How's the splice today?

[NHlocal]

I am noticing a trend... Most guys that do really nice splices and love doing it A LOT, do not have kids

I would have kids doing my scissor work. Here, cut this strand, then this one, then this one, one more, last one... Good job!

Well, I have one son that's home from college for the summer. He has one more year to go.....so maybe that wouldn't count? :roll:

I've got a funny(interesting)short story to(kinda)go along with my wanting to learn to splice. A "few years" back my wife was learning to crochet, she asked me to learn how so I could "help her out" if she needed some help. Sooooo, to make it a really short story, she's not crocheting and I made two really nice afghans. One took almost a year, Christmas colors. And it more than covers our queen size bed. I don't like to learn things halfway, when I learn splicing, it will be all or nothing.

 

[bonner1040]

Splicing is rewarding for me but it would be more rewarding if I could teach Meg how to splice and just watch her do it while I eat ice cream..

 

[NHlocal]

All thats left is some lock stitching and some whipping. I will take some photos but I wont post them until you get the package.. Remember what I told you, I am a sadist!

As time goes by I'm seeing that more and more. But, one of the things about me that really frustrates my wife is I am very patient. So I have no problem waiting. But I am really excited.....

Splicing is rewarding for me but it would be more rewarding if I could teach Meg how to splice and just watch her do it while I eat ice cream..

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I have a few other things I like to watch Kat do while eating Ice Cream and splicing aint one...

Randy, I have a 10, 7 and 4 year old... Splicing is a project when they are asleep..( and two of them you don't dare give scissors ) I am usually pretty tired myself by 9PM.. I am lucky to splice a dead eye out of Tenex TEC once a month on a good evening...
I usually hire out for my EYE prussics.. But ... Nick (from Wisconsin) opened his own company and never has time any more.

 

[NHlocal]

I have a few other things I like to watch Kat do while eating Ice Cream and splicing aint one...

Randy, I have a 10, 7 and 4 year old... Splicing is a project when they are asleep..( and two of them you don't dare give scissors ) I am usually pretty tired myself by 9PM.. I am lucky to splice a dead eye out of Tenex TEC once a month on a good evening...
I usually hire out for my EYE prussics.. But ... Nick (from Wisconsin) opened his own company and never has time any more.

Oh my, three children. I'm sure you're being modest by only being "pretty tired by 9PM". And regulating the scissor use is a good thing for sure. I can appreciate your lack of "splice time", I "think" I can find time enough to learn to do it well enough for it to be useful to me..... With the help from the guys here at the House I know I can work out any problems that come up.

 

[NHlocal]

I can splice!!!

O.K. it's official. I'm hooked..... Here it is almost 2am(and I get up at 4am to go to work ) and I just finished my first double braid splice! I couldn't put it down. I had to pull the first tuck out once I realized I didn't put the ring on before tucking the core in. Seemed to come out pretty good though. The thing that almost threw me off was the "printed" instructions had me tuck the core into the cover first, the "video" instructions had me tuck the cover into the core first. I was following the "printed" instructions so I continued on, didn't seem to make much difference once I figured out what was going on. I was referencing the video to double check if I was doing it right. The only other thing I noticed was I had "a little bit" of cover "left over". I guess I can milk it off the other end, but what happens when I splice a ring on the other end? Was I "a little off" with the process? Is it common for that to happen?
Anyway, here's a pic, 'cause if I didn't get a pic it didn't happen, right?

By the way, knitting needles make pretty good fids.....

 

[bonner1040]

Well hell! Next time I will have you do it for me! Nice work Randy!

 

[NHlocal]

Well hell! Next time I will have you do it for me! Nice work Randy!

Nick,
.....I don't know about that, as I said, there's a few things I'm not sure about. Like, having "a little extra cover" after finishing the eye splice. With a dead eye sling I could milk out the cover but, with a ring and ring sling I wouldn't be able to do that. Must be a technique thing I have to work on, but I'm eager to learn.
Yes, the OP was difficult but, it was the first splice I've ever done, I know it will get easier.

Thanks Nick!!!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

You guys are amazing you can do all that and have the patience to...
The slacker that I am only made 3 dead eyes in the last two weeks...
1/2 and 5/8 Tenex... And they are not near as pretty
I need some shrink wrap...

 

[NHlocal]

You guys are amazing you can do all that and have the patience to...
The slacker that I am only made 3 dead eyes in the last two weeks...
1/2 and 5/8 Tenex... And they are not near as pretty
I need some shrink wrap...

For the amount of time it took me to do that first splice I needed every bit of patience I had ,
I know it will get easier, but it did take me about 3 hours..... :roll:

VERY happy with the way it turned out.
I already plan on doing some more.....

 

[bonner1040]

Did A and B meet up Randy?

 

[Adam_P]

Nice job, Randy!

Where did you end up with extra cover? If it was down 5 fids where the butterfly stopper is that does happen to me some times. When zeroing out the cover and core before you start burying things sometimes a bit of cover slack will push into the butterfly if it's not set tightly. That's just my experience though.

If you were going to make a ring/ring fs, you would just whip an lock that eye, then milk the tiny bit of cover off the opposite end before you started.

If you have cover bunching at the eye that can happen from not keeping enough tension on the crossover as you're doing the final bury. Your pic looks like the eye is well balanced though.

 

[NHlocal]

Nice job, Randy!

Where did you end up with extra cover? If it was down 5 fids where the butterfly stopper is that does happen to me some times. When zeroing out the cover and core before you start burying things sometimes a bit of cover slack will push into the butterfly if it's not set tightly. That's just my experience though.

If you were going to make a ring/ring fs, you would just whip an lock that eye, then milk the tiny bit of cover off the opposite end before you started.

If you have cover bunching at the eye that can happen from not keeping enough tension on the crossover as you're doing the final bury. Your pic looks like the eye is well balanced though.

Did A and B meet up Randy?

As a matter of fact, (remember I said I finished up at 2am this morning) I took a closer look at the splice this morning and the marks "didn't quite" line up. I took it down to the basement, hooked it on to a "solid anchor", and gave it a couple of REALLY strong jerks. I got the marks lined up and almost every bit of the loose cover disappeared. Last night(early this morning)I didn't have it hooked to a solid anchor, I had the loop(at the "5 fid mark")around my foot. That had to be the cause of it. Was thinking of making it a 3 foot ring/ring fs. That would leave me about 10 feet of OP for some other project.....

P.S. I didn't put any whipping on the splice "yet", I have to get some.....

 

[Burnham]

Damn nice looking first go.

 

[NHlocal]

My first ring and ring fs and I spliced it myself!!! Took me as long as the first splice because I pulled a TOTAL newbie move, got the tail tucked into the core and the core tucked into the tail (that OP is a challenge to get the core up past the "Y") and double checked to make sure everything was done right and what do you think I saw?!? If you guessed I forgot to put the ring on before I started the tuck//bury you're absolutely right! Had to pull it all apart and do it all over. Got it done and it looks pretty good for my first project. I wanted to make it 3 feet but I didn't figure the length lost on the splice would be quite as much as it was. Turned out to be a 32" length.:roll: I ain't complainin' that's for sure. Here's a couple pics.....

Thanks Nick, it's all your fault you know.

P.S. It's not really done yet, still need to get some whipping twine.....

 

[Adam_P]

I forgot to put the ring on before I started the tuck//bury

You get caught up in the zen of the splice. I still do it. Thankfully now that's about the only time I start swearing when I splice.

 

[bonner1040]

I have done that every time I used a ring.

 

[NHlocal]

I was more than a little frustrated when I realized what I did. I'm pretty sure I'll remember next time.....
I was very happy to see that the cover on the OP tightened up very nicely, not loose at all. Something I did notice
was there's VERY LITTLE room to push the cover back when doing the second splice. You must have to use a
different technique to splice anything much shorter than 30"???
Now I've gotta find "something" to do with the other 10 feet of OP.....

 

[Burnham]

Another R&R, but with a small ring adjustable prusik would be a great tool, imo.

 

[NHlocal]

Adjustable R&R eh? Hmmmmm.....
That's on the list of possibilities.

 

[ChmnSelene]

Randy, any less than 5 full fids between extraction points is pretty much impossible. Possibly naked brummels? Never done em on OP. Build yourself a U-Saver, they're really stinkin cool.

 

[Burnham]

Make it about 72 inches R to R.

Edit...meant to follow this post with the above

Adjustable R&R eh? Hmmmmm.....
That's on the list of possibilities.

 

[NHlocal]

Randy, any less than 5 full fids between extraction points is pretty much impossible. Possibly naked brummels? Never done em on OP. Build yourself a U-Saver, they're really stinkin cool.

Hey! Welcome to the TreeHouse!!!
I just spliced my first eye 2 days ago, spliced the 2nd eye last night to make a ring & ring friction saver. The TOTAL length is 32", I really wanted 36" but under estimated how much length would be taken up in the splice. It was difficult, but it seemed to work out OK with the cover pushed back as far as it would go.
Here's a picture.....

Make it about 72 inches R to R.

72 inches? I've got enough to do that.....
If I do I'll have to get ahold of some more rings.....
Oh yeah, and cord for the prussic.....

 

[Burnham]

Super tool as a tie in point when working on a clean bole.

 

[NHlocal]

Many, many times in the past couple years I could've used one of those.
I think it was someone here that suggested I get one. As a matter of fact, Nick is
sending me a usaver and a rigsaver sometime this week.