Rope safe splicing lubricant?

[Ghillie]

I just started splicing over the weekend. Did a double braid and three 16 strand eye splices.

My question is, is there any lubricant that is recommended for splicing tight ropes?

My 16 strand eyes took about 45 minutes without whipping, which I don't think is bad, but curiosity has gotten the better of me.

 

[moray]

I've been using liquid hand soap on the tight splices with very good results. When the splice is done, I wash the splice really well with plain water till the soap is gone.

 

[pdqdl]

I would suspect that lubricant would make it harder to hang on to. It might make it harder to splice. At least with soap, you could wash it off.

Try electricians wire pulling lubricant or tire repair soap. Pretty cheap, but not as cheap as dish soap. Almost no foaming. They are both obscenely slick, and they wash off with water, too.

I haven't done any 16 strand, but my double braid splices started out very tight, then they got easy for some reason.

Practice?

I suspect that is because I understood the splice better, and learned how to generate slack in the cover at the right places.

 

[Ghillie]

I would suspect that lubricant would make it harder to hang on to. It might make it harder to splice. At least with soap, you could wash it off.

Try electricians wire pulling lubricant or tire repair soap. Pretty cheap, but not as cheap as dish soap. Almost no foaming. They are both obscenely slick, and they wash off with water, too.

I haven't done any 16 strand, but my double braid splices started out very tight, then they got easy for some reason.

Practice?

I suspect that is because I understood the splice better, and learned how to generate slack in the cover at the right places.

Practice, practice and more practice!

Yep, the first one was the toughest and then when I knew what to look for and what was going wrong, it got easier.

I've used "rim ease" before. Yep it is slick stuff, but I am not sure if I want it in my rope.

I am not really looking for something to save time, more to save the physical effort and chance of my snare braking and me wacking my elbows.

 

[Ghillie]

I've been using liquid hand soap on the tight splices with very good results. When the splice is done, I wash the splice really well with plain water till the soap is gone.

Thanks for the suggestion, that is what I was thinking about using. I just wondered if anyone else was using something like it.

And thanks for the snare idea with 12 ga. wire. I saw your picture of yours in an earlier thread.

I ended up doubling the wire completely, I had trouble with the solder joint breaking in the splice and tearing up the core. I still soldered the whole length to keep it from wedging fibers between the gap in the wires.

Works great.

 

[mpapuga]

Try Ballistol, it's a good lubricant for throw lines that have lost their "slickness" also.
http://www.ballistol.com/product_Lubricant.htm

Mark

 

[pdqdl]

It probably would lubricate real well. On the other hand, I suspect it might not rinse off in water.

That would be a problem on a splice that relies on friction to work.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Any pics Gillie?

 

[Ghillie]

It probably would lubricate real well. On the other hand, I suspect it might not rinse off in water.

That would be a problem on a splice that relies on friction to work.

I agree. If I decide to use anything on the rope, it will have to wash off easily.

I am not sure which rope I would need the lubricant on either. I would have to weigh the time saved in the splice with the time it would take to clean the splice of the lubricant.

 

[Ghillie]

Any pics Gillie?

I can take some pics of the final product but I have run out of rope to splice (16 strand at least).

My wire fid I made from Moray's pictures I gave it away yesterday. I helped a buddy with some dock lines for his sailboat and he loved the fid. I need to make another one that is a little longer in length anyway.

I hope to order some more rope this week (splicing is addictive!!) and make a new lanyard, a couple of spare splittails, an adjustable friction saver and a few other doodads.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Final product. As you're doing it. Doesn't matter. I like the idea of splicing my own lines. Seems like it would open up a new world of possibilities. Just not sure I have the patience for it. Maybe a few pics of your progress would motivate me. Either way, well done.

 

[Ghillie]

Here you go Blakes, these are the three 16 strand eye splices I did monday, averaged 45 minutes on these without the whip lock.

 

[Ghillie]

Final product. As you're doing it. Doesn't matter. I like the idea of splicing my own lines. Seems like it would open up a new world of possibilities. Just not sure I have the patience for it. Maybe a few pics of your progress would motivate me. Either way, well done.

If you can get past the learning curve it opens up a lot of possibilities.

It took me about 25' of rope and 6 hours Sunday night to get my technique down.

I have some projects in mind and I will try to document them with pictures and start a thread for criticism and review by my peers.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Here you go Blakes, these are the three 16 strand eye splices I did monday, averaged 45 minutes on these without the whip lock.

Man, this sucks. Your pics aren't workin' on my 'puter. Thanks for the effort boss, maybe if I log on during a down time they'll load. I doubt it's your problem my computer's ready for the bone yard.

 

[pdqdl]

Yep. You got no pics posted.

 

[Ghillie]

HMMMMMMMMM....

Let's try this again.

Can you see it now?

 

[pdqdl]

I presume those are the 16 strand splices. They look very good. I'd swing from them.

If any of those are double braid, they should be lock stitched differently. All my double braids look a lot wider and tighter at the insertion point, due to the amount of material involved.

Pretty whipping, though.

 

[Ghillie]

I presume those are the 16 strand splices. They look very good. I'd swing from them.

If any of those are double braid, they should be lock stitched differently. All my double braids look a lot wider and tighter at the insertion point, due to the amount of material involved.

Pretty whipping, though.

Yes, 16 strand. I matched up the lock stitch (location) to what came from Sherrill on the other end of the XTC spark (top rope, not pictured). They are in the last part of the tapered section.

It is hard to imagine there is no longer the parallel core strands in the rope from the insertion point up the rope 22". It is just the sheathe re-inserted and overlapped with the core again from 22" to 33". But once you know what to look for, you can feel each part of the taper and where the core and sheath overlap in the bury. And once you realize that the sheath is the primary load bearing component of 16 strand, the core is there to keep the rope round under load, it makes sense.

Like I said before, it took a while to get my technique down but when I did, it all came together nicely. Those are my 2nd 3rd and 4th splices, ever. First was on double braid with a tubular fid (not shown).

Edit in red, thanks PDQDL

 

[pdqdl]

[parts deleted for brevity]

... And once you realize that the core is the primary load bearing component of 16 strand, the core is there to keep the rope round under load, it makes sense.

...

I think you mis-spoke? I believe 16 strand is cover dependent, not core dependent rope.

Some kernmantle ropes, Bee Line, and quite a few others have all the strength in the core. The cover is just there to protect the core, I guess. If a double braid rope, you will find instructions for those splices under double braid class II.

 

[Ghillie]

I think you mis-spoke? I believe 16 strand is cover dependent, not core dependent rope.

Some kernmantle ropes, Bee Line, and quite a few others have all the strength in the core. The cover is just there to protect the core, I guess. If a double braid rope, you will find instructions for those splices under double braid class II.

You are correct, I as going to cite the difference in kernmantle being 80% core strength and 20% sheath strength (by some sources). That's what was in my mind when I typed it. Thanks for the correction. That is a big mistake!

What are you referring to with the double braid class II?