Is there something I could do differently here?

[gf beranek]

kibbles and bits

 

[sotc]

of course as his agent its off his cut

 

[Wagnaw]

also wagnaw, did you milk the whole rope before you started to splice the other end?

Yeah, I did. I was wondering if I took too much slack out before I began the splice, and that there is no more slack in the line. I wanted to try and get it tight so there wouldn't be a bulge milking back and forth as I climb, but I was unsure as to an appropriate amount of slack to leave in the middle. I'd like to splice both ends of my blaze, but again, I really want to nail down the amount of slack, etc.. to leave, so I don't screw up my new rope. I climbed on the PI for almost two years, so it was well worn in.

 

[NickfromWI]

You did it right. You really want the cover and core properly balanced, just like you said.

love
nick

 

[Blinky]

Two years on PI... that's gonna be a mother of a splice to finish.

 

[Hollywood]

Two years on PI... that's gonna be a mother of a splice to finish.

My thoughts exactly... dude, that rope is way too used to put a splice in!

 

[NickfromWI]

It can be spliced. Let's just say it will be very....rewarding.

love
nick

 

[Hollywood]

I say it's more like a sore neck!

 

[No_Bivy]

splice = ass whipping......no pun intended

 

[Wagnaw]

I say it's more like... I got it!!!

I had to break out the heavy artillery though. I anchored a 4-to-1 to a tree, attached the eye to the four to one on a carabiner (first a revolver with that little pulley thing in it, then a regular carbiner for when the eye got too small), stretched the rope outand anchored the other end to another tree, and let the fun begin...

I ran home during lunch, and wrestled with the splice for about an hour before it finally closed up. I would alternate between stretch and milk, slacken and bend/milk, stretch again and milk, etc... I tapped it with a hammer a bit. The cover was just REALLY tight, but it went eventually. It was almost burning my hands through the gloves when I was milking it.

Turned out really nice if I don't say so myself, and after I got home, I just finished whipping it. Here it is....

 

[SkwerI]

Looks great! Next time I bet you stick to splicing new rope, though.

 

[brendonv]

Nice,

Sorry to hijack, but do you know anywhere online I can learn to make the whipping like that?

 

[OTGBOSTON]

very nice!

 

[Wagnaw]

I don't really know. Maybe someone else does. You know... it's really funny that you asked cause I'm not sure I remember where I learned it.

The splicing I learned from the sampson double braid directions.

 

[SkwerI]

Lovey Nick posted instructions a few months ago. They are for whipping an end but also work for whipping an eye splice.
http://picasaweb.google.com/nickaraya/MakingAnEndWhipping

 

[Blinky]

I'm impressed! I never got my used PI splice finished, just cut it off.

Looks like a Yale Whiplock.

 

[Wagnaw]

Yup! That's what it is. ...and I have those directions.

 

[NickfromWI]

Wagnaw, I typically tell people that if you have to resort to pulley systems when burying a splice, you're doing something wrong...but damn! It worked!

You didn't try backing it out and redoing it, did you?

Was it hard to pass the needle through there? It likes like you were just about 2" below the eye where the whipping is. I imagine it was pretty stiff there.

After going through all that work to splice it, I'm sure you'll feel very safe climbing on it!

love
nick

ps- thanks for the great pics!

 

[Wagnaw]

You didn't try backing it out and redoing it, did you?

I did back it out again to smooth it down more, which I think helped alot. It was also pretty hard to push the needle through where I did, but it worked ok. The whipping wasn't harder than I thought it would be.