Page 182 - Barbara Merry - The Splicing Handbook

A completed Mill Valley Splice, without seizing under the thimble.

The splice described here is made with -inch (7 mm) 1 × 9 stainless, left lay.
Note that it’s served with fiber (tarred nylon) rather than wire.
Use the best stainless steel wire available—I don’t remember if this one was
done with #302 (a softer wire) or #316. It’s rated to break at 7,725 pounds (3500
kg). When tested, the splice attained 88 percent of the breaking strength—an

excellent result.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

-inch (7 mm) 1×19 stainless steel wire
Wire vise
Marlinspike
Serving mallet with #48 tarred nylon twine
Seizing wire and thimble
Japan drier
Linseed oil

Pine tar
Tarred tape
Parrot-beak cutters
Grinder
Unlaying stick
Wood mallet
Marking pen and tape

First apply a tight service around the eye. Keep in mind that the wire thimble
must be able to accept the extra width the service adds. Set your work in the
vise. If the eye is a soft one, use the thimble and seizing wire to hold the piece in
place. Allow 18 inches (450 mm) for the tails.

Unlay the end by separating the outer wires into groups of two. Choose
carefully, as these pairs need to be made up from strands that are right next to
each other. Now unlay the core wires—match each pair of outer wires with a
single core wire that’s closest. If there is a center wire, leave it by itself (wire
center not shown in our illustrations).