Five Fast Facts About Hook and Eye Turnbuckles

Hook And Eye Turnbuckles are simple devices with many applications. Whether you’re in construction or entertainment, nearly every industry which makes use of twine or rope also makes use of turnbuckles. These fascinating devices are incredibly common, and yet few are familiar with their incredible range of utility. Most are only aware of the purpose that they serve in one particular industry, which means that many industry professionals are leaving money on the table by buying devices they don’t need to do tasks they can accomplish with equipment that they they already have. Whatever your business, efficiency is always the name of the game. Are you ready to improve your output? Here are five fast facts you might not know about hook and eye turnbuckles:

1. King of the Ring Fans of boxing, wrestling, MMA fighting and other ring-based sports may be surprised to find out that turnbuckles are actually a key component to their favorite sports -- but where? Turnbuckles are actually hidden in the corners of every athletic ring! In this industry, they serve the purpose of maintaining the tension on the ropes that form the competition ring. This application allows performers to bounce, jump, and even stand on the ropes when they need to. Many performers even incorporate these heavily padded turnbuckles into their acts. The adjustable tension that turnbuckles enable also means that officials can quickly make adaptations when necessary. Turnbuckles allow the ring to be quickly disassembled and reassembled, permitting your favorite acts to take their show on the road.

2. On the High Seas Gone are the days when sailing required extensive knowledge of knots and pulleys. While many still sail the traditional ways, many others take advantage of the ease provided by modern equipment. Whether you’re in a two-person sailboat or on a massive cruise ship, rest assured that turnbuckles are most certainly maintaining tension on the lines and ropes required to keep your trip safe and pleasant. Gone fishing? Turnbuckles are there, too! Turnbuckles are used to maintain the tension on fishing lines on small ships and massive commercial vessels alike. One interesting fact to note is that turnbuckles go by a different name in marine industries. Sailors and fishermen alike refer to these useful little devices as “bottle screws.”

3. Build It Up One of the most popular uses for turnbuckles is in the construction industry. In this industry, professionals make use of various sizes of turnbuckle in order to maintain adjustable tension on a variety of materials to be lifted or secured. Small turnbuckles are used in homes and gardens to provide structure for everything from railings to fences. Turnbuckles have also been used to add tension to wires in order to divide rooms and provide architectural flair. Larger turnbuckles are used in intensive construction projects. These projects make use of high-tension steel wires to provide strength and structure to some of man’s most improbable designs. These massive devices each weigh dozens of pounds and provide the required tension to support skyscrapers and bridges around the world.

4. Lights, Camera, Action! Hook and eye turnbuckles are an essential component of any sort of rigging operation. Whether it’s people or equipment, rope or wires, it is impossible to do any sort of rigging without them. Many film productions make use of turnbuckles in order to rig cameras along a specific glide path, ensuring they can get the perfect shot. Still others use them to send performers whizzing through the air. Rigging is also used to provide support to various structures used on the sets of movies and tv shows across the world. From delicate stage tools to high-intensity lights, the adjustable tension provided by turnbuckles makes the magic of the movies possible. The ease of setup and the rapid adjustability make turnbuckles the perfect tool for any artistic pursuit.

5. High and Tight Often, we put up structures which require additional support outside of the main structure itself. Ship masts, radio towers, and wind turbines may look steady, but they’re far from self-supporting. These tall and spindly structures are stabilized by wires known as guy-wires (often known as guys for short). Guy-wires are connected to the ground and cinched tight. Often, they are fitted with a lock-stop or other device meant to keep them from losing tension as the structure that they support vibrates and sways. These wires must be secure as well as dynamic and adjustable in order to account for things like shifting winds and changing weather. Turnbuckles make life easy for the people who build and maintain this equipment. Hook and eye turnbuckles are particularly suited to this sort of work.

The team at Empire Rigging has been in the heavy lift and rigging business for decades, and we know just what it takes to get -- and keep -- your projects up and running. We believe strongly in educating and empowering professionals to make the decisions they need to for safe and effective workplaces. For that reason, we stock high-quality, American-made equipment that is sure to keep your jobsite or workshop shipshape. Want to see what we have to offer? Come visit us at www.empirerigging.com!