DaySailer.org Forum

Well I worked on spliceing an eye in my 5/16 double breaded line for about 2 hrs. Long story short a bowline doesn't look that bad after all.

I couldn't agree more SD. But, it's way easier to splice the new single braid lines with 6 or 8 plaits. It's so easy I don't think twice about un-splicing an eye to change the length of a line. And there are plenty of pics and vids when you google it. I've seen vids on splicing doublebraid but I think you need a pro right next to you showing you how to get that ten pounds of potatoes in that 5 pound bag.

Single braid are indeed very easy. At some point, you can do them in your sleep, well, almost. The site L-36.com has a number of detailed instructions how to use Amsteel rope in particular for various projects involving splices.

Double braid is a bit more involved, but, with the right instructions, it should not take hours. I find that I need to refer to the instructions every time - it's really hard to remember them. One thing that's really useful (if you mainly work in the same diameter rope) is to convert all the "fid length" based measurements once and for all into inches and write them down on your instruction sheet.

For instructions I like those published by the Sampson ropes company. You can google and find them online. I splurged and bought them as a wirebound little booklet from a local marine store some time ago.

Twice I've had splicing instructions fail me. Both involved single braid ropes, and both times, the issue was that the rope wouldn't open wide enough to accept a bury for the tail. In one case I was splicing double braid to single braid and ended up having to splice in a short length of larger diameter single braid, to make the splice possible at all. In the other case (single to single) I just had to give up. The rope had been used a few times (not hard enough to matter, I would have thought) but the braid simply couldn't be opened wide enough to accept a tail of the same rope. In both cases, it's entirely possible that the opening for the next size up of the same rope would perhaps be a little wider than what you'd expect purely on a scaled-up basis. Just a thought - don't know enough about ropes, but note that many instructions use "examples" of ropes that are larger diameter than what we need on the DS, especially for the new high-strength materials.

Before I tried splicing double braid for the first time (I was a bit intimidated by the instructions then) I needed several eye splices for a system of pulley's in my garage. I did those with thimbles and by laying the working end along the standing end and wrapping both with wire. Totally unorthodox, I know, but the wire dug into the rope deep enough to prevent the two parts from slipping and I had the full weight of a DS across two of these "splices" - and they held.

So, there's a lot of scope out there for "ugly" solutions.

The irony is I used to splice 1/2' double braid. I did all the splicing on my bigger boat. But that was 15+ years ago. I have a samson fid kit with instructions. I thought it would be a snap. I was even asked to splice for other people.
I admit the first time you read the instructions for eye spliceing double braid you are tempted to look around to see if your on candid camera. IS THIS A JOKE!! The first time I did it I was supprised " This actually works"
Part of my problem was the only tape I have on the job is electrical tape and I learned a long time ago that masking tape works better. I will have to get some when I go to town.
But, There was not room for the fid to go between the core and the cover no matter what so I finally had to give up. I'm not familiar with single braid I guess. can you use it in place of double braid.

I might be able to use a smaller fid but that would not be following directions. I will give it another go after I get the right tape. ( just because I'm stubburn that way)
Thanks for the input. guys

I use electrical tape. Also scotch tape (which can be a bit more slippery). Your mileage may vary.

I made my own fid from a piece of aluminum tubing. I just collapsed one end and filed and sanded it to a tip (smooth). The other end is just cut square. I've used this very successfully for all my splices in double braid (5/16 XLS to be precise).

Somebody suggested the use of knitting needles (cut in the middle) as fids. They tend to glide very well. I've used those for some recent projects on narrower lines.

The only thing that matters about the "standard" fids is their length, because you use them to measure how long a tail to bury. In terms of pulling the rope through, the only size that matters is that the diameter is small enough to fit, but large enough to be able to attach the part of the rope you are trying to bury. (Opening the hole with the widest fid that will fit can be helpful)

Or you can use some completely different technique, such as bending a long wire in half with a sharp bend, into which you tuck the part of the rope to be buried. Unlike a fid, you push this wire not in front of the rope you are pulling put you insert it coming backwards from the place you'd normally exit the fid and then attaching the rope and pulling it through. (In very small stuff I've used a darning needle to good effect for that purpose - unlike the wire loop the needle can be either pushed or pulled - the eye just perfectly fits 2mm Amsteel).

Like you, I found the instructions for double braid daunting the first time around in the sense that I had to follow them "blindly" without being able to have an overall "concept" of the final splice in my head. The latter is much easier for the simpler splices, such as three strand or single braid.

I've had problems splicing single and double braid line the way it is suppose to be done. So, since I built saddles for a number of years, I adopted a modified method of a saddle stitch using heavy harness nylon thread. It looks like whipping on the line when finished (the thread goes thru the line in the process). I've never had a line fail at the splice. When I have to undo a splice, it takes seveveral knife cuts on the thread and pulling threads out with a pliers to get it undone. My leather stitching always stayed together for years of hard work with horses as well. I think horse sweat is worse than saltwater.

John

I have used stitching as well for some purposes. One was to splice a ring to a small diameter line. Instead of attempting an eye splice, I did a full turn of the line around the ring and then stitched the working end of the line to the standing part. The extra wrap improves the load transfer from line to ring, so the demands on holding power of the stitching should be less. I could have simply made this an anchor bend, but decided this method gave a neater-looking result. It's held up to moderate loads for several seasons now.

The absolute best fids for splicing double braid are those from Brion Toss Yacht Riggers http://www.briontoss.com/catalog/splicinggear.html

I have found the easiest double braid eye splice instructions are the New England Ropes/West Marine You Tube video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UghIS9xdiDw

Used line is much more difficult to splice than new line that has not been knotted or placed under load.

Take care,
Kerry