by J.M. Drew St. Paul Publishing Company
1918
Every farmer and every farmer's boy ought to be able to splice a
rope, make a rope halter, and tie all the useful knots known to
the sailor. To splice a rope is a simple matter, but to teach the art
on paper is quite another thing. However, I think that by carefully
following the directions and studying the cuts anyone may learn
this useful accomplishment.
Figures 74, 75 and 76 illustrate the beginning of what is known
as the short splice. To make it, first untwist the two ends to be
spliced for about a foot (more or less according to the size of the
rope), and put them together as shown in Fig. 74. Begin splicing
by placing the strand A around D, as shown in Fig. 75. Turn the
rope toward you and put C around E in the same manner; then B
around F. Next turn the rope around; or, in other words, place
yourself on the other side of it and put the end D around strand
A, as in Fig. 76. Then put F around B in the same manner; then E
around C. Now pull all the ends tight and go through the same
process again-always twisting the same strands together so that
strands, the same as any other part. After
proceeding for a few inches cut out a few
threads from each strand every time it is put
around its mate; in this way the splice will be
made to gradually taper toward the ends.
In splicing new rope it is often necessary to use
some sort of tool to separate the strands.
Sailors use what they call a marlin spike (a sort
of rude needle), but a short piece of hardwood
sharpened at one end answers very well. It is
pushed through between the strands and the
end of the strand pushed through with it or just
behind it. In the cuts the ends of the strands
are made short for convenience; they should,
of course, be much longer.
ROPE HALTER
To make a rope halter take 14 feet of half-inch
rope, and about 4 feet from one end form a
loop by doubling the rope and passing the end
under a strand in two places about 2 inches
apart (see A Fig. 77). Next splice the short end
into the main part of the rope at B. Finish the
halter by passing the long end through the l
twine, instead of being knotted, should be spliced into the rope so that they will never come out.
KNOTS
The bowline knot is one which everyone should know how to tie. It never slips nor comes loose of itself, and no
matter how much strain is put upon it, it never becomes jammed so that it cannot be easily untied. For fastening the
hay-fork rope to the whiffletrees or tying a rope around a calf's neck this knot cannot be excelled. Fig. 79 shows how
it is made.
In these days of dehorned cattle it is often necessary to improvise a halter with which to lead an animal. Such a halter
may be very easily and quickly made by tying two bowline knots, one to form the loop and the other to take the place
of the splice in the halter described above.
The weaver's knot, (shown in Fig. 80), bears a close relationship to the bowline knot, as a careful study of both knots
will show. It is used by weavers in tying the ends of warp together. Like the bowline knot, it will never slip; neither
will it jam so as to be hard to untie. It is a good knot to use in tying two straps together.
Fig. - shows a way of attaching a rope to any smooth or slippery object which is to be pulled endwise; for instance a
pump, a pipe of any kind, or a round log. The cut shows so plainly how to attach the rope that a description is hardly
needed. A slip knot is made and the rope is wrapped several times around the object. When the end is pulled upon,
the rope hugs the object so tightly that slipping is impossible. The stronger the power applied, the tighter will the
rope become.
The timber hitch (Fig. 82) is a kind of slip knot used in handling timber, logs, etc. It is very easily made and will not jam.
The accompanying cut shows how to make what sailors call the "long splice" in a rope.
The length of a long splice should be about 100 diameters of the rope for large rope and 80 diameters for small rope.
Suppose we have a splice to make in a 3/4 inch hayfork rope. Unravel each rope for a distance of about three feet,
and set them together in such a way that each of the unraveled strands shall be between two strands of the
opposite rope. Now twist adjacent strands together in pairs as in Fig. 1. This twisting is done to avoid confusion and
tangling and is no part of the splicing proper. In the cut one rope is represented as black, and the other white to
make the operation more plain, and the strands of the black rope are numbered 1, 2, and 3, and those of the white
rope are lettered A, Band C. After twisting Band 2 and C and 3 together in pairs, proceed with the splicing by unlaying
strand 1 a turn or two and laying strand A in its place; continue this process for a distance of about 2 ½ feet and
leave as in Fig. 2. These figures are shortened to save space and the strands are shown much shorter than they
would be in the real rope. Next unlay C and lay 3 in its place the same distance as in the case of A and 1. Each pair of
strands is now to be subjected to the following treatment: For convenience we will take strands 3 and C. Unlay each
of these strands and slip in halves as in Fig. 4; then lay one half of each strand back where the whole strand came
from and tie as in Fig. 5. Be very careful to tie exactly as shown in the figure, that is, have C pass around 3 so that
when pulled down tight they will form a smooth strand and not be lumpy as they are sure to be if put around each
other the wrong way.
Continue to tuck C around 3 till just past the place where strand 3 was split (point D in the cut), then in the same
manner tuck 3 around C till the point E is reached. Now cut off the ends of the half strands about a quarter of an inch
from the rope. After treating the other two pairs of strands in the same manner, the splice will be complete.
Two or three precautions are necessary to observe in order to make a smooth splice. Be sure that the strands are set
together properly at the start so that each strand goes in between two strands from the opposite rope. In replacing
one strand with another, be sure to give the same amount of twist as it had in the original rope.
After tying the half strands and beginning to tuck one around the other, pull on both to draw up tight, otherwise a
bunchy, loose place will be left.
