A neat way of forming an eye at the end of a rope (it is known as the eye splice, Fig. 119) is by unlaying the strands and placing them on the standing part so as to form an eye, then put one strand under the strand next to it, and pass the next over this strand and under the second; the last strand must go through the third strand on the other side of the rope. Taper them as before by halving the strands and sticking them again.
To make a cable splice unlay the ends of the ropes to be joined for some distance, place them together and make a short splice. Leave a suitable length, and thence reduce each strand to a long taper by gradually cutting away as many yarns as necessary; neatly point over the taper and lay the ends in the intervals of the rope. Put a seizing at each end of the splice, an end seizing at the beginning of the pointing and a stop at the end of the tails. This is the best splice for cables, as it may readily be undone.
Another method of making a cable splice is to splice the ends in twice each way, then to pick out the strands, worm part of them round the cable, and taper away the rest, which should be marled close down; then clap on a throat and two end seizings of ratline.
Fig. 118.—Beginning Cut Splice.
Fig. 119.—Eye Splice.
Fig. 120.—Splicing Grommet.
In splicing cotton ropes on the Lancashire system proceed as follows:—Short splicing the ends together is the simplest, but would not answer for running over a small pulley or through the “swallow” of a block; in this case a long splice would suffice. If a small strop only is needed, a one-strand grommet is the neatest. A strand from cotton rope will not keep its lay, or acquired spiral form, and is therefore a very difficult material to work into a grommet. Practising first on hemp is advised. From a piece of rope about a foot longer than the circumference of the intended grommet, unlay a strand with care, to prevent it losing its lay. Now lay up this strand into itself, as shown in Fig. 120. The two ends will meet each other in the same crevice. Halve these ends, and tie an overhand knot, as shown in Fig. 121, which must not be pulled too tight, or it will buckle-up the grommet (this will be noticed). When this knot is quite snug down in its place, take about one-third of the yarns out of the ends with which the knot was made, and tuck the remaining two-thirds under two strands, missing one (see Fig. 121, where the arrow D shows how to tuck the end A, and arrowhead C shows where end B will come out). Now halve these ends, and, leaving one-half, tuck the other as before; work them in nice and snug, put the grommet on a good stretch, and trim off the ends. If the work is well done no joint should be noticeable. Grommets are sometimes finished off by knotting the whole strands, then halving them, and tucking like a common splice. This is not quite as neat, but perhaps a trifle stronger.