splicing tools

Check out Seattle marine. They have Samson fids that you can get individually for really good prices. You have to look around d their website though cause they have them buried with other stuff. Next find a good hobby shop and get some music wire in different diameter to bend into wire fids.
 
Last edited:
Kits are ok, but I think you might be better off if you put together a kit based on the kinds of rope that you intend to splice.

For splicing in general you will need a good pair of scissors, a tape measure, a sharp knife, a Japanese marlin spike, a marking pencil, some tape, a rubber mallet, and some kind of solid anchor for doing buries. You will also need some whipping thread and a big needle with a large eye to do lock-stitching and whipping. Although not absolutely necessary, I like to wear the cheap Atlas rubberized gloves to improve my grip when doing buries (one pair will last for quite a few splices before all the rubber wears off). In addition to the above, here is a list of things I use for different ropes.

For 16-strand I use the Toss Arborist Wand, an 18" wire fid, a steel post, and a pair of vice grips.
For double-braid I use a tubular fid to run the cover thru the core and an 18" wire fid to pull the core thru the cover.
For 12-strand all you need is a tubular fid.
For Brummel splices all you need is a tubular fid.
For hard lay ropes you need a Point Hudson Phid.

That is about as complicated as you need to get. Check with Wesspur or Treestuff for most of these items. Rubber mallets, vice-grips, screw-eye anchors, cleats, and good knives can be had from your local hardware or sporting goods store. If you are only going to do a few splices, the Toss Wand may not pay for itself, but if you think you are going to be doing lots of 16-strand splices it is a really great tool to have. Also, the rubber mallet is rarely needed, but if you are trying to splice used Tachyon or something like that, you will use it.
 
Last edited:
ARLO said:
I like the homemade? wire fid. Looks to me like this would work really well in place of the vice grips that I use to pull a wire fid thru 16-strand.
Click to expand...
That is actually the ABR/RopeLogic wore Fid they sell. Works fine for 16 strand but. I have to go in twice for the bury, i had a 3' one that I could do the bury in one go at it. I've never tried a toss wand as wire Fids have worked fine for me. That picture is all stuff I got from Fids and Fibers or was suggested by mark p.
I'll be honest, I use an old split tail girthed on a tree as an anchor. It's works fine for me, tho a bummer when it's raining or really cold.
Arlo is right about gloves being very helpful
 
CutHighnLetFly said:
That is actually the ABR/RopeLogic wore Fid they sell. Works fine for 16 strand but. I have to go in twice for the bury, i had a 3' one that I could do the bury in one go at it. I've never tried a toss wand as wire Fids have worked fine for me. That picture is all stuff I got from Fids and Fibers or was suggested by mark p.
I'll be honest, I use an old split tail girthed on a tree as an anchor. It's works fine for me, tho a bummer when it's raining or really cold.
Arlo is right about gloves being very helpful
Click to expand...

I just checked and see that the ABR wire fid is only $12.95 at Treestuff. Sounds like an excellent buy to me! It also looks like it would be easy to modify the fid to make the wire longer?
 
image.webp
image.webp Some homemade splicing tools. The brazed eye wire and the wooden fids are the earliest. The long screwdriver was turned into a wand with some Dremel work.

The top picture has different size point Hudson fids to fit the handle. These were made from regular threaded water pipe.
 
ARLO said:
Kits are ok, but I think you might be better off if you put together a kit based on the kinds of rope that you intend to splice.

For splicing in general you will need a good pair of scissors, a tape measure, a sharp knife, a Japanese marlin spike, a marking pencil, some tape, a rubber mallet, and some kind of solid anchor for doing buries. You will also need some whipping thread and a big needle with a large eye to do lock-stitching and whipping. Although not absolutely necessary, I like to wear the cheap Atlas rubberized gloves to improve my grip when doing buries (one pair will last for quite a few splices before all the rubber wears off). In addition to the above, here is a list of things I use for different ropes.

For 16-strand I use the Toss Arborist Wand, an 18" wire fid, a steel post, and a pair of vice grips.
For double-braid I use a tubular fid to run the cover thru the core and an 18" wire fid to pull the core thru the cover.
For 12-strand all you need is a tubular fid.
For Brummel splices all you need is a tubular fid.
For hard lay ropes you need a Point Hudson Phid.

That is about as complicated as you need to get. Check with Wesspur or Treestuff for most of these items. Rubber mallets, vice-grips, screw-eye anchors, cleats, and good knives can be had from your local hardware or sporting goods store. If you are only going to do a few splices, the Toss Wand may not pay for itself, but if you think you are going to be doing lots of 16-strand splices it is a really great tool to have. Also, the rubber mallet is rarely needed, but if you are trying to splice used Tachyon or something like that, you will use it.
Click to expand...

Great post. Thanks for writing in such detail. Just thought I'd revive the thread for others like myself just thinking about getting started.

Tim
 
For fellow Canadians who don't like paying 30 percent exchange, shipping and tax check out binnacle marine out of Nova Scotia. Good selection of splicing and rigging equipment at good prices. As well as free shipping in Canada over $99...sounds like an info-mercial...lol
 
TimBr said:
Great post. Thanks for writing in such detail. Just thought I'd revive the thread for others like myself just thinking about getting started.

Tim
Click to expand...

Just be forewarned. Splicing is an addiction! Also, for anybody thinking about splicing 16-strand, I highly recommend that you watch Nice Guy Dave's video on youtube. He pretty much nails it. The main thing I would suggest that you do differently relative to his video is to use a wire fid with a handle as opposed to pulling on a wire fid with vice grips. Once you learn how to splice with wire fids you will rarely ever go back to splicing with tubular fids or push rods. You can buy wire fids with handles from Mark at "Fids and Fibers", or you can make your own. I am pretty sure there are examples of these illustrated in some of the old posts in this forum. Here are a couple of mine. The link to Nice Guy Dave's 16-strand video is also attached:

DSC_1810.webp

 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom