Just picked up a splicing kit

Ron20324 · Apr 2, 2014

Get some colored Sharpies. Wherever you put a mark on the rope, use a different color, and put a dot of that color on the instruction sheet. It beats the one or two or three marks.

weinie · Apr 2, 2014

I tried it several times from written instructions and other videos and kept botching it.

Then I found this video.

Gary_H · Apr 2, 2014

I used that same New England Splicing video posted above and became fairly good at splicing. Problem is that you do it so infrequently that you have to relearn it every time.

erie bound · Apr 2, 2014

Below is the video I use, works really well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym1-rI0SdaA

nestorph · Apr 2, 2014

I've been doing my own splicing for several years now. It either be therapeutic or frustrating as hell. It changed from frustrating after I finally discovered that the instruction sheet had an error which caused to me to try and doing something that was physically impossible! Now I'm knocking out splices on lines as small as 3/8 which has saved me a lot of money. If you want me to send you a scan of the instructions that finally work for me, let me know.
Have fun!

JonnyQuest said:
The type with the set of long fids in a tube. Looking forward to figuring out how to do an eye splice for starters. Plenty of YouTube videos since the included instructions weren't very clear. Almost chickened out but then assured myself that it's got to be on YouTube. Yay, videos found!

Bad Obsession · Apr 2, 2014

Good videos. I have often thought about doing this. They make it look so easy and I am thinking that it isn't as easy as it seems.

Then again, this is coming from someone who thinks fly fishing and fly tying is extremely simple. I wonder which is harder! LOL

Tim R. · Apr 2, 2014

I had always been frustrated by sloppy splices until I watched the NE Ropes video. This is a very simple skill once you learn the steps.

Warren Milberg · Apr 2, 2014

1. Get the Brion Toss video (and perhaps the tool/wand he uses, although you can make one easily enough).
2. When you practice splicing avoid the temptation to use old line. Buy some new stuff just for the purpose of practicing knowing you will not save it.
3. Splicing your own lines is a very satisfying experience.
4. Good luck!

See: http://www.briontoss.com/

Joe · Apr 2, 2014

Using the needle type fids is tricky. You must have a very sharp pair of scissors or an Xacto blade to taper the rope end so it will insert into the end of the fid. Once in, I tape the rope to the fid. The pusher rod was useless for me... I try to avoid long fetches where the fid is doubling the core... you can exit the cover half way, say, pull the core through, the re enter the core at the exit point and continue ........ I know that sounds convoluted, but you'll get it when you try to make the long pass through the intersection....whew! Have fun... you'll get into it.. New rope works best.

25yearslater · Apr 2, 2014

I used this same video the first few times and within a couple of tries I had it down cold. Now I find splicing a relaxing way to unwind.

Sprega · Apr 2, 2014

I replaced my main halyard last summer and used the New England vid. Eye splice came out perfect. Took some effort to finish the last step though.

All U Get · Apr 3, 2014

Splicing old lines I use some Dawn soap and wet the line before pulling the fid through. I also do that to the cross-over so it slides easier. I've used a cleat and small winch on the boat to aid milking the final cover to the eye on a few bigger lines and my success rate has gone up.
All U Get

heart of gold · Apr 3, 2014

I just learn how to splice and used a few different videos and first hand demo from my friend down at Martin Marine. True to my nature though I tried the hardest double braid first as I am making lazy jacks, 3/16. The little stuff is tough. I bought Brian Toss's needle fid for small rope and it works well. I have since spliced all of my existing halyards, out haul, etc and the bigger rope is much easier. Older rope , as some said, is harder but if cleaned and softened, not impossible.

StinkBug · Apr 4, 2014

I learned using that New England video as well. Now I've done enough that I'll do it while watching TV in the evenings, without the video. New lines are definitely by far the easiest. Worth buying some fresh stuff to learn with, otherwise you'll end up getting frustrated. Better to learn with the easiest, and work up to the harder/older stuff once you figure out some of the tricks.