Page 452 - The Ashley Book of Knots

LONG AND SHORT SPLICES (MULTI-STRAND BENDS)

There are no new principles involved in wire splicing, but a dif-

ferent technique is required on account of the stiffness of the ma-

terial. A SHORT SPLICE in wire is seldom seen.

2716. A SHORT BACKHANDED WIRE SPLICE. Seize the ropes at the

length of the splice. Tape the end of each strand and open the ropes,

cutting out the cores. Spread the strands fan-shape, and bring them

together just as two hands are clasped with interlocked fingers.

Force the ends closely together so that the two cores butt and seize

strongly at the point of crossing. The cores of the separate strands

are usually cut out before a splice is tucked. Hold in a vise at half

length, and back each of the six ends of one side under one strand

as shown in jIj.( 26J2, except that in wire splicing the marlingspike

points to the left when entering a rope, and the rope is entered and

tucked on the near side of the spike. Reverse the splice in the vise

end and tuck the other six ends once. Work them all snugly back

toward the center. Then tuck until all twelve ends have been tucked

four times full. Now back each alternate strand once more. Pound

well with a mallet, cut all ends flush and parcel and serve over the

whole splice.

2717. An earlier SHORT SPLICE is given by Admiral Knight in his

Sea111anship. Each strand was tucked over one and under two, twice

full, once one half and once one quarter. The British Admiralty

(19J2) specifies an ordinary OVER-ONE-AND-UNDER-ONE SPLICE,

tucked four times full, once two thirds and once one third.

2718. A LONG WIRE SPLICE. Take two small wire ropes (five

eighths of an inch in diameter will do), and seize each at a point ten

feet from the end. Tape the strands of each end in pairs, and open

each rope end into a three-legged fork. Crotch the two forked ends

and layout and lay in the pairs to the right and left so that they are

evenly spaced five feet apart. Stop the right pair and the center pair 2118

and open the ends of the left pair. Tape each strand and layout and

lay in one opposite pair to the left for three feet. Then put stops on

both pairs. Open the center two pairs and lay in and layout one pair

to the left two feet and the other to the right the same amount and stop

both pairs. Tum the splice end for end and treat the second end the

way the first was treated. The ends are now in six pairs.

Cross a pair of ends as in the fourth diagram and cut them all to

a one-foot length, first taping five or six inches of each end. Drive

a marlingspike between two ends and through the center of the rope.

Cut the core and layout the core ends a short distance. Hold one

end of the splice in a vise, put a heaver (first diagram) on the other

end and have a helper twist the latter sufficiently to open the rope

so that the strand end can be thrust into the center, replacing the

core, as the spike is revolved. At the same time remove the core and

cut it off flush with the strand end. The remaining ends are worked

in the same manner.

2719. In lang-laid rope the strands and the rope have the same lay

or twist. The splice is made the same as jIj.( 2718, except that the ends

are crossed differently for the final laying in.

2720. A wire rope spliced to a Manila tail. When wire halyards

were first introduced this splice was used. The wire end was opened

2. 7 2.

into three legs of two strands each and each leg was served or taped

the full length, and laid up again. The two ropes were then short

spliced together, the Manila legs being tucked six times, the wire

three. The spike is served over.

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