Page 213 - Barbara Merry "The Splicing Handbook"

TOOLS & MATERIALS

6 × 15 inches (150 × 380 mm) vinyl fender
42 inches (1070 mm) of ⅜-inch (9 mm)
twisted nylon or Dacron line
Small Swedish fid
Scissors or a sharp knife
Hot knife or a flame source
Ruler
Waxed whipping twine and a needle
Marking pen
23 × 21 inches (580 × 530 mm) of #10
cotton duck canvas
Two shoelaces or similar cords of sufficient
length to close the fender cover ends

If you don’t have your own supplier of marine goodies or a favorite chandlery,
and you want to avoid multiple stops to round up these items, you can do it all
with one call or visit to West Marine—except for the canvas. For that, you’ll

need to go to a marine canvas shop or an art-supply store. For rope, I prefer ⅜-
inch (9 mm) twisted nylon from New England Ropes. This well-made, heat-
treated stuff behaves when you’re trying to work with the fender tucked under
one arm, wishing for a third hand or a skyhook.
Measure 9 inches (230 mm) from one end of the line. At that spot, apply a
tight whipping (see page 125 for instructions). Cut off the melted end, and then

gently unlay the line for a short distance and tape each of the three strand ends.
Try to preserve the twist in each of the strands; the decorative knob knot that
you’ll be tying soon will be all the richer for it.