Page 138 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

core mark #3

F

core
mark
#2

G H

Figure 4-17F–H. Pull tail until marks #2 and #3 line
core
mark up (F). Pull mark #1 back around (G). The finished
#1 splice (H).
core mark #2 core mark #3

its length (Figure 4-17E). Cut the laid-out yarns off Walking It All the Way Home This is the hard part.
as they begin to go into the bury. You can cut them It’s physically difficult to get the cover to swallow
off sooner, but at least the first few of them are in a all that extra core, and it’s conceptually difficult to
loose enough weave that they can get loose, tangle, see where you’re going, right up to the moment you
bunch up, and generally ruin your splice. get there. Just concentrate on those two marks, keep
Important Note: Your shackle (not shown) tension on the core ahead of the marks, and keep
needs to be between the first and second marks on the cover coming. Massage. As the paired marks are
the core at this point. about to go in, pull the lone mark (#1) back around
so it’s lined up with the mark on the cover again, as
Running It Toward Home Yes, it looks very in Figure 4-17G. Massage some more. Snap against
strange now, but it will resolve. the belay. Milk the cover around; it will eventually—
After the core’s tail emerges, pull it through just—cover all the exposed core.
until the third mark lines up with the second mark. The cover is still outside, of course. You just
Don’t worry about where the other mark is. Hold- need to whip, tape, serve, or heat-shrink a stub of
ing these two marks together, smooth the core out. it to the standing part, and cut off the rest. Figure
Its tail will disappear inside. In Figure 4-17F the 4-17H shows the heat-shrink option.
shackle is shown where it should be.
Anchor the Butterfly and begin milking the The Finished Splice Cover the taped-down cover
slack out of the cover. Keep those two marks lined with service, rigger’s tape, or, as shown, a layer or
up, and try to keep the core from bunching up. two of heat-shrink tubing (Figure 4-17H).

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