Witchcraft - Splicing Octoplait

[tamicatana]

to add to this excellent tute, I find that these type of fid work well for the larger lines:

[Seaworthy Lass]

Step 11:
Cut them off on a diagonal with a hot knife, peel off the tape, cut off the constrictor knot and you are good to go
The cut ends will tend to tuck in better once the splice has stretched under load:

[Seaworthy Lass]

Step 12:
Admire your handiwork and hope it holds your boat in a 50 knot blow .

This is a side on view.
No marked lines should be visible on the peak when side on:

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by nigel1

For some variation, it can be tucked one under one instead of two under two.
Like you said, its not magic, once you have done a couple you will wonder what all the fuss was about.

Hi Nigel. I haven't tried that. Working in pairs seems to hold very well. The snubber has always snapped before the splice has failed .

Originally Posted by tamicatana

to add to this excellent tute, I find that these type of fid work well for the larger lines:

Tami, that looks very useful! I just work with the marlin spike on the end of my pocket knife. The line we use for our snubber is 16mm (5/8 inch) and my little spike is only just adequate.

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by tamicatana

to add to this excellent tute, I find that these type of fid work well for the larger lines:

These are known as Swedish fids (no idea why other than a guess at the obvious), but they work well in splicing large rope, unless you have a grizzly bosun, every finger a marlin spike and both thumbs are fids

[zeehag]

excellent...now if i used 8plait for something other than suspending stuff from above to keep counter tops i donot have clear of stuff.......and kitchen tools....
i find remnants are easily afforded but do nothing but showy presentation of my disaster zone which is constantly under construction or destruction...pretty lines, tho--and ty for the splicing info....awesome job!!!

[colemj]

Originally Posted by tamicatana

I'm jealous! eight-plait is phenomenally expensive round here...

why octo? Because it's lighter, flakes better in the locker. Only thing is that octo will snag more readily, as in snag on splinters etc

Not so bad from Defender - $1.09/ft for 5/8" - same price as the 3-strand.

Mark

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by zeehag

ty for the splicing info....awesome job!!!

Thanks Zee . It is a task I enjoy a lot, almost as much as tying knots .

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I have been checking out websites after Tony posted that link and came across this method for 8 strand on the Liros site:
http://www.liros.com/fileadmin/user_...Eye_Splice.pdf

It uses the weirdest technique - there seems to be no crossing over of the strands at all. Each is just woven straight up, so you end up with 4 lines. Doesn't look like it would have nearly the same strength. Has anyone used this method?

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Thanks Zee . It is a task I enjoy a lot, almost as much as tying knots .

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I have been checking out websites after Tony posted that link and came across this method for 8 strand on the Liros site:
http://www.liros.com/fileadmin/user_...Eye_Splice.pdf

It uses the weirdest technique - there seems to be no crossing over of the strands at all. Each is just woven straight up, so you end up with 4 lines. Doesn't look like it would have nearly the same strength. Has anyone used this method?

I have now. Threw an eye into one of our old mooring lines, a 48mm diameter polypropylene rope.
Splice was very easy to make, looks really neat as well.
The rope has a minimum breaking load of 50 tonnes.Put one end on a tugger winch, and the eye over the bitts and heaved on the tugger. Tugger will stall at 17 tonnes, so estimated that a 15 tonne load was put on the eye, it all held together OK.

I dont normally taper a splice in 8 strand, instead, for the last tuck, I put 1 strand of the pair under two strands of the standing part, and the second strand goes under one strand of the same pair of the standing part, then seize the two tails together, just a bit of added security.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by nigel1

I have now. Threw an eye into one of our old mooring lines, a 48mm diameter polypropylene rope.
Splice was very easy to make, looks really neat as well.
The rope has a minimum breaking load of 50 tonnes.Put one end on a tugger winch, and the eye over the bitts and heaved on the tugger. Tugger will stall at 17 tonnes, so estimated that a 15 tonne load was put on the eye, it all held together OK.

Was I right in interpreting that there are no crossings in the Liros method? Does one pair of strands just go up in a straight line? Interesting that it holds if it does. The method I use must be overkill then.

Originally Posted by nigel1

I dont normally taper a splice in 8 strand, instead, for the last tuck, I put 1 strand of the pair under two strands of the standing part, and the second strand goes under one strand of the same pair of the standing part, then seize the two tails together, just a bit of added security.

Do you allow a cm or so between the seizing and the splice to allow for realignment after load has been applied? In polypropylene I would like to see it seized too, but I wouldn't bother in nylon.

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Was I right in interpreting that there are no crossings in the Liros method? Does one pair of strands just go up in a straight line? Interesting that it holds if it does. The method I use must be overkill then.



Do you allow a cm or so between the seizing and the splice to allow for realignment after load has been applied? In polypropylene I would like to see it seized too, but I wouldn't bother in nylon.

The method you use is the accepted method of splicing 8 stranded rope, certainly the way I was taught, and the method put forward by most of the rope makers.
The Liros methods, the tails get tucked in a straight line along the standing part, (tucked with the lay so to speak), rather than spiraled around the rope.

As for seizing the tails, I dont measure it, but there is some play left in the end to allow the splice to settle.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by nigel1

I have now. Threw an eye into one of our old mooring lines, a 48mm diameter polypropylene rope.
Splice was very easy to make, looks really neat as well.
The rope has a minimum breaking load of 50 tonnes.Put one end on a tugger winch, and the eye over the bitts and heaved on the tugger. Tugger will stall at 17 tonnes, so estimated that a 15 tonne load was put on the eye, it all held together OK.

Just been thinking about that. If the rope you tested has a breaking load of 50 tonnes, I think I would want this to be the load put on during testing of the splice. Holding to 15 tonnes was well less than a third of what the line itself would take.

I am sure before suggesting this splice on their website, Liros would have tested it out, but there is always a possibility they didn't. I am still a bit sceptical.

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by Tony B

Question.....How come 8 strand as opposed to double braided nylon?
Just curious.

Plaited rope is great for shorelines, as well as snubbers.

The former because it is much more limp and supple: you can flake it into a bin or a bag maybe half the size of the bag you'd need for braid of the same diameter.

It's also more pleasant to work with in general, as a hawser, because of the soft handling.

For snubbers it has significantly more construction stretch (which is not really stretch at all, but realignment of fibres to run more closely parallel to the length axis)

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Just been thinking about that. If the rope you tested has a breaking load of 50 tonnes, I think I would want this to be the load put on during testing of the splice. Holding to 15 tonnes was well less than a third of what the line itself would take.

Next winch up in size has a 400 tonne pull, so I gave that test a miss

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Tony B

Question.....How come 8 strand as opposed to double braided nylon?
Just curious.

One reason is the cover of double braid is part of it's strength and it subject to chafe so you quickly loose half it's strength.