Braid on Braid Splice - first time

Chris_Robb

Chris_Robb

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I recently bought a set of Selma Fids for £23.00 from South Wales Marine web page

I down loaded the instruction from their site, and started today at 11.00 to make a splice on a new 12 mm halyard. Finished at 11.45 - The splice look really good, and it was pretty straight forward. Just requires plenty on tension at the last stage when you "milk" the outer core over the whole thing.

This is the most worth while purchase of the year so far, and a really good investment as we are off sailing for the summer and need to be able to do these things our selves.

One word of warning from SW marine - don't try on an old bit of braid on braid as the outer skin will have been pulled too tight. Once you know what you are doing, then it is apparently feasible but harder - but at least it's not the blind leading the blind by that stage!
 
I bought a set at LIBS and paid too much, but I agree they are a great piece of kit. I have done a couple of eye splices in 10mm to try them out, and will be doing 16mm genoa sheets when I take them out to Turkey in April.
 
I make my fids out of pipe, usually on an as-required basis.
SS is obviously best, but aluminium will deal with ropes that are reasonably new and soft.
I use an old ground-down honing (sharpening) iron (from the kitchen drawer) for "power splitting" older strands...
 
A couple of years ago I made myself a 'splicing needle' which is a useful thing for certain types of braided rope. It's simply 600mm or so of coathanger wire bent double to form a narrow eye (about 3mm wide x 15mm long) at one end and a 30mm dia loop for pushing and pulling at the other end. One can purchase similar purpose made items from JG or the like but at considerable expense.
 
My first time attempting a braid on braid eye splice today too - but unfortunately I was less successful than you. When I tried to run the fid through the core only the smallest fid would go through and that was at least one fid too small to drag the outer sheath through. It looks as though the core is just too tight to take the outer. It was new 8mm rope bought to learn on. Any suggestions? Maybe some double braid needs a different technique?

John
 
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A couple of years ago I made myself a 'splicing needle' which is a useful thing for certain types of braided rope. It's simply 600mm or so of coathanger wire bent double to form a narrow eye (about 3mm wide x 15mm long) at one end and a 30mm dia loop for pushing and pulling at the other end. One can purchase similar purpose made items from JG or the like but at considerable expense.

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The over-counter needles are worth it actually as the end is not bent small eye but a flat with slot cut into. Makes it much easier to pass through the rope. Second the SSteel used is much more rigid and able to be pushed a bit harder than coat-hanger wire.
 
[ QUOTE ]
My first time attempting a braid on braid eye splice today too - but unfortunately I was less successful than you. When I tried to run the fid through the core only the smallest fid would go through and that was at least one fid too small to drag the outer sheath through. It looks as though the core is just too tight to take the outer. It was new 8mm rope bought to learn on. Any suggestions? Maybe some double braid needs a different technique?

John

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I have not tried on small ropes, but in 12 mm. The fid slipped easily through the inner core. The hard bit was milking the cover over the splice at the end, which is why you need at least 2 metres before the knot. Did you follow south wales marines instructions - or another - have a look at them. here
 
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