What am I missing here?

[Matias]

Update:
dissecting the previous attempt showed zero imperfections; the core just got a little bunched up. The subsequent effort yielded much better results, but I am still confused why the crossover is firmly at mark T and does not allow the eye to close to where I wanted it...

I'm pretty sure that a little more effort will see the core stuff in there, even though I had a tiny bit of bunching to jam in there, but the eye will be 7 strands bigger than the tight eye I was shooting for. It hasn't been an issue for me on any other rope, and I have spliced used Voyager before. This rope was used, but I washed it til it was very clean.

 

[Njdelaney]

Blaze is a hard splice and used is worse. Have you spliced Tachyon before? It is harder than that in my opinion.

 

[Matias]

Blaze is a hard splice and used is worse. Have you spliced Tachyon before? It is harder than that in my opinion.

I haven't gotten my hands on any tachyon yet, but it's hugely reassuring to hear that it's just plain hard. What are your thought on where to make the crossover? I am wondering if I should make the crossover between marks 1 and T?

 

[evo]

Looks like the can still run er home. Soak it in some water and maybe add a little soap. Anchor your slip knot, glove up.
Hold the rope just up hill from the throat a few inches from your belly with both hands, keep it taught.
Now raise and stretch out your arms inducing slack, slam your arms down and pull hard in a quick snap motion.

Milk as much cover to the splice and repeat. A mallet or axe handled and tap on the throat while rolling the rope.
Repeat the above.

Really stubborn ones I’ll hang from a rafter or a tree. Step up onto a stool while wearing my saddle and clip into the eye and jump off the stool.

Some climbing ropes are a huge pain when new and nearly impossible when used. There are a few used rope modifications.
Search the archives for the kernmaster splicing instructions.
Seriously lube helps a ton. A little KY or gentle soap.

 

[Matias]

Looks like the can still run er home. Soak it in some water and maybe add a little soap. Anchor your slip knot, glove up.
Hold the rope just up hill from the throat a few inches from your belly with both hands, keep it taught.
Now raise and stretch out your arms inducing slack, slam your arms down and pull hard in a quick snap motion.

Milk as much cover to the splice and repeat. A mallet or axe handled and tap on the throat while rolling the rope.
Repeat the above.

Really stubborn ones I’ll hang from a rafter or a tree. Step up onto a stool while wearing my saddle and clip into the eye and jump off the stool.

Yea, I had to do all that on the used piece of voyager I did. I thought that this would be easier since I washed it til it looked almost new. I am just giving my hands a rest, as I was on the verge of blisters even through gloves. I haven't resorted to soap yet, and I haven't tried milking it two handed with the yank; always been trying to keep tension on the eye. I know I can get this buried past the core now, that's nearly done, but @evo ,do you think it will suck in to close the eye up tight?

 

[evo]

Yea, I had to do all that on the used piece of voyager I did. I thought that this would be easier since I washed it til it looked almost new. I am just giving my hands a rest, as I was on the verge of blisters even through gloves. I haven't resorted to soap yet, and I haven't tried milking it two handed with the yank; always been trying to keep tension on the eye. I know I can get this buried past the core now, that's nearly done, but @evo ,do you think it will suck in to close the eye up tight?

Yeah with a shit ton of effort. I’d just massage and jump on it while tied to it. If you measurements are on the mark it will go..
I think Samson has used rope instructions for DB

 

[Matias]

Yeah with a shit ton of effort. I’d just massage and jump on it while tied to it. If you measurements are on the mark it will go..
I think Samson has used rope instructions for DB

It's basically the same instructions, but with the added first step of "wash the bajesus out it", if I recall correctly.

 

[Matias]

Oh and I used the 445445 pattern on the cover taper

 

[Treezybreez]

Looks like you could use the tip of a dull flat screw driver to lift the cover strands a little and push down the core. That has helped me a few times. You’re almost past the finish line.

 

[Matias]

Looks like you could use the tip of a dull flat screw driver to lift the cover strands a little and push down the core. That has helped me a few times. You’re almost past the finish line.

Yea, I was doing that with one of those fids for 3 strand splicing, but under so much tension, even what seems like a rounded edge was cutting fibers. I know I can get it in there, my hands were just too burnt to keep going that day.

 

[Ragnar]

Some mechanical tension may complete that splice…

Other than the taper pattern, you could try making mark 2 on the core longer. Try a half fid instead of a short. May end up with some imbalance between the core and cover but should complete easier and you can just trim the other end of rope (or not)

 

[Matias]

Some mechanical tension may complete that splice…

Other than the taper pattern, you could try making mark 2 on the core longer. Try a half fid instead of a short. May end up with some imbalance between the core and cover but should complete easier and you can just trim the other end of rope (or not)

Mechanical tension like a strong pull on the eye with like, a come along? That one is definitely new to me. This post is shaping up to be the single most useful splicing reference text I have.

 

[dmonn]

I've had a few splices that were crazy hard to drive home. I stretched the rope tight between two posts and got in the middle and jumped on it. That produces huge pull on the rope, but it didn't do the trick. I have rarely had success with just putting static tension on the rope. Dynamic force (snapping the rope as described above) has given me the most success.

I have also had some good success just letting a stubborn splice rest for a while. After a day or two to let my hands recover, a few hard snaps and it went right in. I was shocked at how easy it went together that first time I gave it a rest.

All the suggestions above are good ones and I think I have used all of them. Used rope is the toughest for sure, even if it's squeaky clean when you start. I keep a tube of KY jelly in my splicing kit--not in the bathroom!

 

[Brocky]

I bury the core and cover a couple inches short to make adjustments, then bury them just before final milking.
I don’t jam the crossover together, just pull until marks line up, the core strands get distorted with too much force, causing bunching when the opening milks them out. The crossover should be the same diameter as the rope, and just as flexible. Stitches are generally needed for diamond braid cores.
I use a 6mm Prusik on the final milking once hand milking stops. Bump the slack towards eye until it stops, place the hitch on the hardened section, and milk towards eye, usually just a few inches to slide the hitch. Trying to force the bulge of slack with the hitch will make it harder to get movement.
Samson’s used rope double braid splice doesn’t have the core bury, it only fills the eye. I reduce the core by half at the end of the eye, and taper to about four strands before burying.
One last step I take is to criss cross the bury with light thread which eliminates the bunching. Passing the thread ends through the core a little below the knot, will keep the wraps tight once the cover passes over them. Just a piece of core to demonstrate.

 

[Matias]

There he is!!! I was hoping for your wisdom to be added to this edition of the conversation. I know all you guys have probably commented all this knowledge previously, but having it all in this one tidy thread is amazing. This one is now bookmarked in case I ever get stuck again or forget.

 

[Ragnar]

Good tips Brocky, thank you.

Did some XTC-24 yesterday and tried not pulling the crossover so tight, it was an improvement.

I have posted this video before but it is a good one by Yale for their XTC-24 splice.

and another good one from a member here.

 

[evo]

Regarding crossovers. I tend to set them tight and then roll them like making a clay or play dough worm. Sometimes multiple times.
I’ll spike them with a sailmakers, thin knitting needle or one of the kinky sexing probes. Stitch..

all different means to the same goal. Which is keeping the crossover in place without bunching and also as close as possible to the relaxed diameter of the line.

Keeping hand tension on the core while sucking it in helps a ton with the core bunching or milking itself to the cross over. Also this is why pre tapering the core bury and keeping it long is quite useful a little tension helps with keeping the internal diameters small as possible.
I’ve gotten out of stuck situations by giving the tail of the core bury a little tug, all the internal parts going in the same direction helps.
This can make the cover of the eye a little baggy, but a body weight bounce while cliped into the eye tends to seat it all evenly.
Spike the eye near the throat and pull the core tail out a little and finish the taper/bury.