Splicing old rope

[catalac08]

Hi
I bought 120ft of 14mm 3 strand nylon last year with the intention of splicing this onto my 50m x 8mm anchor chain. I took it out of the locker a couple of weeks ago and it has become really stiff and I would anticipate it will be very difficult to splice.
It has never been used or even out of the locker so this surprises me but my query is whether there is a way to make it supple again and pleasant to splice?

 

[sailorman]

Hi
I bought 120ft of 14mm 3 strand nylon last year with the intention of splicing this onto my 50m x 8mm anchor chain. I took it out of the locker a couple of weeks ago and it has become really stiff and I would anticipate it will be very difficult to splice.
It has never been used or even out of the locker so this surprises me but my query is whether there is a way to make it supple again and pleasant to splice?

its quite normal for 3 strand nylon, its horrible stuff.

 

[Baddox]

Putting it in a washing machine with fabric softener may help.

 

[sailorman]

Putting it in a washing machine with fabric softener may help.

if it gets hot it will get tighter i recon

 

[Ariadne]

Use a Swedish fid or a steel flat ended spike, if that doesn't work then bin it!

 

[prv]

3-strand should be spliceable even if it is stiff. After all, some people hand-splice wire. Just get a decent fid to shove it around with.

Pete

 

[BobPrell]

Use a Swedish fid or a steel flat ended spike, if that doesn't work then bin it!

Attitudes like that ensure that skip-trawling is still a worthwhile activity.

 

[epervier]

Attitudes like that ensure that skip-trawling is still a worthwhile activity.

Skip trawling will always be worthwhile

the old adage, "one man's **** is another man's gold", still works for me

 

[mjcoon]

if it gets hot it will get tighter i recon

Oh, yes, wash on the artificial fabric setting, of course! Or just minimum temperature...

Mike.

 

[mjcoon]

Attitudes like that ensure that skip-trawling is still a worthwhile activity.

A few years ago a TV programme tried out the adage "money for old rope" by selling some picked up on the beach via eBay. Successfully!

Mike.

 

[PaulGooch]

its quite normal for 3 strand nylon, its horrible stuff.

I use 3 strand nylon for my anchor rope and have used it for mooring lines. It can be a bit variable though. Had one load that was so stiff you could hold about 6 feet straight out in front of you without it bending

 

[Frankie-H]

Attitudes like that ensure that skip-trawling is still a worthwhile activity.

+1

Bin it in my direction please.

You should be able to manage with a swedish fid. However if it is still too tight. Tape about a foot back from the end. Tape each individual strand end and unlay the rope back to the tape. If you can picture how a rope is made. You can then turn each individal strand, in the direction of the lay, one at a time and slowly relay the rope. It takes a little practice but, at the end of the day, you have remade the rope and it will not be as tight as it was.