a splicing question

[Brian Duff]

I have always used a knot to section off the part of the line I wish to work with while splicing double braid lines, both to provide an anchor point for applying force to bury the splice in the cover, and as a way to keep the relative position of the cover and core during splice working.
Some splice instructions call for this knot , one often sees an overhand loop or a bowline used, however some splice instructions call for one to insert a small fid to 'pin' the relative position of cover to core, and claim this leads to a stronger splice in the end.
My question is that if a fid is used to pin the cover in place, then what does one use to anchor the line while during the core splice back in the cover ? Perhaps someone can describe the technique ?
.
...in search of stronger splices,
Brian

[NickfromWI]

Brian, you know those BIG safety pins that were once used to close up laundry bags...maybe they are about 4" long....that's what I use to lock the cover and core together. I typically put a slip knot or a alpine butterfly knot behind the pin, just to give something to anchor to.

love
nick

[Brion Toss]

Hi Brian,
Not stronger, I'm pretty sure, and I have seen that process used badly, resulting in some damage to the core (small pin, a lot of mashing back against it).
The best place I've seen for this is on really big rope, where a knot is physically difficult to make and unmake, and the rope won't even notice your pitiable efforts at mashing. And on that rope, you are likely to hitch the standing part to a Norwegian, and the eye to a fork lift, to get the line tight enough to run home.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Bob Pingel]

I'll add that pins or alike are a needed in an end-to-end splice resulting in an endless loop. Knots will induce maddening twists into the assembly. I suppose you could tie two knots, one to induce twist and another to remove, but pins seem way easier...

Bob

[Brian Duff]

The yale cordage maxibriad plus instructions call for a small fid (guessing 1/4" ) to pin the core and sleeve at 15 fid lengths down the line. Otherwise the instructions are similar to how I splice core to core with a protective cover.

I was told that tying a knot then splicing with these very low stretch synthetics we use will cause the core to bunch or pull un even resulting in an weaker splice, and that I must use a fid to pin the core to get top results.
I think this is to say that the braided strands will set up around and below the splice perhaps square to where they leave the knot, which after the knot is untied causes some of the strands to be slack, resulting in charcteristic bunches of core beneath the cover at spaced intervals, perhaps 48 line diameters or so (guess and recall, not measured). I am not exactly sure of the cause of these bunches under the cover, but I have noticed then occasionally on my splices and others as well. Any thoughts on this ?

What knot do you use to anchor the line? I will keep trying with the pins, but am using a bowline with greater sucsess . Wish I had a rope breaker with load guage...

[Bob Pingel]

I have always knotted and never pinned, and yes, I do get core lumps.

Not really bits of core that are loose, just lumpy. They do seem to happen a regular intervals. I splice a fair amount of 3/8" T900 and I see them maybe every 12-15".

They seem to clear once the rope is loaded...

Bob Pingel