Key components of a lock stitch or whiplock?

[Brock Mayo]

Hey all,

I've read all the old posts I could find on securing a finished splice. I'm wondering what is needed at a minimum? It seems the samson lock stitch that passes through the rope ~12 times is way over kill compared to a whiplock, that only passes through the rope 4 or 5 times? Ignoring any legal concerns of not doing what a manufacturer calls for, what is really needed? Also, I read mention of an invisible lock stitch... Is it fact or fiction? Cheers!

Brock

 

[flushcut]

The lock stitch and whip lock is only there to keep the splice from coming undone when not under load. I have several splices on rigging lines that have neither and show no signs of coming undone. Tennex or other "soft" lines really need some kind of whipping IMO as they are so loose. I doubt that they will come undone if spliced properly but there is always the one in a million snag that will pull it apart. Plus whipping looks cool.

 

[Brock Mayo]

Thanks Flushcut. I've been seeing quite a few lock stitches that are basically the first half of the samson instructions. Seems like plenty to me, I cant imagine pulling a splice apart even with just two stitches through it.
Nobody wants to tell a guy how to make his stitches invisible???

 

[MasterBlaster]

Is it a secret?

 

[Tommy_B]

Search Nick's Invisible Lock stitch. I'll send it when I'm on a computer and not a phone

 

[Raj]

I've used a coloured stand and stitched it along the braiding of the same colour. Go back and forth umpteen times.

 

[biggun]

I do an invisible lock stitch to use the remainder of the whipping twins when I am done. I just push the needle through at a 45 degrees angle away from the eye. Once it is out I insert the need roughly between the strands that the twins is exiting from, but on another 45 degree angle away from the eye. As you pull it tight it pops into the outer sheath and disappears.

 

[ruel]

I've always been happy with the 4 passes from whip-lock. It was what was taught to me at a splicing class, so it's probably legit

 

[Brock Mayo]

Thanks guys. I cant seem to find Nick's invisible lock stitch. Ran into some old broken links and whatnot. I can see how passing through the rope at 45 degree angles would make it possible to reinsert the needle at the same exit point and never see the stitching... Is that the invisible method or is there more to it? Thanks for the help!

 

[ruel]

Brion toss invisible lock, pull one one cover strand to where you removed the core. Stitches thru rope, with your strand adjacent to a cover strand. Enter rope slightly past where you exited

 

[Brock Mayo]

Thanks Sean. I'm having a hard time picturing what you described. Is it invisible just because it's the same color and follows the rope's strands? I do like to follow the ropes strands instead of just stitching straight down the rope, but didn't know if that was okay to do? Is it important that the stitches go straight through the rope or can they be at 45 degree angles?

 

[ruel]

Hard to explain I guess, stitch should go straight thru the rope, not at angles

 

[Brocky]

 

[Brock Mayo]

Thanks guys!

 

[Brock Mayo]

What do you think of this pattern?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Wow!

 

[Brocky]

What pattern? I don't see anything!

 

[pantheraba]

NICCS. You got it ciphered. Looks great.

 

[Brock Mayo]

Not quite the NICCS. My stitching doesn't go very far down the rope, not sure if that is a big deal? Brocky, I'm just asking about the lock stitching (white thread) you might have to squint to see it.

 

[Brocky]

Sorry about that Brock, I was teasing about not being able to see the excellent job you did. I really like how it fits right in with the braids. I would think that it would be enough to lock the core and cover together.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I don't recall the rule for the stitch's length, but I would make it length enough to cover a complete turn of the yarns, just to be sure that all of them are locked equally.

 

[Brock Mayo]

Thanks for the feedback. I had a hunch you were messing with me Brocky, I'm a bit slow sometimes

 

[NickfromWI]

Hey guys. I?m sure I wasn?t the first splicer in the world to invent hiding stitches...I just gave it a silly name! Nearly Invisible Cover Core Stitch Method (NICCS Method)

The way I do it is traveling down the rope in a haphazard random pattern. Honestly I think 6-8 stitches is sufficient.

Though we?re supposed to be doing what ANSI says, I fully believe most ropes don?t need to be lock stitched. Take that blaze eye one of you posted. The throat looks so fat it?s gotta be rock solid. It would take hours to work that thing loose- if it was even possible at all.

A 3/4? double braid polyester dead eye sling is hard to fully bury without dropping a huge long in it. But the stitching inhibits that initial settling.

Now do a straight bury in some yalex: you better stitch that! It?ll come out if you look at it wrong.

Ok. I?ll get off my soap box now!


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[NickfromWI]

Brocky thanks for posting the directions.

My fave part is step 2-B where you use the needle like a little fid!!


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[Brock Mayo]

Thanks Nick! I know very little about splicing, but it seems that the lock stitching requirements are more based on tradition than actual testing. I agree that a nice whiplock is a great finish to a splice, but if I could buy that same splice for half the price without the whipping (and not die using it), I probably would. I think the first rule ANSI should adopt is: "If more than one needle is broken during the lock stitching process, the splice requires no further stitching"