Making Eye Splices in Double-braided and Parallel Core Rope
Before I start discussing splices, let me talk about rope materials. The choice of the rope material is very important because it can be a determining factor in the strength of the rope, the stretchiness of the rope and the feel/grip/slickness of the rope (as well as how abrasion resistant the rope is). Cotton is a soft but weak material, nylon is strong but stretchy and Spectra are strong but slick. One of my favorite rope materials is polyester. It is strong, but is not too stretchy and is not slick. It also has good abrasion resistance. In short, it is good for lots of uses.
The construction of the rope can affect its grip and also its stretchiness – the way a rope is braided (or not braided, in the case of a parallel core ropes) is important is determining stretchiness. Generally speaking, double-braided ropes have low to medium stretch, while parallel core rope have very little stretch.
Large diameter double-braided ropes are often used as lift lifts for performer flying effects, and sometimes as a corde lisse by aerialists. Parallel core ropes are great for rigging because of their strength and lack of stretchiness.
Putting an eye splice in a double-braided or parallel rope is considerable more complicated than putting one in a three-strand twisted rope or a 12-strand single-braided rope. There are more steps, more tools and required, and it is nearly impossible to know if the eye is going to turn-out perfect until it is “done.” But do not let this discourage you. An eye splice in a double-braided or a parallel core rope is a beautiful thing. The steps below will lead you through the process and you will experience an extremely satisfying feeling when you are done.
Fids
For many years I used Brion Toss’s splicing wand to make eye splices in double-braided rope. It is a wonderful tool, but it is also rather expensive - $109 plus shipping for the Extra Large wand at the time I am writing this. Another option is a tubular aluminum fid. These are probably my favorite fids for putting eye spices in these rope. But, you must have the correct size fide for the size of rope that you are using. Finally, a wire fid is a more versatile and economical option. You can make you own wire fids for practically nothing from a coat hanger or a 3/32” x 36” brass rod purchased from a local hardware or hobby store for around $3.00. This is what I will be using in for my demonstration of putting an eye splice in a ½” diameter nylon doubled-braided dock line. My fid will look something like the one below.
I chose ½” diameter nylon doubled-braided dock line for this demo because it is readily available from West Marine, Bass Pro Shops, and many other vendors, and is a good rope to practice with.
Making an eye splice in a double-braided rope
Step 1. Layout the rope that you are want to put an eye in and measure down from the end approximately eight feet. This does not have to a precise measurement and you can just estimate this measurement, but it is better to go longer than to be short. Tie an Alpine Butterfly loop at this point. Make the loop large enough that you can get your fist through, and tie the knot good and tight. This knot/loop has two purposes: 1) it secures the core and the cover together at this point in the rope so they do not slip, and 2) it will be used pull against when you milk the cover into place and finish the eye.
Step 2. Starting at the end where you want the eye, measure 24 times the rope’s diameter from the end (12 inches) and pull one yarn out of the cover to mark this point. This point will be one end of the eye.
Step 3. Holding this point in one hand, bend the rope more than180-degrees, until it touches the yarn maker, to create the eye of the desired size. Note the point on the standing end that touches the yarn maker (mark this pint with one of your markers) and straighten the rope out.
Step 4. Using an ice pick or an awl, separate and open the yarns of the cover, at the point you just marked. Your goal is to separate them enough that you will eventually be able to pull the entire core out of the cover at this point. Before you get that far along, you want to mark the core so you know the point on the core that aligns with this hole. When the core is separated enough, use a felt marker to make the core (green dot in photo). Then use your ice pick to work the core out enough that you can grab it and put it out of the cover. This will take a little time so do not be in a rush.
Step 5. Pull a little more of the core out of the cover – don’t worry that the cover will need to bunch up a little when you do this; the Alpine Butterfly secures the core and cover at the knot. Now, measure 8 times the diameter of the rope up from the point on the core that you marked in the last step. Mark this point with another color of marker (black band in photo).
Step 6. Now it is time you use your fid. Place the core between the two legs of the fid so that the end is about two inches above the “hooks” at the tail of the fid. Squeeze the legs closed so the hooks “bite” into the core. Wrap tape tightly and smoothly around the fid and core and wrap all the way past the end core to help hold the rope securely to the fid (if the line pulls off the fid, you have to start over, and that is very frustrating).
Step 7. Bunch more of the cover up on the core so that the cover is loose. Create a pocket of loose cover on what will become the outside of the eye. Insert the nose of the fid into the core, two rope diameters below the yarn marker in the core. Carefully work the fid up the cover and into the pocket, above the core that is already there. Do not let the fid catch any of the yarns of the core. If this happens you will not be able to get you fid completely through the cover and you will have to put it back out and try again. The fid exits the cover at 14 rope diameters past the point where the core comes out of the cover. Then, slowly work the fid and the core through the cover and out. It may get very tight in the section where you have two cores passing through the cover, but milk it through slowly and steadily, pulling the cover off the tail of the fid. Do not rush – pull the fid forward with one hand, then milk cover off the tail of the fid with the other. When the fid comes completely out of the cover, pull about six inches of core out with it and remove the fid.
Step 8. Now go back to the cover. Starting at where the core re-enters the cover, estimate one and a half diameters of the rope toward the end of the cover and put out two yarns, using the ice pick to help you. Estimate another rope and a half diameter and pull out two more yarns. Keep doing this until you are near the end of the cover and the cover is now a taper. Then cut-off all of these yarns so that the cover now looks like a rat’s tail.
Step 9. Attach the tapered cover to the fid just as you did in Step 7 and insert the fid into the core at the second mark – the one you made in Step 5, and run the fid down the center of the core about 30 times the diameter of the rope (15" for 1/2" diameter rope). Note: it is sometimes easier to inset the noise of fid into the core first, then attach the cover to the tail of the fid, before pulling it through. Bunching up the core will make this easier. Exit the core and pull the cover into the core and out at the exit point. Remove the fid, pull the cover until it is tight, and then pull the core so that cover is completely buried inside.
Step 10. Next, go back to end of the core, where it protrudes from the cover and pull out as much as possible, scrunching up the cover to do so. Depending on how far you passed the core through the cover in Step 7, you may need to cut off some of the core before you taper it. If you only inserted it one fid length, you may need to cut off as much as one short fid length. If you inserted it a full fid length, you may not need to cut any off. Measuring the length your core passes back through the core, estimate the amount of core that you will need to cut off, if any. Afterwards, tapered the core in a similar fashion to how you tapered the cover.
Step 11. This is where it all comes together – you must work this into an eye. You will need a hammer, and an anchor point to slip the Alpine Butterfly’s loop over and pull against (I use the trailer hitch on my truck). You might also need your scissors, so have them handy. Slip the loop over your anchor point and grab the rope at that point. Pulling on the rope, work the cover toward the eye. Pulling on the cover, the exposed core (at both locations) will begin to pull into the cover. Put the hammer into the eye and pull – hard. Start back at the anchor point and milk more cover toward the eye, and more of the core will slip into the cover. Again, put the hammer into the eye and pull – hard. Keep repeating this process. You may have to repeat it 10 or more times the work the core into the cover and close the eye. If it appears that the end of the core will not entirely retract into the cover, trim it off. Working the eye tight takes a lot of pulling, massaging, flexing, and milking to get it tighten completely, but it patient, it will happen.
Step 12. Once the eye is tight, the final (optional) step is the stitch across the throat of the eye. You should notice that the one marker yarn is still there. Using a #20 daring needle, stitch back and forth through the throat of the eye, and down the standing end of the rope, about one short fid length. Your stitches will be almost invisible because you are using the cover yarn as your thread.
The finished result should be a beautiful eye that is sleek and incredibly strong.
Making an eye splice in a parallel core rope
Although making an eye splice in a parallel core rope is very similar to making an eye splice in a double-braided rope, because of the number of steps needed to make these splices, I strongly suggest that you master making eye splices in a double-braid before trying to make an eye splice in a parallel core rope. If you do, you should have no trouble making an eye splice in a parallel core rope.
Here is a link to the instructions that I use for making an eye splice in parallel core rope (Sta-set X). http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/document.do?docId=930
Because there are so many steps involved in making these splices, I keep a hardcopy of the instructions for making these splices in my splicing toolbox, so that I can reference them and not get confused.
You might also be interested in purchasing Brion Toss’ DVD – Making Your Own Eye Splices ($33). This is an excellent video.
http://www.briontoss.com/catalog/videos.html
Conclusion
Like any task, if you want to get good at making eye splices, you need to practice. And with a little practice you will be good and the time that it takes you to make an eye splice will diminish greatly. You will also, most likely, develop your own techniques for doing many of the steps. Over time, you may even find making eye splices relaxing and rewarding – a kind of “craft” project that you look forward to doing. Even if you don’t, the ability to make eye splices in different types of rope is a very useful skill for aerialists and aerial riggers.
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Announcement
Over the last two years Brian Sickels and I have written and published two books on rigging, The Arena Riggers’ Handbook and The Theatre Riggers’ Handbook (just published). This fall, Brian and I will begin work on the third book in this series The Aerial Riggers’ Handbook. Many of the articles from past issues of The Flywire will be incorporated into this book, in addition to new material. We are excited about this book and think many of you will be too.
As we begin work on this book, I will not have as much time to devote to The Flywire, so it will be published less frequently than over the past two years, but it will not cease publication (expect around four to six issues over the next 12 months). If you would like to have an article about some aspect of aerial rigging published in a future issue of The Flywire, please contact me.
As always, safe rigging.
-Delbert
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