Page 479 - The Ashley Book of Knots

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS

2861. The earliest form of grommet is a short piece of rope in th ..

shape of a circle with the two ends short spliced together. One half

a turn from the lay of the rope is removed before crotching. These

2~61 were the first mast hoops and also the first jib hanks. Block straps

are sometimes still made in thili way.

286'2. 2862. A grommet of two leads and three bights may be capsized

into a grommet of three leads and two bights.

2863. A TRUE-LoVER'S KNOT, consisting of two interlocked OVER-

HAND KNOTS, when drawn together and a single tuck added, becomes

a THREE-LEAD, FOUR-BIGHT GROMMET.

2864, 2865. The COMMON GROMMET is made with a single strand

in two ways. After completing two circles with any wanted number

of loose turns, start the third circuit either as * 2864 or as * 2865,

and continue to lay the strands parallel. The ends are finished off as

in a LONG SPLICE. These two starts make all possible grommets of
2863

three leads. A gromIPet in Manila is tied preferably with a single.

strand of four-strand rope. In tarred hemp, grommets are made of

small stuff, the full size. EYELET HOLE GROMMETS in sails are of

marline or small wire. The length of strand required for a grommet

is three times the circumference of the grommet plus six times the

2864 round of the rope.

Grommets of ROUND SINNET are shown as TURK'S-HEADS * 1382

2.665 and * I 384.

2866. To make a WIRE ROPE GROMMH: Nail five small blocks of

wood to the top of a workbench, with two projecting nails in the

upper and wider block, and a screw eye in each of the others. Bend

a full-size piece of wire rope into your frame for a clue so that each

nail holds one of the two ends, which are separated several inches.

Turn the screw eyes to hold the rope in place.

Take a single strand of wire rope twenty-two times the diameter

of the proposed grommet. Lift a strand from the end of the clue rope

in the frame and seize in its stead the center of the single long strand.

Continue to layout the end that was lifted and lay in the iong strand

286&

in its place. Keep the screw eyes turned so that the strands will not

spring out. Keep all ends stopped with marline. When the working

strand is to be led across the gap between the two ends, it nmst be

laid in beside its own first-laid section, on whichever side is the easier.

If the ends are not exactly opposite they can be untwisted a little

with a pair of pliers, but they cannot be twisted tighter. If necessary,

change the size of the grommet slightly.

When one end of the single strand is exhausted, use the other end.

When the six full rounds of the grommet are completed, hammer

lightly with a mallet, then lay the ends into the core as described

for LONG SPLICE * 27 18.

2867. A CABLE GROMME1: Take a piece of tarred halibut line

fourteen times the circumference wanted for the grommet. Middle

the cord and make one complete turn at the center, imparting no

extra twist. Then half knot the ends with the lay and proceed to

make a very loose ordinary grommet of three circuits (*2864).

When, after three rounds, the two ends meet, half knot them in a

direction opposite to the lay and with one end continue to helix

around the other end of the single oord. Follow the single cord three

full times around the circuit and then place one end beside the other

and follow three more circuits between the two strands that are al·

ready in place. Knot the ends and bury them well.

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