My first double braid splice: fell at the first hurdle.

[salar]

I have been splicing three strand for years but I came across a useful length of double core braid. I was planning to put a large spliced loop at one end and a smaller spliced loop at the other, to use as a short docking line. I bought the fid, watched the video and all seemed straightforward. Then I tried to pull the inner core out of the side of the outer core. How the hecky thump do you do that? Am I being too abitious trying to pull a long section through to make the large loop? Should I be making a bigger hole somehow? So far all I have is a piece of rope with a nasty looking furry growth on the side of it. Any tips, PBO experts please?

 

[rotrax]

Easy with new rope, not so easy with used stuff.

Dig the core out, it might take a bit of effort but it WILL come out. Cut any heat sealing off of the ends - this allows independent movement of the inner and outer.

It might help to hold the braid about a foot apart, one hand near an end and the other a foot or so further away and twist and jiggle while moving the hands together. This makes the cover weave looser and easier to pull the inner through.

Hopes this helps.

 

[Neeves]

Persevere,

My first double braid splice took me all of one evening.

I did not have Rotrax to advise me

Jonathan

 

[mikegunn]

Tease it! It will come out eventually but if you’re trying it on used rope I wouldn’t bother. i would only do it on unused rope and there’s a very good reason for that. The fibres in new braid on braid are covered with a very thin film of lubricant. It’s applied during its manufacture to reduce wear on the spinning apparatus. This gives the rope a slightly slippery feel and allows the fibres to move easily against each other. There’s a very good video on YouTube by West Marine for New England Ropes. Sorry, I don’t know how to embed a link. Once you’ve got the hang of splicing braid on braid you’ll find it very satisfying and be putting eye splices in ropes that you didn’t know needed one. Good luck.
Mike

 

[dolabriform]

As Neeves said, the first one I did took forever!

This video is very good:

I've switched to using d-splice needles instead of traditional fids as I find that it's much easier to pull the core through rather then trying to push it.
D-SPLICER fixed

 

[emandvee44]

As in # 3 - persevere! My first attempt was to make 2 minimum size eyes in 8mm braid, for the mainsail track purchase. The first two attempts were a total failure, but the third (and fourth) perfect. I used the Marlow video :Doublebraid Splice How-To Video which I found easy to follow, pausing it as I went along. The video above is also very good. It helps a lot if you have a decent surface to work on and also I would always secure the rope, rather than have someone hold it. I used the kitchen door handle
M.

 

[Praxinoscope]

After some incredibly bad language, suspected rise in Blood Pressure, numerous attempts and the loss of a several of metres of expensive BoB I gave up and just order it ready spliced from Jimmy Green.

 

[Stemar]

After some incredibly bad language, suspected rise in Blood Pressure, numerous attempts and the loss of a several of metres of expensive BoB I gave up and just order it ready spliced from Jimmy Green.

I didn't even try. I just blagged a new sheet from Arun when they did my new genny. I know my limits.

 

[salar]

Tease it! It will come out eventually but if you’re trying it on used rope I wouldn’t bother................

That could be my problem. It came out of the Solent on my anchor, someone's mainsheet that went over the side I suspect. It could be years old and certainly has no slipperyness left.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

As others have said, splicing used braid-on-braid is really hard, and you haven't got to the hardest bit yet - milking the sheath back over the splice. If you can't even get the core out, then it's almost certainly going to be impossible to milk the sheath back over the splice.
A couple of tips - - Before starting, tie an overhand knot in the bight of the rope a few metres from the end you're splicing, wear strong gloves to do the final "milking", and fasten the standing part of the rope (beyond the knot ties initially) to something solid to allow you to get a good pull.

 

[gregcope]

I have used a local lamppost to tie my lines to when milking a difficult sheath back in over the splice.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I have used a local lamppost to tie my lines to when milking a difficult sheath back in over the splice.

A winch on the boat or the arm of a heavy wooden sofa at home!

 

[Kukri]

As Neeves said, the first one I did took forever!

This video is very good:

I've switched to using d-splice needles instead of traditional fids as I find that it's much easier to pull the core through rather then trying to push it.
D-SPLICER fixed

I am stumbling around in the foothills. After a lifetime of wooden gaff cutters I can knock out a Matthew Walker on a deadeye lanyard without a second thought, but this stuff is a whole new learning curve!

First attempt - followed that video and the Polman book, in el cheapo Liros polypropylene core 10mm. Brilliant success! Alas... beginners’ luck - have just had a complete failure with Liros more expensive Herkules 14mm polyester core. Cover into core - not too bad. Core into cover - fiasco! There simply isn’t room to get a Selma fid in, and a DSplicer pulling needle is too short.

Where am I going wrong?

 

[Pye_End]

Taper the core, otherwise where you have effectively 2 cores and a fid it can be nigh on hopeless.

The advice from English Braids at LIBS one year was to use a bent wire to pull it through rather than a fid. Worked well for him, though I struggled to copy, and ended back with a fid (make sure it is the smallest one you can!).

 

[Kukri]

Thank you!

 

[LadyInBed]

Then I tried to pull the inner core out of the side of the outer core. How the hecky thump do you do that?

Before you pull the inner core out, put a nail through the rope at the point where you want to pull the inner core out, then milk back the outer braid from the bitter end. This will help loosen up the inner core.

 

[LadyInBed]

switched to using d-splice needles instead of traditional fids

Easy to make from a length of stripped solid core house electric cable.

 

[Roberto]

Kukri,
you may use what they call here a chaussette, a sock: a length (say 1m) of thin dyneema braid, say 2mm, spliced into a 20-30cm length of dyneema cover. If you do not have the dyneema cover, a length of spinnaker cloth folded like a cone.
You insert a thin doubled wire in the rope you are splicing in the point from where you want the spliced cover to come out, you push the needle in until it comes out where you want the splice cover to get into the rope you are splicing. Attach the dyneema braid of the cover "sock" to the needle, pull out the needle from the rope: now you have the thin dyneema braid running inside the rope along the path you want the cover of the rope to pass; insert the cover of the rope you are splicing inside the cover which is spliced to the dyneema braid, then pull the dyneema braid, it will bring with it the cover inside the rope.
Two examples of the sock, one made with spinnaker fabric, the other with dyneema cover



edit: minor corrections

 

[Kukri]

Kukri,
you may use what they call here a chaussette, a sock: a length (say 1m) of thin dyneema braid, say 2mm, spliced into a 20-30cm length of dyneema cover. If you do not have the dyneema cover, a length of spinnaker cloth folded like a cone.
You insert a thin doubled wire in the rope you are splicing in the point from where you want the spliced cover to come out, you push the needle in until it comes out where you want the splice cover to get into the rope you are splicing. Attach the dyneema braid of the cover to the needle, pull out the needle from the rope: now you have the thin dyneema braid runing inside the rope along the path you want the cover of the rope to pass; insert the cover of the rope you are splicing inside the cover which is spliced to the dyneema braid, then pull the dyneema braid, it will bring with it the cover inside the rope.
Two examples of the sock, one made with spinnaker fabric, the other with dyneema cover

View attachment 111698

Roberto - that looks brilliant! Thank you! Will try tomorrow.

 

[Roberto]

Roberto - that looks brilliant! Thank you! Will try tomorrow.

Here it is maybe clearer, they call it "soft fid" (btw they have a nice "app" with the various splices); you can also use spinnaker cloth instead of the empty cover

Also, liberal use of a wooden mallet helps to loosen the fibers and makes things easier