Rig question...

[Clownburner 0]

I've taken the plunge and ordered my first rig. I had trouble finding used in the right size for me, and since I'm lucky enough to afford it right now, I ordered new. (the parachutes are going to be used though)

But I ran into a situation and I'd like to get opinions from the peanut gallery:

I wanted stainless steel hardware, but apparently that's not possible with the large-rings (I have type-8 risers). I have the choice of a large 3-ring system in nickel, or a mini 3-ring in stainless.

Would I be better off with the large 3-ring, materials be damned, or a shiny stainless mini?

I won't be using very highly loaded or super-elliptical canopies on this rig, as my experience level isn't appropriate for that, and the container is big enough that if I _do_ get to that point, I'll have to downsize beyond what this container can hold (the smallest main I'll get into it is probably a 1.2 wingloading, and I'm starting much lower than that).

All opinions appreciated and taken with appropriate amounts of sodium chloride. Thanks in advance.

7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez
"I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

[skybytch 273]

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Would I be better off with the large 3-ring, materials be damned, or a shiny stainless mini?

Bill Booth can explain far better than I can exactly why this is, but the large rings aren't a bad idea at all. If you're getting Type 8 risers anyway, might as well go for the large rings too.

Nickel hardware, imho, looks sweet - just as good or better than stainless.

[Kris 0]

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Nickel hardware, imho, looks sweet - just as good or better than stainless.

Agreed. I have nickel hardware on my Mirage Unisyn and it looks damn sweet!

Kris

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[Clownburner 0]

Ohhh.. Cool. I guess I've not seen the nickel finish. I'm used to the ugly gray base-metal steel they use on the student rigs.

Perhaps this isn't an issue at all then. I'll call the nice people at RWS tomorrow and I'm sure this can be cleared up in a few minutes.

I do like the idea of the large rings, which is why I ordered them, but I really wanted shiny hardware too.

7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez
"I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

[skydiverek 63]

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If you're getting Type 8 risers anyway, might as well go for the large rings too

Right, especially that Large Rings and Type 8 risers are a better combination than Small Rings and Type 8 Risers in case of cutting away form a fast mal with low forces involved, like horshoe (Type 8 risers have more material that will have more trouble "unfolding" from the small rings when jettisoning). It is difficult to explain, but I hope somebody understands what I mean...

[riggerrob 643]

skydiverek is correct about ring size.
On the debate over stainless vs. nickel-plated ... you are correct that old-school cadmium-plated hardware is not as pretty nor is it as durable. The cadmium also starts to wear off after a few hundred jumps and then you have to watch for corrosion. It will take many years for the corrosion to weaken any type of steel hardware, but in the mean time, rough iron oxide particles are slowly fraying harness webbing.
The nickel-plated hardware that Strong has been using for the last few years seems to hold up better than cadmium-plated hardware. The nickel-plating seems harder than cadmium and I have not seen any any missing nickle on our Strong tandem rigs.
In conclusion: my first choice would be stainless steel hardware. If stainless is not available (ie. large harness rings RW-1) then I would buy nickel-plated hardware. I would only buy cadmium-plated hardware if the first two were not available.