Page 101 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

Figure 3-43. A palm, shown at right on the hand with
needle in place.

Figure 3-44. The Palm and Needle Whipping. Thread
a fathom of twine onto a sail needle, wax the twine,
and stick the needle through twice to secure the end.
On the second pass, make the needle come out in one
of the rope’s scores (A). Make a series of tight turns
toward the end, against the rope’s lay (B). When the
turns are about as long as the rope is wide, stick the
needle under one strand, with the lay (opposite the
direction the turns were made in). The needle should
enter into the same score that it exited from at the
beginning of the turns (C). End-for-end the rope,
lead the twine down the score it emerges from, then
stick the needle back into the score and under one
strand, with the lay. This makes the first frapping
turn (D). End-for-end again, lead the twine down
the next score, and stick the needle back into that
score, once again under one strand, with the lay. The
needle should now emerge in the same space that it
went into at the end of the turns (E). Before leading
the twine down the last score, pass the needle under
the little loop at the end of the turns. This is done so
the last frapping turn will hold the loop down and
prevent it from working loose. Stick the needle a third
time under one strand (F). The needle now emerges at
the first frapping turn. Make a hitch around it, pull
the hitch snug, stick the needle twice more to bury the
end, then cut the twine flush with the surface of the
rope (G). Trim the rope close to the whipping, then
put on a second “insurance whipping” three diame-
ters up the standing part (H).

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