you can use with forward tension column ties. Forward tension ties have a loop left in them after being tied off. That can be used to help secure someone. 

Tie a column tie on your column. Here a Wyk'd Fast Bowline is tied at the top of the calf.

Take the tails and bring them to the object you are tying to, in this case an O-ring set in place on a bed.
Bring the rope through (or around if it is a bed leg or tree, etc.) then back to the column tie. 

Take the end of the tails and thread them through the loop left over from the initial tie. Bring the tails back toward the object you tied to.  

Put a half hitch in the tails around the rope going to the object. 

Repeat the half hitch again further down the rope. You can tie off after one half hitch, but if you have extra rope this is a way to "chew" some of it up and have it look good. Looking like a hot shit rope top never hurts...

Here a second half hitch is being placed tight to the first one, but it is being done in reverse.
This forms a Cow Hitch.

This is what a completed Cow Hitch should look like. It can be left just like this. 

Now, to add a bit of security and make it look even a bit more clean here is another trick. Split the ropes securing the column with your fingers as shown. Grab the tails.

Pull the tails through the rope. Voila! it is tied and looks pretty good!

 "But IFA Team, I only use reverse tension ties because they are more secure!" cries a despondent IFA blog reader. Never fear! There is a solution! And it works with forward tension ties too!

Tie your limb off with a reverse tension single column tie- in this case the Lark's Head Cuff.

Bring the rope to the object the column will be secured to then back to the column tie. 

Pull the rope underneath all of the bands of the column tie then redirect it back toward the object it is secured to. 

Secure the rope with a Cow Hitch. But Oh No! We have a lot of rope left over and we want to have a clean looking tie to take pictures of! What will we do?

"Vine" the excess rope around the two lines securing the column. The link shows how to "vine" rope.

As before, pull the last bit of the tails through the two ropes as seen in the first part of this.

So, what is going on here?  There is a Takate Kote tied here and on the stem of that tie a Wyk'd Fast Bowline was tied. That single column tie was tied off to an object just off screen to create tension. 

Cool huh? Both of these techniques can be used with Double Column ties too. It just didn't seem fair to give you all these cool column ties to play with without giving you one way to tie them off to things... More like this again soon!