Page 154 - Barbara Merry - The Splicing Handbook

Tarred tape or friction tape

Pine tar or some water-repelling mixture
40 feet (12 m) of tarred twine or marlin
Sharp knife
Marking pen
Vinyl tape
Safety glasses

Pictured here is a small rigging vise (see photo on page 156, too). Made by Mr.
Z (available at auctions, marine flea markets, and marine antique stores), it’s
bronze and measures 4 × 5 inches (100 × 125 mm). It’s adjustable three ways by
turning the screws. For fine-tuning or tightening, it’s a good idea to have a

wrench close by. The rigging vise’s only purpose is to aid splicing stranded wire
in sizes from the smallest to ⅜ inch (9 mm).
Here’s how to start. On your length of wire, mark a spot 2 feet (600 mm) up
from the working end (mark 1, below). From that spot, apply pine tar or water-
repellent coating toward the working end for a distance of about 7 inches (175
mm). Working back toward mark 1, wrap a layer of tarred tape over the tar. Then
wrap the service, which becomes your eye, working from mark 1 toward the
working end, against the lay of the wire.