choosing fids and needles

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scrambledegg

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I have a new year's resolution to learn how to splice my own ropes.
I'm having a little difficulty choosing the most appropriate equipment.
Take fids. One can buy at quite a lot of expense a set of fids of various sizes, as eg made by Selma, with the implication that you use a size of fid to suit the diameter of the rope you are splicing. There also seems to be a feature of some fids that can clamp a thread at the end. Do I really need fids of various sizes? with/without clamp? What do you experts think?
For threading needles (very long needle with loop for finger at one end), how long should it be? does it matter?
Finally I believe I need splicing tape. Can I have a recommendation for economical tape; tape advertised for the purpose seems over-expensive.
Be very grateful for your thoughts, many thanks.
 
My splicing of braided ropes has all been done with needles made from piano wire (purchased from the local model shop). I heat the end to bend an eye of suitable shape which is then silver-soldered, must be smooth. Very cheap. I've mostly spliced 10mm and 12mm rope using a needle made from 16swg wire. A bit thinner for 6 and 8 mm. rope.
Length is not critical but about 500mm. less for the smaller sizes.
Tape is some thin pvc insulating tape. A sharp knife, scissors and a marlin spike are also used.
The needles don't have pull rings, but I grip them in a solidly mounted vice to pull the strands through the cover, esp. the 2nd lot which can take some heaving.
I suspect fids may be easier to use, but I'm mean.
 
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I bought some of the needles I use one by one from Rooster Sailing in the UK. Handy just to get one needle at a time to practice with then get more later when you are doing splices more frequently.
 
Well I'm going to try making a soft shackle for a starter, but then I have to put an extra cover on the genoa halyard to stop it slipping in the clutch ..... and then a replacement spinnaker halyard - needs an eye putting in it. So, yes! will be doing a braided rope.
 
Martin_J said:
To be honest I tend to use splicing 'needles' and pull the rope ends through...

https://www.marlowropes.com/product/riggers-splicing-needles

As to Fids, I prefer the Samson Fids to the Selma ones due to them not having a split that can catch... I could lend you a set of Samson fids if you're in Portsmouth...
Click to expand...

Martin_J, Well as luck would have it, I keep my boat in Portsmouth. I would be more than delighted to borrow your Samson fids and your needles! I will PM you.
 
scrambledegg said:
...but then I have to put an extra cover on the genoa halyard to stop it slipping in the clutch...
Click to expand...

Feed a bit of inner braid inside the halyard to thicken it at the appropriate place. Easier than trying to put an extra cover on then stitching it to make sure it remains in place.
 
The fid method for splicing braid-on-braid needs fids of the right size. It is my preferred method when I'm feeling pedantic.

My understanding is that braid-on-braid rope shares its load between the core and the sheath. This means that, to maximise strength, you have to splice with reasonably precise measurement to ensure that core and coat are equally loaded.

In normal practice (on my boat) synthetic ropes are sized to be easy on the hands and are not experiencing anything near dangerous loads. Nowadays I tend, with approximate measurements, to pull the splices through with needles of the type described, of which I have three sizes.

Having said that - I am a tool junkie - I have almost all sizes of any ropework tool you could name.
 
knuterikt said:
Are you planning to splice braided rope you need different sized fids that match rope size.
For laid rope a Swedish fid will do.
Click to expand...

You have alerted me to the proper function of a fid. I have got the excellent book by Jan-Willwm Polman "splicing modern ropes", and I have only just noticed from all the photographic examples that the core, cover (or both) of a braided rope fits inside the fid, lengthwise, to allow it to be pulled through a hole made in the rope. So I now understand when you say that the fid should match the rope size. It looks like a threading (or, "pulling") needle is used to make a tunnel along the length of a braided rope, so that rope, cover and/or core can be pulled through the tunnel.
Phew. I guess that was obvious to most of you. For me the light has only just dawned.
 
And in a double braid rope the core heads the opposite way around the loop to the cover... And the layers end up alternately inside each other..

As to the 'tape'... My Marlow tape just seems to be quite thin but tears easily... Nothing really special...
 
I use the Selma fids and I find they do most things I wish. They come out of the tube about 2-3 times a year. Can't remember what they cost but I once lent them to a guy who used pliers to pull them through... Never again
 
i recently taught myself how to splice and bought some selma Fids from eBay for about £26 for a full set upto 18mm they had a little notch to hold the rope although i often found myself taping the rope in place as it fed smoother through the outer braiding with less chance of catching that way.
 
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