Rookie splicing questions

[Preserved]

I've been practicing a basic eye splice in some 3 strand. After a few tries I'm fairly happy with what I'm getting so I'm about to give a shot at making a mooring pendant out of some 3/4 3 strand.

I've got a few questions that I haven't been able to fins answers to.

1. Even while taking care, the darned unlayed working end looses the nice parallel twist. I add some back, but my worked strands are not nearly as perfect as the standing strands. I'm guessing this does not effect the strength?

2. I'm considering adding some seizing to the last couple tucks, partly for decoration, and partly to keep my tapered ends tucked. Will this weaken the splice? I once saw a lecture and the guy mentioned avoiding hard spots which are a weak spot.

3. Any published data on splice strength in various configurations. For example, in the rock climbing world there's data on pull testing knots that are perfect, but also tied imperfectly. I'd love to see data on pull testing an eye splice with two, four and six tucks. sloppy unwound strands, tucks going under the wrong working strands ect.

Funny that I'm a little nervous trusting my own spliced mooring pendant. I'll trust my knots in ropes to my life and others' lives all day..but the spliced rope somehow seems a bit of magic is involved. I'm sure I'll get over it. Or loose my boat.

[Ian McColgin]

Ahoy Preserved,

It would help to know what size and material line you’re practicing on and what sort of fid and fid technique you’re using.

Lank nylon unravels more readily than many other ropes. Various tricks from taping the end of each strand to using crazy glue on the ends to soaking the last few feet of the line in a starch solution all help.

All the better fids - the U section, the Durham model and the “Fid-O” - give control that helps prevent unraveling.

It’s important to know how you’re starting. Are you doing the “boy scout splice” where all three strands are started evenly or do you bring it in like a professional, either making two tucks with the first strand or passing the fist strand under two lays before going around with the others?

The splicing strands need to break their lay a little but if they are too disorganized it is easy for the threads not to be taking an equal strain, thus at least in theory weakening the splice.

I’d sure not whip the strands while tucking. Many of us taper the cheap and easy way of just stopping a whole strand at a time, so all strands get say five tucks, then two get another tuck, and the last gets one more. After the splice has been pulled out a bit and pounded even, the strands are trimmed. Whether simply cut or burned, they really won’t pull out unless you were amazingly sloppy. As I recall, Brion prefers a more symmetrical taper taking some threads out of each strand over a few tucks. If you can do that neatly, I’ve no doubt it’s quite wonderful.

The tests on splices I’ve read are all with properly made splices, and I’m not aware of tests comparing bad splices.

G’luck

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
I try to avoid promoting our merchandise, but it is a bit frustrating to see questions that I've tried to answer long ago. "Chapman's Knots," the "Rigger's Apprentice," and our splicing DVD all go in to showing how to form optimal splices. The short form is that you want the strands to unlay some, for a more compact and secure splice, and that the number of tucks has to do with the slickness and strength of what you are splicing. The angle of tucks also matters, as does the entry and the finish. Oh, and poor splices can indeed weaken a rope considerably, by 20% or more, from tests I have seen. But there's really no reason to do a poor splice.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[lhottle]

I already own about 150 feet of standard three strand anchor rode spliced to 30 feet of chain. As has been noted in lots of places it is impossible to make three strand go down a hawse pipe without pushing it by hand. The new 8-plait rope drops really easily. Here's the issue: I don't want to dump the three-strand. Our usual anchoring situation requires about a 60 foot rode. I know the 8-plait can be spliced to chain. Is there a way to splice the 8-plait to the three strand so the three strand can still be used if there is a need for a really long rode occasionally?