Page 271 - Brion Toss - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

Finally, tape the end of each bundle firmly to a The precise angle that the tucks are made in is
skinny point. There’s one of your three-strand ropes. important. Too shallow, and wire will show between
the tucks, and too steep and the splice will be lumpy.
Splicing the Core Find that perfect angle, and duplicate it with every
Take your taped-together jumble of line over to the tuck you make.
fid, lay the wire on it right next to the tape, and gen- Tuck all three bundles three more times, spiral-
tly push down on the wire to force the fid under a ing each one around and around its own pair of wire
pair of strands (Figure 6-69C, D). Be careful not to
pick up any of the wire’s heart yarns or to leave any Figure 6-69E. Preparing to tuck the second bundle.
of the pair’s yarns behind. Work the wire down over Enter the fid under the two strands above the first
the fid until you have a big enough space to tuck the bundle.
most convenient rope bundle through, with the lay.
If the rope is on your left and the wire on your right,
tucking down will be tucking with the lay. Adjust the
bundle until all its yarns are snugged down evenly,
then pull the wire up off the fid (Figure 6-69C).
Enter the fid under another pair of wire strands
and tuck another bundle (Figure 6-69E). You’ll
probably find it easiest to enter into the same space
where the previous bundle entered, but in the oppo-
site direction.
Repeat with the third bundle under the last pair
of wires. All bundles should now be exiting at the
same level, or “a-tier.” Figure 6-69F. Tapering the core splice. Make four full
tucks with each bundle, then drop one-third of the
strands from the wire side of each bundle and tuck
Figure 6-69D. The first bundle after the first tuck. Be again. Drop another one-third, tuck again, and trim
sure to pull all strands down snug and fair for this and the ends close.
all subsequent tucks.

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