Newb doubts

[JTree]

So, I just finished my third complete eye splice on some Bandit (Blaze) line. It looks good, to my untrained eye. Real good in fact. No slack in the cover in the eye. No random thread loops along the braid. It feels like a nice gradual taper to the end of the splice. But my question is this: should I search out a way to test one of these splices to see if they are good enough? Did any of you guys test one of your splices before hanging your life on it or am I just being overly cautious? Lord knows some of the guys who taught me how to climb thought I was overly cautious on occation...and looking back on it, I was.

On a different note, completing these splices, and failing on the three before them, has given me a new respect for the guys who do this stuff regularly. Your finger muscles have got to be made out of steal, gentlemen. This was WAY more difficult that I thought it would be, hats off to you gentlemen.

 

[MooseHead]

when i first started splicing i just posted pictures of my finished product and waited for others to critique my work. a good pic and maybe even mark where the taper ends and make sure your measured marks are visible and there are a quite of few people on this site that will let you know. My first double braid splice was not pretty and even though most said it was ugly and pointed out all my mistakes most said, "I would climb on it" once you get the hang of it you will be hooked.

 

[MattyD]

You will definetly find ways easier than others (for your hands also) to complete the splice.. little tricks, etc just takes practice and trial n error. The picture is alittle blury when zoomed in on. Maybe just my computer

 

[JTree]

Thanx for the feed back you guys. I was starting to get worried about all the page views and no feed back. I was worried I'd ever get anyone to say anything, or maybe this got this thread got dismissed as "stupid newb stuff," (hence the thread title). I noticed that both of you mentioned the poor photo quality (or alluded to it), which as of yet, I can't fix (cell phone is the only camera I've got available at the moment). As far as the measurements, they are straight from the Brion Toss vids.

Speaking of the Toss vids.....absolute pleasure to watch. Dude has personality that shines through the instructional vid making it extremely watchable while being very informative. You can tell he has real passion for the craft. Respect. If I ever catch you at a pub, I'll buy you a beer.

I think I've decided to climb on the splice. The measurements are to spec and it looks and feels good. Besides, on other splices for this line (not the one pictured) I shock loaded to get the cross over to bury with a carabiner in the eye and a hammer through the 'biner, yank , yank, yank, and bam...bury achieved...seems silly to refuse to climb on a line that sometimes gets intentionally shock loaded to bury...am I totally off base here?

I'll keep plugging away turning out these splices. It's getting easier and yet not at the same time. I find that one out of 3 splices I make on this line, I just can't get the last inch or so to bury, no matter what I do to it (massage the splice area, "massage" it with a hammer, shock load it). It would be nice to turn these splices out myself. This is the line I prefer to use as a lanyard (sort of a homemade CE lanyard without the thimble) amd my lanyard seems to wear out much faster than my climbing line.

 

[JeffL]

Bend the bury to back and forth to loosen up the braid as you do the final bury.

 

[JTree]

Thanx for the tip, but I've already been doing that

 

[NickfromWI]

You mentioned there's no slack in the eye, but from the (blurry!) pic it does look bunched up.

Can this be a sacrificial splice? might be worth chopping it off, tying a fig 8 on a bight on the other end and pulling it super hard with a truck to see if the splice buries more and if the knot breaks before the splice does...

Getchoself and iPhone!

love
nick

 

[MooseHead]

Lol iPhone does have a good camera

 

[JTree]

i think i WILL sacrifice this splice, good idea.

 

[moray]

I can break-test it for you if you want to send it to me.♠

 

[banjo]

[ QUOTE ]
I can break-test it for you if you want to send it to me.♠

[/ QUOTE ]

...or, send it to Knot and Rope Supply and have it professionally tested on a proper machine. They even give you a graph.

 

[JTree]

Guys, I am embarrassed that I never got back to any of you in this thread. I decided to climb on that first splice even though I didn't ever get it tested, but I didn't even get to enjoy it for long as I got the blasted thing injured on some thorns

. Such is life I suppose. I've decided to practice on other, less complicated splices for the time being (16 strand, 12 strand high mod hollow braid).....you know....easy stuff. I'll get some of those break tested at K&RS, and when I am satisfied with my skills on those splices I'll come back to double braid. Reason: double braid splices seem so much easier to mess up.

One more thing I'd like to ask: When you guys take your measurements, do you measure under a little tension or do you just let the rope lay loose. How loose do you let it lay? It just seems that some ropes/cords will elongate quite a bit with only a tiny bit of tension, which makes measuring an art in itself