arborist learning to eye splice

[ryangossen]

Dear experienced splicers,

I am an arborist and new to this site. I am trying to learn to make an eye splice on a new Yale Blaze for use as a climbing line, and having great difficulty. Ive been following Yale's double braid eye splice instructions:

http://www.yalecordage.com/html/pdf/...ust_dbraid.pdf

Im on my third attempt. The first was a big mess. The second produced a recognizable eye splice but with a little core showing in the corner. The current try is stalled because, again, I cant get the fid through the extremely tight crossover. Iím getting a discouraging amount of friction at this step and also in milking the cover back around the eye. Last time I got the core through by melting the its end until it had a hard cap that I molded into a point and pushed through behind a smaller fid. It sort of worked, but not well. I have many questions:

1. Am I following the right instructions for this rope?
2. Do I need specialized equipment other than the fid and pusher rod?
3. Is Blaze known as being difficult to splice?
4. Can you think of anything else Im doing wrong?

Thanks so much for your attention,

-Ryan

First, when taping the end of the lines I find masking tape works MUCH better than vinyl tape. I'm not sure what the instructions there say but I know some reccomend vinyl. Also, start the milking process by not milking the cover. Instead, secure the knotted end (as per instructions) and set something smooth (like your fid or something more stout preferably) and put a lot of tension on the line. This should seat most of the splice. If you don't do this there is a chance you'll end up with a relatively slack cover in the eye. After that let the milking begin. Start at the knot and work towards the splice keeping, or applying considerable tension at the end of the pull. Once the slack is gone near the knot (which will not take long at all) take your splice and flex it a bunch back and forth or tap it with a mallet, smooth wood block, heavy screw driver, big fid, etc. This'll relax the strands and let you get a bit more down. Milk it till you aren't gaining any more then repeat the flexing/beating process. The hardest part is when the crossover starts to bury. Once you have that somewhat in you'll be able to gain a bit more. If it has a stiff cover (and from the picture it looks like it probably has a very stiff cover) then this is the source of your problems. A tightly woven cover can make splicing a real pain. As per your question:

1) Yes, it appears that you are. The info sheet on the blaze claims it's splicable using the standard double braid eye splice.
2) Other than masking tape, no although a unifid or perhaps the splicing wand sold on brion's site (which I have no personal experience with) might be easier. A standard fid and pusher should (emphasis on should) get you there though.
3) I don't have personal experience with it but it appears to have a tight tough cover which would give you problems.
4) Giving up too early - it sounds like you were there on your second attempt, you just had to milk it down further to bury the crossover. This may take ALOT of effort. I remember my first several attempts at endurabraid (entirely different splicing technique) took over an hour each, the vast majority of which time was spent milking the cover towards the splice.



Good luck!

[Renoir]

In addition, I noted that my own experiences with 20 eye splices resulted in a non-repeatable splice. I wondered why as I thought that I was following the instructions exactly. Well, it turns out that there were subtle differences which I was not following from day-to-day and THOSE subtle mistakes were revealed to me when I bought the DVD from Brion's place on spicing. THEN I had a repeatable experience.

Please understand that I've been doing double-braid eye splices for 35 blasted years (obviously on occasion, not for hire) and having some great successes and some failures! So, like you, I want to be able to successfully do one on occasion and not have to do several in quick succession to make a good one. Also note that nylon eye splices, as noted in Brion's books, will not work well for you in used line (actually I can't do one in used polyester either) without very careful handwork and patience.

Anyway, once you are famaliar with the basic instructions it is the DVD that reveals some subtle turns and handling that you just don't get with written instructions yet some results work out just fine when everything goes well without you really knowing why.

[Tom Roberts]

I'm considering buying Brion's dvd and wand . Initially I need to make eyes in 3/8 spectra double braid. Would the medium or large wand be better? Would there be a difference in the ease of use between the two sizes? Thanks.

[Essington]

Originally Posted by Tom Roberts

Initially I need to make eyes in 3/8 spectra double braid. Would the medium or large wand be better?

I've not used any of Brion's wands (yet, I've got one on the way), but guessing from using similar tools for splicing single braid spectra kite lines (80# and 150# lines, these things are the diameter of mechanical pencil lead, and I've done hundreds of them), I'd go with the smallest too that will do the job. In the case of your 3/8" rope, that'd be the small wand. The medium wand is for 5/16" to 1/2", so it'd work too, but my guess is that it may be easier to perform the splice with the small one. I'm sure someone who has actually used Brion's wands on regular sized rope will chime in if I have seriously misspoken.

-jason

[ryangossen]

Well, I completed a rather successful eye splice last night, thanks to your advice an encouragement. Then I re-attacked my previous second attempt, and milked the cover that last centimeter. My hands feel like Iíve been foot-locking all week (a non-mechanical method of ascending rope). Judging from another new post about blisters today, this is normal too. I kept thinking I had to be doing something wrong, but no, this is a tricky, tedious practice evolved by millennia of rough handed men driven insane by boredom on long voyages. Anyway, I think Im over the hump now. Im going to make a couple more and Iím ordering Brionís dvd. Thanks again.

[Tom Roberts]

Thanks Jason.

[NickfromWI]

Blisters are NOT normal when splicing. You're fighting the rope too much. Rather than relying on brute force, and sweat...massage the rope more to loosen the fibers...by grabbing the throat of the splice and bending sharply back and forth. Then bury a little more, then massage more.

Let us know how it goes!

love
nick