Splicing Wire Rope - Wire rope is usually six-stranded with a hemp core. Work the strands separately, but in some splices, pairs may be worked. This kind work calls for special tools and some degree of skill with lots of practice. If you know somebody who has done these splices have them help the first couple of times. When splicing wire, always insert the marlinspike against the lay, but make sure that you do not shove it through the core. In tucking the strands of a splice, open out the lay of the rope and leave the spike in, holding the strands apart until the tuck has been made.
Liverpool Eye Splice The Liverpool splice is one of the most common and the easiest of the eye splices to put. Never use it in a wire that when loaded, is free to spin, because it will pullout.
To find the distance to which the strands should be unlaid, multiply the diameter of the wire by 36 inches. Find and measure off that distance, and put a seizing on. Another seizing should be put on just below the point where the first tuck is to be made. Next, cut the end seizings, and unlay the strand, and whip the ends of each strand tightly with several turns of sail twine or tape. Cut out the core, form the eye, and put it in a vise, with the unlaid strands on your left. Stretch out the standing part of the wire, and you are ready to go to work.
The first strand of the splice goes under three strands, the second under two, and the third under one. They all enter at the same point but come out at different places.
The next tucks are made by wrapping each strand back around and under the strand it is already under. To avoid kinking the strands on the last tucks, insert the spike and run it up the wire. Follow the spike up with the strand, shove it under the spike, and pull taut. Keeping a strain on the strand, work the spike and strand back around and down together. Hold the strand there and work the spike back up the wire. Follow up with the strand, and take the last tuck. Work that strand back down and hold it there. Pull out the spike, run it back up until the strands of the standing wire bind the working strand in place. Make the second and third tucks with the remaining strands in the same way. A locking tuck may be taken after completing the third round of tucks to decrease the possibility of the splice working out. For this tuck, take every other strand and pass each of these over two strands, and tuck under the next strand. Each of these strands goes over the next working strand as well as the two strands of the standing part and locks the splice in place.
Showing posts with label SPLICING. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPLICING. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2007
SPLICING PLAITED LINE
Splicing Plaited Line - Since plaited line is tightly braided, even small sizes cannot be spliced without using a fid. You may want to make your own fid from a 12- or 14-inch length of hardwood cut from a swab or broom handle by whittling a long tapering point at one end and sanding it smooth. I had a friend turn one out on a lathe, it was about 6'' long and worked great.
Some other things you will need are a sharp knife, a length of twine, a marking pen or colored marker, and a roll of masking or vinyl tape. Electrical tape that is sticky on both sides should not be used because the tape will be used on the ends of the working strands, and ends wrapped with sticky tape hard to force under the strands of the standing part of the line.
Eye Splice Count from the end of the line nine pics or crowns. A pic is the distance from the topmost point (crown) of one pair of strands to the crown of the next pair of strands of the same color. Tie a piece of twine securely around the line at this point, positioning it over the white crowns. Unlay the line a couple of turns. Cut one strand of each pair shorter than the other, and cut both ends at an angle. Then tape the ends, working from the standing part to the ends. (make sure you don't mix the strands.) Unlay the rest of the line back to the twine.
This type of line has two pairs of right-laid strands and two pairs of left-laid strands. If your line is all one color, use your pen to mark the right-laid strands from the end of the rope through the distance to be worked in making the splice (about five or six pics past the twine). I mark the right layed strands black and leave the left ones white.
1. Form the size of eye desired, and place the black strands on one side and the white strands on the other side of the standing part. Using the fid to open the line, tuck the two pairs of white strands under two successive black strands. Do not drive the fid through a strand, rather than under it. Tuck the pair of strands nearest the eye first. Turn the eye over, and tuck the two pairs of black strands under the nearest white strands. Pull all four strands taut, completing the
first round of tucks.
3. Turn the eye over again, and position the two pairs of white strands so that they are lying next to the white strands of the standing part. Tuck the white strands under the next pair of black strands. Do not pull these strands taut as yet, but you can see that they are now doubling up.
4. Turn the eye over again, and position the two pairs of black strands so that they are lying over the adjacent black strands. Tuck them under the next pairs of white strands. (The first pair go under double-up white strands.) Pull taut all four pairs of strands.
5. Take at least one more tuck with each pair of strands.
6. Take an additional tuck with the pair of white strands of black strands nearest the eye.
7. Now, split the pairs of strands. Take the strand of each pair that is nearest the eye, tape it close to the rope, the portion that is above the tape.
8. Take the remaining strands one by one. Tuck each strand under only a single strand. Then tape and cut off the ends. Next, cutting the ends off flush will make your splice look better.
Be sure and take your time and lay everything out where you can see what your doing, don't loose track of where your at. You can get confused real easy, it seems like a lot of the sailors today can't do this splice, so have fun with it.
Some other things you will need are a sharp knife, a length of twine, a marking pen or colored marker, and a roll of masking or vinyl tape. Electrical tape that is sticky on both sides should not be used because the tape will be used on the ends of the working strands, and ends wrapped with sticky tape hard to force under the strands of the standing part of the line.
Eye Splice Count from the end of the line nine pics or crowns. A pic is the distance from the topmost point (crown) of one pair of strands to the crown of the next pair of strands of the same color. Tie a piece of twine securely around the line at this point, positioning it over the white crowns. Unlay the line a couple of turns. Cut one strand of each pair shorter than the other, and cut both ends at an angle. Then tape the ends, working from the standing part to the ends. (make sure you don't mix the strands.) Unlay the rest of the line back to the twine.
This type of line has two pairs of right-laid strands and two pairs of left-laid strands. If your line is all one color, use your pen to mark the right-laid strands from the end of the rope through the distance to be worked in making the splice (about five or six pics past the twine). I mark the right layed strands black and leave the left ones white.
1. Form the size of eye desired, and place the black strands on one side and the white strands on the other side of the standing part. Using the fid to open the line, tuck the two pairs of white strands under two successive black strands. Do not drive the fid through a strand, rather than under it. Tuck the pair of strands nearest the eye first. Turn the eye over, and tuck the two pairs of black strands under the nearest white strands. Pull all four strands taut, completing the
first round of tucks.
3. Turn the eye over again, and position the two pairs of white strands so that they are lying next to the white strands of the standing part. Tuck the white strands under the next pair of black strands. Do not pull these strands taut as yet, but you can see that they are now doubling up.
4. Turn the eye over again, and position the two pairs of black strands so that they are lying over the adjacent black strands. Tuck them under the next pairs of white strands. (The first pair go under double-up white strands.) Pull taut all four pairs of strands.
5. Take at least one more tuck with each pair of strands.
6. Take an additional tuck with the pair of white strands of black strands nearest the eye.
7. Now, split the pairs of strands. Take the strand of each pair that is nearest the eye, tape it close to the rope, the portion that is above the tape.
8. Take the remaining strands one by one. Tuck each strand under only a single strand. Then tape and cut off the ends. Next, cutting the ends off flush will make your splice look better.
Be sure and take your time and lay everything out where you can see what your doing, don't loose track of where your at. You can get confused real easy, it seems like a lot of the sailors today can't do this splice, so have fun with it.
SPLICING BRAIDED LINE
When making this splice lay your line out on deck or use a table, be sure and take the right measurements. One thing I learned is that everybody wants to talk while you are splicing and they are all experts. Stay focused and take your time, it looks bad when your core gets sucked up inside the cover.
1. Tape the end to be spliced with one thin layer of tape; then measure one tubular fid length (two wire fid lengths because wire fid is one half size) from the end of the line and mark-this is point R (reference). From R, form a loop the size of the eye desired and mark this is point X, where you extract the core from inside the cover.
2. Tie a tight slip knot approximately five fid lengths from X in order to keep the core and cover from becoming uneven. Bend the line sharply at X. With the pusher or any sharp tool such as an ice pick, awl, or marlinespike, spread the cover strands to expose the core. First pry and then pull the core completely out of the cover from X to the taped end of the line. Put only one layer of tape on the end of the core. Do not pull cover strands away from the line when spreading the cover as doing so will distort the line. To assure the correct positioning of mark 1, do the following:
Holding the exposed core, slide the cover as far back toward the tied slipknot as you can. Then, firmly smooth the cover back from the slipknot toward the taped end. Smooth it again until all cover slack is removed. Then mark the core where it comes out of the cover (this is mark 1).
3. Again slide the cover toward the slipknot to expose more core. From mark 1, measure along the core toward X a distance equal to the short section of tubular fid (two short sections with wire fid), and make two heavy marks (this is mark 2). From mark 2, measure in the same direction one fid length plus another short section of the fid (with wire fid, use double measurements) and make three heavy marks (this is mark 3.
4. The cover braid it is made up of strands, either one or two (pair). Notice that half the pairs revolve to the right around the rope and half revolve to the left. Beginning at R and working toward the taped end of the cover, count eight consecutive strands (single or pairs) which revolve to the right (or left). Mark the eighth strand (this is mark T. Make mark T go completely around the cover. Starting at T and working around the taped cover end, count and mark every fifth right and left strand (single or paired) until you have progressed down to the end of the taped cover.
5. Insert the fid into the core at mark 2, and slide it through and out at mark 3. Add extra tape to the tapered cover end; then jam it tightly into the hollow end of the fid. Hold the core lightly at mark 3; place the pusher point into the taped end; and push the fid and cover through from mark 2 and out at mark 3. With the wire fid, first press prongs into the cover and then tape over. Then, after the fid is on, milk the braid over the fid while pulling the fid through from mark 2 to mark 3. Take the fid off the cover. Continue pulling the cover tail through the core until mark R on the cover emerges from mark 3. Then remove the tape from the end of the taped cover.
6. Make sure that the tape is removed from the cover end. Start with the last marked pair of cover strands toward the end, and cut and pull them out completely. Cut and remove the next marked strands, and continue with each right and left marked strands until you reach point T. (Do not cut beyond this point.) The result should be a gradual taper ending in a point. Very carefully pull the cover back through the core until point T emerges from mark 2 of the core. From point X on the cover, measure approximately one-half fid length toward the slipknot on the line and mark this as point Z.
7. You are now ready to put the core back into the cover from T to Z. Insert your fid at T, and jam the taped core end tightly into the end of the fid. With the pusher, push the fid and core through the cover "tunnel" past point X to, and through, the cover at point Z. When using the wire fid, attach the fid to the taped core. After the fid is on, milk the braid over the fid while pulling through from T to Z. When pushing the fid past X to Z, make sure the fid does not catch any internal core strands. Note: Depending on eye size, the fid may not be long enough to reach from T to Z in one pass. If not, bring the fid out through the cover, pull the core through, and reinsert the fid into the exact hole it came out of, doing this as many times as needed to reach point Z.
8. Alternately pull on the core tail at Z and on the tapered cover at mark 3. The crossover must now be tightened until the crossover is equal to the diameter of the line. Remove all the slack from the eye area by smoothing the cover from point T toward X. Mark the core tail through the cover at point X. Pull the core tail out until the mark just made on the core is exposed at Z. The diameter of the core must now be reduced by cutting and removing one strand at each group around the complete circumference. Measure one-third fid length from the first reduction cut toward the end, and mark. Cut off the remaining tail at this point. DO NOT CUT THIS TO SHORT OR IT WILL GET SUCKED UP INTO THE CORE. Make the cut on a 45-deg angle to prevent a blunt end. With one hand, hold the crossover (mark T). Smooth the cover section of the eye out firmly and completely from the crossover toward mark X. The reduced-volume core tail should disappear into the cover at Z. Smooth out the core section from the crossover toward mark 3, and the cover taper will disappear into the core. Hold the rope at the slipknot, and, with the other hand, milk the cover toward the splice, gently at first, then more firmly. The cover will slide over mark 3, mark 2, the crossover, T, and R. (It may be occasionally necessary to smooth out the eye during milking to prevent the reduced-volume tail from catching in the throat of the splice,)
If bunching occurs at the crossover, preventing full burying, smooth the cover from T to X. Grasp crossover at T with one hand, and then firmly smooth the cover slack with the other hand towards the throat (X). Repeat as necessary until bunching disappears. Continue milking until all cover slack between the knot and the throat of the eye has been removed.
Note: Before burying the cover under the crossover, do the following:
(a) Anchor the loop of the slipknot to a stationary object before you start to bury. You can then use both hands and the weight of your body to more easily bury the cover over the core and crossover. Do this real easy at first and second time.
(b) Holding the crossover tightly, milk all excess cover from R to X. Flex and loosen the line at the crossover point during the final burying process. Hammering the cover at point X will help loosen the strands. I use a mallet right at the cross over.
With larger ropes it is helpful to anchor the slipknot securely, attach a small line to the braided core at the crossover, and mechanically apply tension with either a block and tackle, capstan, come-long, or power winch. Tension will reduce the diameter of core and crossover for easier burying.
1. Tape the end to be spliced with one thin layer of tape; then measure one tubular fid length (two wire fid lengths because wire fid is one half size) from the end of the line and mark-this is point R (reference). From R, form a loop the size of the eye desired and mark this is point X, where you extract the core from inside the cover.
2. Tie a tight slip knot approximately five fid lengths from X in order to keep the core and cover from becoming uneven. Bend the line sharply at X. With the pusher or any sharp tool such as an ice pick, awl, or marlinespike, spread the cover strands to expose the core. First pry and then pull the core completely out of the cover from X to the taped end of the line. Put only one layer of tape on the end of the core. Do not pull cover strands away from the line when spreading the cover as doing so will distort the line. To assure the correct positioning of mark 1, do the following:
Holding the exposed core, slide the cover as far back toward the tied slipknot as you can. Then, firmly smooth the cover back from the slipknot toward the taped end. Smooth it again until all cover slack is removed. Then mark the core where it comes out of the cover (this is mark 1).
3. Again slide the cover toward the slipknot to expose more core. From mark 1, measure along the core toward X a distance equal to the short section of tubular fid (two short sections with wire fid), and make two heavy marks (this is mark 2). From mark 2, measure in the same direction one fid length plus another short section of the fid (with wire fid, use double measurements) and make three heavy marks (this is mark 3.
4. The cover braid it is made up of strands, either one or two (pair). Notice that half the pairs revolve to the right around the rope and half revolve to the left. Beginning at R and working toward the taped end of the cover, count eight consecutive strands (single or pairs) which revolve to the right (or left). Mark the eighth strand (this is mark T. Make mark T go completely around the cover. Starting at T and working around the taped cover end, count and mark every fifth right and left strand (single or paired) until you have progressed down to the end of the taped cover.
5. Insert the fid into the core at mark 2, and slide it through and out at mark 3. Add extra tape to the tapered cover end; then jam it tightly into the hollow end of the fid. Hold the core lightly at mark 3; place the pusher point into the taped end; and push the fid and cover through from mark 2 and out at mark 3. With the wire fid, first press prongs into the cover and then tape over. Then, after the fid is on, milk the braid over the fid while pulling the fid through from mark 2 to mark 3. Take the fid off the cover. Continue pulling the cover tail through the core until mark R on the cover emerges from mark 3. Then remove the tape from the end of the taped cover.
6. Make sure that the tape is removed from the cover end. Start with the last marked pair of cover strands toward the end, and cut and pull them out completely. Cut and remove the next marked strands, and continue with each right and left marked strands until you reach point T. (Do not cut beyond this point.) The result should be a gradual taper ending in a point. Very carefully pull the cover back through the core until point T emerges from mark 2 of the core. From point X on the cover, measure approximately one-half fid length toward the slipknot on the line and mark this as point Z.
7. You are now ready to put the core back into the cover from T to Z. Insert your fid at T, and jam the taped core end tightly into the end of the fid. With the pusher, push the fid and core through the cover "tunnel" past point X to, and through, the cover at point Z. When using the wire fid, attach the fid to the taped core. After the fid is on, milk the braid over the fid while pulling through from T to Z. When pushing the fid past X to Z, make sure the fid does not catch any internal core strands. Note: Depending on eye size, the fid may not be long enough to reach from T to Z in one pass. If not, bring the fid out through the cover, pull the core through, and reinsert the fid into the exact hole it came out of, doing this as many times as needed to reach point Z.
8. Alternately pull on the core tail at Z and on the tapered cover at mark 3. The crossover must now be tightened until the crossover is equal to the diameter of the line. Remove all the slack from the eye area by smoothing the cover from point T toward X. Mark the core tail through the cover at point X. Pull the core tail out until the mark just made on the core is exposed at Z. The diameter of the core must now be reduced by cutting and removing one strand at each group around the complete circumference. Measure one-third fid length from the first reduction cut toward the end, and mark. Cut off the remaining tail at this point. DO NOT CUT THIS TO SHORT OR IT WILL GET SUCKED UP INTO THE CORE. Make the cut on a 45-deg angle to prevent a blunt end. With one hand, hold the crossover (mark T). Smooth the cover section of the eye out firmly and completely from the crossover toward mark X. The reduced-volume core tail should disappear into the cover at Z. Smooth out the core section from the crossover toward mark 3, and the cover taper will disappear into the core. Hold the rope at the slipknot, and, with the other hand, milk the cover toward the splice, gently at first, then more firmly. The cover will slide over mark 3, mark 2, the crossover, T, and R. (It may be occasionally necessary to smooth out the eye during milking to prevent the reduced-volume tail from catching in the throat of the splice,)
If bunching occurs at the crossover, preventing full burying, smooth the cover from T to X. Grasp crossover at T with one hand, and then firmly smooth the cover slack with the other hand towards the throat (X). Repeat as necessary until bunching disappears. Continue milking until all cover slack between the knot and the throat of the eye has been removed.
Note: Before burying the cover under the crossover, do the following:
(a) Anchor the loop of the slipknot to a stationary object before you start to bury. You can then use both hands and the weight of your body to more easily bury the cover over the core and crossover. Do this real easy at first and second time.
(b) Holding the crossover tightly, milk all excess cover from R to X. Flex and loosen the line at the crossover point during the final burying process. Hammering the cover at point X will help loosen the strands. I use a mallet right at the cross over.
With larger ropes it is helpful to anchor the slipknot securely, attach a small line to the braided core at the crossover, and mechanically apply tension with either a block and tackle, capstan, come-long, or power winch. Tension will reduce the diameter of core and crossover for easier burying.
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