Splice or not?

Tom Dunlap

Tom Dunlap

Here from the beginning
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Sometime soon I'm going to get a new 9/16" double braid rigging rope. The 5/8" DB that is in use has an eye splice. There aren't many times that I've needed the eye on the rope so I might get a plain one.

The main thing that I've used the eye for is to setup a floating false crotch where loads are more critical. Another place is if I'm going to make 'bouquet cuts' and lower several limbs at once. The eye makes for a more streamlined setup instead of a bowline. In this case I'm never concernec with the loss of efficiency from having a bowline instead of a splice, the loads are very small.

What might I give up by not having a splice?
 
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What might I give up by not having a splice?

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Advantages of splice -

1. No decrease in strength of rope.

2. Dont need to worry about making a mistake when tying end line knot.

3. Dont need to worry about knot coming loose during rigging operations.

4. Sorry! cant think of any more.

But I'm sure someone else can.
 
The only real advantage comes from a steel thimble that keeps the preferred bend radius. I have them on the rope size your buying, but rarely need it. It becomes a PITA, espcially when you can't rotate the ends.

Same reason as I don't bother with soft spliced climbing lines; no real strength advantage, always wears in the same spot and can't be end rotated.
 
In the choice of splice or knot of prussik cord to saddle; we trade strength for shortness (repectively)of bridge. Each having it's good point(s); no outright good or bad inherernetly; just how you can maiximize choice to suit use.

If the bend of choke was over the stiff part of splice; especially on a vertical mount with vertical force carried;faults would be pointed at for the splice. A long splice presumeably offers 2 legs of support, and places the splice in a buffered position form primary loading and doesn't bend the stiff part of the splice. Bending the stiff part of the splice can leverage the area by stiffness X length of stiffness X angle of bend.

So, part of this depends on useage; where the spliced line will be bent. i think bending the stiffened area of a splice; could present problems that a long DBY; that exposed only the 2 legs of support to primary loading and only bent those legs, not allow unbuffered loading to DBY's SheetBend; or bend it. the bowline has a shorter, critical area; which all at once is it's strength on inline pull; yet it's weakness on sdieways bending in this compairison i think.

Other factors are that a splice is generally a fixed, unadjustable device (reducing flexability of utility); that also wears on jsut 1 point (unless adjustable).

Otherwise, besdies cost and loss of useable rope length(assumed differances, not rated or debated in which is best here) a splice is better IMLHO.
 
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What might I give up by not having a splice?

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Advantages of splice -

1. No decrease in strength of rope.

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Are you sure about that?

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Not entirely Mr Hall, but lets face it, its a lot stonger than a bowline!
 
Laz, what do you mean by "soft spliced climbing lines?" If there's no splice on your climb line, what termination knot do you use?
 
I have spliced one end only.

I was told a thimble is not a wise idea to be spliced in coz it could rotate and cut the rope.

I have an eye spliced about 1.5" dia hole for biners etc and also has some tough material there to stop wear. also it hasn't stopped me tying knots anyway when I run out of loops.

I prefer knotless rigging.
 
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Laz, what do you mean by "soft spliced climbing lines?" If there's no splice on your climb line, what termination knot do you use?

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Hi Cory

I use this for securing krabs when climbing:
http://www.treemettlenexus.com/class1.html

I'll use a buntline to do the same thing when rigging.

And Nick explained what I meant by soft splices.

Ekka, a thimble won't cut the rope if its the right size, spliced and loaded correctly. I choose the ones that swallow the rope completely (oversized).
 
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Advantages of splice -
1. No decrease in strength of rope.

[/ QUOTE ]
Are you sure about that?

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Not entirely Mr Hall, but lets face it, its a lot stonger than a bowline!

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Well, now, that might depend on what type of "bowline"!

In another (more recent, IIRC) thread here, a fellow's splices have checked in WAY
weaker than one might suspect!
And I recall the pathetic Practical Sailor test-report article (Sep '01?) in which
their eye splice pulled out while the bowline held. YMMV.

*knudeNoggin*

ps: Grammar police alert! "more critical": it's either critical or not; let's leave
this aspect uncontaminated by newspeak! ("unique", OTOH, can't be defended
against such qualification, practically)
 
It seems that you SHOULDN'T use a splice on the static line on a Static Removable False Crotch.

Nick, care to elaborate on that?
 
There are two ways of using the term 'static' that are leading to confusion I think.

Static removable fc refers to static in the sense of not moving.

Static rope is kernmantle construction.

Which sense are we talking about?
 
laughabove.gif

I see a cake!
grin.gif
 
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