Page 510 - The Ashley Book of Knots

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CHAPTER 39: SOLID SINNETS

It can be done in Il1Wther way, but it requires a good and neat MAR-

LINGSPIKE SAILOR to do it.

WILLIAM 'BRADY: The Kedge Anchor, 1841

The PLAT SINNETS of the previous chapter are either flat or tubu-

lar. Lar er and different-shaped sinners have always required cores. 3035"

My rst experiments in sinnets began with a search for a sinnet

of equilateral triangular cross section and the first successful sinnet

I)f this shape was a tubular one O'f3028) of the last chapter.

In a later attempt to-find a larger sinnet of the same shape, a CROWN

)INNET was produced on diagram ~3047. Still later it was found

~hat a smaller CROWN SINNET of the same sort could be made on a

smaller diagram. This was '113035, Which follows:

3035. The method of making is illustrated in the series of diagrams

at the top of this page. Six strands are seized together with a CoN-

STRIcroR KNOT and an OVERHAND KNOT is cast in three alternate ends

to assist in identification. The knotted ends are first crowned as

shown in the third diagram. The unknotted ends are next led with-

out crowning as in the fourth diagram, which completes one opera-

tion. The sinnet is continued by crowning the knotted strands again,

as shown in the fifth diagram of the series, and then the unknotted

set is led again, as in the fourth diagram. The two movements are

repeated in alternation until sufficient sinnet has been made.

The sinnet produced is triangular, but due to the bulkiness of the

CROWN KNOT, it is somewhat irregular, and this irregularity is very

much accented in larger sinnets, in which both sets of strands are

crowned.

3036. I found that, by introducing extra or duplicate strands at

various places in the circumference, the sinnet could be made to build

in a helix instead of in tiers, so eliminating the necessity. of crowning

the strands. The ~xtra strands were so introduced that no space in

the circumference was left vacant, when the strands were moved.

The spaces are regularly numbered around the diagrams counter-

dockwise. All odd strands, when they are moved, are led to the

right, counterclockwise; all even strands are led. to the left, clock-

wise. The earliest strand to occupy any space is always the next one

to be moved from that space. The earliest odd-numbered strand is

always the right-hand strand of its group; when it is moved it is led

to the right, counterclockwise, until it reaches its destination, where

it is put into the near or left-hand position of an odd-numbered

space.

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