Page 132 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

core end
starting at Crossover, smooth cover this
way to make core withdraw a short distance Crossover

cover end starting at
Crossover,
smooth core
this way and
Figure 4-16G. Smooth the slack. cover will disap-
pear inside

The core end will withdraw a short distance, enough room for the stitches to adjust, so the splice
and the cover end will disappear inside. Be careful can deform. This is the kind of thing I learn, often
to hold the Crossover firmly during this operation, after years of doing things a certain way, because
so it doesn’t pull apart, even a little. patient and knowledgeable people (I’m looking at
you, Samson) take the trouble to educate me.
Cutting the Core, Stitching the Crossover If you Next, grip the core end right where it emerges
pulled a yarn from the core to make the second from the cover (Figure 4-16H). When all the slack
mark, you have the option of threading it onto a is out of the cover, pinch the core right where it exits,
large sail needle or darning needle (see the nifty pull it out a few inches, and cut it off right where
threading trick shown in the sidebar “Squint-free you’re pinching it. Then ravel the end, taper it on a
Needle Threading”). long angle, as in 4-16D. Once more smooth out the
Stitch back and forth through the core side of cover, starting at the Crossover. This time the core
the Crossover. Use neat stitches, tucking the needle will disappear inside.
in almost exactly where the previous stitch emerges,
so you won’t leave lumpy stitches on the surface. Running the Splice Home In the words of my
The idea is to lock the Crossover together and to friend Emiliano, “You now have one more chance to
make this section, which is the thickest that will ruin the whole thing.” To finish the splice, you need
have to go into the rope, easier to bury. Snug the to anchor the Butterfly to something very solid, pull
first two or three stitches down gently, to anchor the on the eye, and milk all the slack out of the cover,
yarn. Pull succeeding stitches firmly. As I say, this so it swallows the exposed core and the Crossover.
is an optional step, and not an important one. And This is the place where most people get into trouble,
for very small eyes it is a bad idea, as there is not so here are a few tricks to make the process easier:

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