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7/64 Amsteel splicing disaster

Tr33_n1nj@

Tr33_n1nj@

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Let me give you a few what not to do’s if you are new to or attempting your first splice.
1. Do not attempt 7/64 in the first try. start out with something larger diameter.
2) do not follow the advise on the hammock forums and attempt to make your own tools out of wire. It isn’t strong enough to push through without bending and then you are just pushing rope.
3) also do not follow their advise and use a nail or anything sharp and pointy to make the holes to pass the robe through, You can’t not split a strand then you end up breaking some of the fibers which damages and weakens the rope.
4) do not either leave the tape on the end of your rope or definitely do not peel it off. I recommend cutting it just behind the tape, point being if you get the sticky adhesive on the inside of your Amsteel you are screwed. You aren’t going to pass anything through there after that.

I was able to get the loop but the bury is impossible with what I have. At this point it’s compromised and I’m not willing to trust my life to it. I’ll keep it to practice on once I can get some real splicing tools. But for now money wasted and lesson learned. Don’t do it like me.
 

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Tr33_n1nj@ said:
Let me give you a few what not to do’s if you are new to or attempting your first splice.
1. Do not attempt 7/64 in the first try. start out with something larger diameter.
2) do not follow the advise on the hammock forums and attempt to make your own tools out of wire. It isn’t strong enough to push through without bending and then you are just pushing rope.
3) also do not follow their advise and use a nail or anything sharp and pointy to make the holes to pass the robe through, You can’t not split a strand then you end up breaking some of the fibers which damages and weakens the rope.
4) do not either leave the tape on the end of your rope or definitely do not peel it off. I recommend cutting it just behind the tape, point being if you get the sticky adhesive on the inside of your Amsteel you are screwed. You aren’t going to pass anything through there after that.

I was able to get the loop but the bury is impossible with what I have. At this point it’s compromised and I’m not willing to trust my life to it. I’ll keep it to practice on once I can get some real splicing tools. But for now money wasted and lesson learned. Don’t do it like me.
Click to expand...

Sorry this happened to you.

After the first loop, I attempted to bury 18 inches instead of either making loops I won't use OR leaving just doubled line. I was using 1/8" amsteel and pulling the line through itself that distance (given the diameter) seemed too difficult to be worthwhile (I guess you have to pull it through in very small sections and really pouch out the container cord and having something better than a piece of wire). So, I gave up and just left the lines parallel.

I then started making loops with triple brummel locks at each loop termination and using a ruler nearby quickly developed a technique that allowed me to make loops consistently 1.75" (plus or minus 1/8"). I'm saying this as an encouragement. I took several splices apart until I learned what distances and techniques worked for me to make consistent loops.

To make a 7 foot long daisy chain, I used 17 feet of rope and my guess was good. I only wasted less than 6 inches at the end. The triple splices ate up over a foot of rope from each strand.

For the end, after my last triple brummel lock, I just tied an underhand knot on each tag end then melted it. I won't ever use the last loop. Then I put a loop of elastic on each end.

If you go to dutchware, you can buy 1/8" pretty cheap.

I used almost 100 feet to make 5 chains 7 feet long each. This took me about 8 hours to make, taking breaks to eat and keep my sanity.

For a fid, I used the cheap walmart aluminum knitting needles in size "purple" and cut them off at 4 inches and filed all sharp edges where I cut the aluminum. They are very smooth at the end and do not damage the amsteel. I'm sure you'll find them at a local walmart. I also bought size "blue" and those were too small.
 
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Sorry you had trouble. It will get easier with practice (like anything).

Folded over copper wire is a fantastic splicing tool, you just need to match the correct gauge wire to the diameter of Amsteel (for 7/64” Amsteel 16 or 18 ga is fine).

I have been splicing for hammocks and hunting gear for about 10 years. Literally thousands of splices. If I were limited to one tool only, it would be copper wire.

Did you taper the ends before attempting To pull the line through itself? That will make life so much easier.
 
I went thru a ton of stuff I had laying around, before I found a nail set & wire from a spiral notebook were golden. I can knock out a 6’ 7/64 chain now in around 10 mins.
 
mtsrunner said:
Sorry you had trouble. It will get easier with practice (like anything).

Folded over copper wire is a fantastic splicing tool, you just need to match the correct gauge wire to the diameter of Amsteel (for 7/64” Amsteel 16 or 18 ga is fine).

I have been splicing for hammocks and hunting gear for about 10 years. Literally thousands of splices. If I were limited to one tool only, it would be copper wire.

Did you taper the ends before attempting To pull the line through itself? That will make life so much easier.
Click to expand...

Not op, but I did forget to do this

Kicking myself now
 
No I did not do anything to the ends on the first attempt. Must have missed that in the instructional video. I was trying to pull it through with my wire loop and it folded up on itself and got wedged about an inch inside the line in the burry, then the tape came off and well you can imagine how it went from there.
 
7/64” is 8 stand, so I cut 4 strands to taper. 1/8” or larger Amsteel is 12 stands. I cut 6 strands before pulling that stuff.
Once you do a couple, it is really a breeze. I find it therapeutic
 
One or two enough a night is enough for me if I'm making 8' daisy chains and that's about all my attention span can handle. I used suspended ceiling wire for the buries and it works great to make the tool plus a Samson fid for the locked brummels.
 
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