As I mentioned in this Instructables, I went kayaking with my friend. We were kayaking down the river and saw an amazing rope swing. As we approached we realized it would be impossible to use without losing our kayak. What we needed was a hook.

Step 1: Tools/Materials

Tools:

Laser cutter
Sandpaper
Disposable cup
Scrap wood

Materials:

Plywood
Acrylic
Rope
Epoxy

Step 2: Design

I did some research and thought for a while. I didn't come up with anything revolutionary, but I came up with something functional. That would have to do. There are three holes on one end, to enable easy tying. There is a hook on the other end to hook too small branches and rope. The hole in the middle allows the rope to attach to larger objects. Keep in mind functionality while designing your hook (if you do design your own).

grappling_hook.pdf
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Step 3: Cut/Sand

Cut the acrylic and wood parts. Leave the protective cover on the acrylic as long as possible. Sand the wood, as it will most likely have smoke residue from the laser.

Step 4: Assemble

At this point, you can take off one of the protective layers from the acrylic so it adheres to the wood. Mix up some epoxy and epoxy the acrylic onto the wood. I sandwiched the wood in acrylic to maintain a balanced look. Make sure to put a lot of pressure on the acrylic while the epoxy hardens, otherwise it will look ugly and be weaker.

Step 5: Sand, Paint, Sand

Sand all the edges so the hook feels nice in your hand. Then paint it. I used a clear coat because I like the look of wood. Once the paint is cured, lightly sand it until smooth. You are now done with the hook; the following steps explain different uses.