Instructions for Rope Splicing

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Campers, sailors, climbers and all sorts of other outdoor sportsmen use rope, and unfortunately a single spool of rope is not always long enough for the job it is needed for. Simply knotting two ropes together is no solution for heavy duty tasks, since knots are rarely as strong as the rope itself. A basic, handy skill for most anyone engaged in regular outdoor recreation is how to take a pair of three-strand ropes and splice them together into one rope.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

A strong roll of tape, such as electrical, duct, packing or marine tape.

Step 1

Open and unbind one end on each rope and pull the three strands of each apart to a length of roughly one foot. Take these unbound ends and push them together until their still-bound parts meet.

Step 2

Take two strands, one from each rope, and tuck one under the other to interlace them. Continue until each strand has been interlaced with another, creating an intertwined bond around the center.

Step 3

Chose one side of the intertwined bond and start weaving the loose strands into the rope running in that direction. Loosen the bound strands of the rope and pull a loose strand under and through it. Repeat for the other two loose strands. Then turn the rope over by a half turn and pull the loose strands under the bound stands again. Keep repeating the process until the loose strands are pulled taut and thoroughly interwoven into the bound strands of the rope.

Step 4

Repeat for the remaining three loose strands on the other side of the rope.

Step 5

Tape down the points where the loose strands terminated into the bound rope for extra grip.

Article Written By Edwin Thomas

Edwin Thomas has been writing since 1997. His work has appeared in various online publications, including The Black Table, Proboxing-Fans and others. A travel blogger, editor and writer, Thomas has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam in pursuit of stories. He holds a Master of Arts in international affairs from American University.

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