Shark Bites Social #3
The Shark Bites Socials have been such a success, at the last one I suggested we keep it going with a get together for folks to bring in and work on a splicing project. If you have a line and an idea of a splice you want to do, bring it in. At the start I will go over a few splicing basics and show a few examples for discussion.
If you don't have a specific idea for a splice, a good place to start is a basic soft shackle. If you have them, bring in any scrap bits (~30”+) of hollow braid UHMWPE rope (spectra/dyneema/amsteel). I’ll also bring a length of 1/8” 12-strand line. If you want to make one and don’t have line, you can use mine. (I'll put out a hat, a buck or two will cover the cost). I've also pre-made a bunch of splicing needles with aluminum wire, similar to this, that work great for small diameter line instead of tubular fids.
Tools to bring:
- Sharp pair of scissors
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Marlinspike/Awl (I use a collapsible ice pick, for tightening the button knot)
- Scotch tape (or splicing tape if you're fancy)
- Fine tip marker
- Fids if you have them (they make splices on larger diameter rope easier, but are not necessary for most lines on a shark)