Combined

Standing Part Yarns

Tail End (3 hawser laid strands)

The Shell Combined Book of

(Practical and Decorative)

Knots and Ropework

Eric C. Fry
Photographs by Peter Wilson

David & Charles

lb

A lisfof all Shell Books can beobtained writing to:Department UOMKl622 Shell U.K. Oil r.o. Box No 148 Shell·Mex House Strand London WC2H ODX

by

First published as The Shell Bookot Knots arid Ropewor« in 1977 and The ShellBook of Practical and Decorative Ro:peworkin1978 Brit_ish Librarv Cataloguing in Publication Dsta

Fry_,Eric C., The Shell combined book of knots and ropework (practical and decorative). 1. Knots and splices 2_ Rope I. Title II. Shell bock.of knots and ropework III. Shell book of practical and decorative ropewcrk 623 .. 8'12 8 UM533 ISBN 0715381970 ©Eric Fry and Peter Wilson

1977, 1978, 1981

First published 1977 Second impression 1978 First combined edition published Second impression 1983 Third impression 1985 Fourth impression 1991' Fifth impression 199.2 Sixth impression 1994

1981

All ,rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored .in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, rnechanlcal, photocopvinp. recording or otherwise, without the prior' permission of David & Charles pic

tor

Prtnt{ld in Great Britain by R-edwood Books, Trowbrid.ge, David & Charles Brunei House Newton Abbot Devon

Wilts

Contents

Introd u ctio n

26

Stage or scaffold l.iqhterrnan's Square knot Bargee'seye Monkey's fist

hitch

PART ONE
Knots Overhand 2 3 4 or thu mb knot. h alf-h itch, knot of eight round turn and two half-hitches Double thumb Figure of eight Continuous fiqures Reef knot Carrick bend (two types) Diamond knot sheet bend Sheet bend, double Binder turn Tom Fool's knot Man harness (chair knot) from Fool's knot, Fool's knot Sheep shank from pinned 13 14 15 16 sheep shank knot running bowline Sheep shank Shamrock Bowline,

27 28 29 30

hitch splice

Rope Splices 31 Eye splice 32 33 34 35 36 3] Short splice Long splice Back splice Cut splice Eye splice in middle Flemish finish 39 Chain splice Knots eye of rope

5
6 7

8
9 10 11
12

38

Single tuck eye splice with wall knot

Decorative

40
41 42 43 44 45 hitch 46 Wire 47 48 49 50 51

Shroud knot The untiable knot Wall knot Crown knot wall Man-rope knot from conjoined and crown Turk's head Ocean plait and/or Splices Admiralty eye splice Liverpool eye splice Flemish eye splice Long splice Grommet mat

Bowllneon a bight
Clove hitch (cast), clove hitch (turned) Rolling hitch Fisherman's bend or bucket Timber hitch

17

18
19

20
21 22 23 24

Cat's

paw Backwall hitch, midshipman's

hitch Thief knot or draw hitch Jury masthead knot Rope ladder knot

25

PART TWO Decorative Knots 52 To wall any number of strands (four illustrated), double wall, continuous walling, wall plait 53 To crown any number of strands (four illustrated), double crown, continuous crowning, crown plait (spiral) crown plait (straight) wall and crown plait 54 Diamond knot, on four strands, double diamond knot, diamond hitching, diamond plait 55 Star knot, six stranded 56 Pineapple knot, four stranded 57 Rose knot, four stranded, wall and crown, manrope knot, stopper knot 58 Tack knot 59 Single and double Matthew Walker 60 Turk's head knot, Turk's head Plaits 61 Chain plait 62 Double chain plait 63 Square plait 64 Twist plait 65 Overhand knot plait, four stranded 66 Overhand knot plait, eight stranded Sennits 67 Common sennit, three stranded 68 Common sennit,seven stranded 69 Round sennit, six stranded 70 Square sennit, eight stranded

71 72 73 74

75
76 77 78 79 80 Mats
81

English sennit, seven stranded French sennit, seven stranded Portuguese sennit, spiral Portuguese sennit, flat Spanish hitching, overhand and reversed Russian sennit, six stranded, Russian mat Cockscombing, single stranded, cow hitch Cockscomb.ing, three stranded Thrumsennit To form a spindle eye

82

83

Ocean mat, square Carrick mat Jury mat

Other knots and two toggles 84 To 'point' a rope's end 85 Bload knot 86 Constrictor knot 87 Waggoners' hitch 88 Heaving line bend 89 Decorative shamrock knot 90 'Threet' knot 91 French bowline 92 Spanish bowline 93 Small bell toggle, si-ngle stranded 94 Large bell toggle,sixstranded 95 Suggested layout of multi-unit mat Glossary Index of knot numbers

Introduction

Weare naturally gratified that the success of our two Shell Books of Knots and Roaework and Practical and Decoretive Ropework has been-such that this combined volume is called for. A few basic knots were necessarily duplicated in the separate books and these duplications have of course been removed. Otherwise text and photographs are unchanged. Unlike boat design, there have been no sensational developments in ropework but presentation can be improved and our style, seems to be popular. Part One comprises the basic knots and splices with a few of the decorative type thrown in for good measure. Part Two is devoted principally to the decorative work practised by the old sailing-ship seamen whose craftsmanship approached art. Certainly it is on the level of macrame. Much of it is indeed macrame. The difficulty of teaching knotting without the pupil viewing the work 'backwards' or the tutor becoming a contortionist is obvious and many books have been produced illustrating the art with sketches, diagrams and written instructions which can be equally confusing. This book invites the pupil to learn from that which he sees, regarding the hands as his, or her, own as the case may be. In fact there are very few true knots, only four according to some schools of thought, the great majority of so called knots being either bends or hitches. Nevertheless all are formed from a series of bights and tucks in association with the all-important twisting of the rope to maintain the lay and ensure no unwanted turns in unexpected places. 'To go against the grain' is essentially a carpenters' expression, subsequently associated with human nature. So it is with rope. Although rope does not have a grain, it most certainly has its equivalent in its lay, which if mishandled will become more cantankerous than ariy grain - timber or human. Some understanding of this lay - this life which is born into every rope, during its manufactu re in th e rope-wa lk is necessary, With the exception .of braided, or plaited rope, all ropes consist of fibres, yarns and strands, During manufacture, fibres are twisted to form yarns, yarns twisted to form strands; and strands twisted to form the finished rope, the whole operation being carried' out simultaneously and proqressivelv, under tension. It is therefore in the nature of the rope to permit itself to be further twisted in the direction in which it was made, but to rebel against being twisted in the opposite direction, ie against its lay.

Anyone attempting, to coil a right-hand laid rope left-handed will soon discover this, whereas, when not only coiled 'with the lay' but also with an additional twist for every turn of the coil the rope will be most obedient, and almost coil itself. Similarly, when tvinqa knot it is sometimes necessary to deliberately put a turn into the rope, or more often take out an unwanted turn. The bowline (Knot 15) is an ideal example of this and if the rope is not twisted as shown, an unsightly turn win be found in the finished bight. When working with unlaid strands, as in splicing, it is obvious that each strand must be twisted as it is drawn tight, to maintain the lay and there are occasions when the rope is deliberately forced against its lay to advantage as in the 'eye splice in the middle of a rope' (Knot 36). Different ropes, dependant on whether they are hard or soft and pliable, will react in varying degrees and it is only with practice that it becomes possible to 'get the feel' of any rope, The majority of rope in Gammon use, whether it be of vegetable or man-made fibre is the three-strand, right-hand. hawser-laid rope, which is used throughout Part One of the book. Some knowledge of the terms employed is also necessary and the frontispiece plate, apart from showing the construction of the rope, also indicates the standing part; the bight and the tailor tail end. Whippings, the use of sail twine (or similar) to secure a rope's end from fraying are not shown in .detail ; suffice to say that there are three main types, Common West Country and Ssilmekers' (or palm and needle), A whippingshouJd always be applied to the individual strands when working with an unlaid end of rope, but as this is a temporary measure, a few turns of sail twine finished in a reef knot is all that is needed. The application of a lighted match will effectively seal the ends of any man-made fibre and wire will not unstrand if cut with an oxy-acetylene torch instead of with a hammer and chisel. Other types of rope comprise the four-strand shroud-laid rope with a central core also laid right-handed and the nine-strand cable-laid, the latter being three complete three-strand, hawser-laid ropes, laid up together left-handed, thus forming a nine-strand rope. The comparatively new braided (or plaited) rope is being increasingly used, particularly by the yachting fraternity. No matter how utilitarian a knot or piece of ropework may be, by long maritime tradition it has to be seen to be good as well as being efficient. Hence the familiar Turk's head that enhances the appearance ofa tiller and gives the helmsman a firmer grip. There has; though, never been any question of decoration for its own sake because, whether it was an elaborate working knot or plaited cordage, each had its purpose and place' in the overall scheme from tack knot and highly ornate sea-chest handles to tiddly mat.

The majority of the knots in Part Two are of the 'tiddlv' kind. Tit-ley was the original word but, by the early 1900s, 'tiddlv' had become the accepted seafaring expression for practically anything and everything which was 'fancy', 'out of the ordinary' or, by dictionary definition, 'simple perfection'. Whatev.er interpretation was given and in whatever contextthe really old-time sailorman used the 'original word may be left to the imagination but his son's best g6ingashore clothes became his 'tiddlv gear', he was said to look 'tiddlv' when so dressed and even the pride of the Royal Navy, the Royal Sovereign, became the Tiddly Quid (For the benefit of younger readers, a 'quid' was a colloquial term for a sovereign which was twenty shillings in old currency.) As before, each knot is illustrated step by step including photographs of the hands manipulating the rope, thus the reader should have no difficulty in following any sequence. Four individual strands have been used, even for knots which can be and very often are made on the three strands of an unlaid rope. To avoid repetition such knots and/or plaits are indicated throughout with an asterisk. Others, such as the tack knot, which would be made only on stranded rope, are shown accordingly. In case the whole may appear awesome, two things may be said. Firstlv.en understanding of Knots 7, 53 and 55 is all that is needed to complete the bell toggle (Knot 94). Secondly. however complicated any piece may appear to be it is in fact only a multiplicity of simple twists (turns) and bends (bights) locked into position, The star knot is an ideal example as it looks difficult, yet there are only six basic movements, repeated on each of as many strands as are employed, As far as usage is concerned one does not have to be a seaman or yacht owner to appreciate the application of 'tiddlv' ropework, even in the home. Try covering a queer-shaped bottle to make a standard lamp, for instance. Naturally it has more applications, certainly too numerous to specify, aboard even the smallest of boats. The onus must be left to the imagination of the owner, but to say the least, any metal handle provides a more secure and warmer grip if covered, particularly if it is a question of hanging on to it hour after hour in heavy weather" whilst hand grips on shrouds, rails etc can be very useful-so why not make them 'tlddlv'?

PART ONE 1 Overhand or Thumb Knot Half-Hitch, Round Turn andTwo Half-Hitches
The overhand or thumb knot (Figs 1 and 2) is not particularly useful in itself, other than for tying up parcels or a most un-seamanlike stopper knot. The slightest re-arrangement however (Fig 3) gives it th-eappearance of a half-hitch, the basis of many other knots. Fig 4, the round turn, followed by Figs 5 to 8 completes the round turn and two half-hitches, an accepted method of making any rope's end fast.

Double ThutnbKnot

A decorative, but not particu larlv sta ble meth od of joi h in9 two ropes of equal size. It would mainly be used on small cordage, fishing tackle and the like.

When deliberately arranged as in Fig 4, it forms€! quick, nondecorative and somewhat un-seamanlike stopper knot. More generally, it was used, in series, at given centres throughout the length of the lifelines, hanging from the wire connecting the heads of the lifeboat davits to the waterline.

3 Figure of Eight

4 Continuous Figures of Eight

Figures of eight knots are made at given centres, usually about three feet apart, for the fiJl1 length of the' lifeline's, which hang from the lifeboat davits to the waterline.xibvlouslv'tc-facilltate climbing down. The job offorming each knot separately and hauli;rig.thr"O:ugh, perhaps sixty feet or more of standing part, each time may well be imagined and the illustrations show the method of forming thls seri es of knots in one m overnent, The distance between each knot is governed by the length of the lower bights shown in Fig 4. For the purpose ofphotoqraphv, only three emerging knots are shown, but the principle holds g08d and any number of knots may be made, dependent on the length of the rope. See Knot 3 for the formation of the-initial figure of eight knot.

5 ReefK.not

By far the most well known of knots, it is useful to flnlsh offtwo ends" but should not be used to join tworopes, if such ropes are to be subjected to' strain, as it will undoubtedly jam solid, It is invariablvassooiated with the useless granny knot (a reef knot 'gone wrong' which will never hold). The hallmark.ofthe reef knot is the standinq part and the tail of both ends laying together as they emer.gefrom opposite sides of the knot. Best remembered by the mnemonic 'left over right, right over left', or vice. versa.

There are two methods of forming the Carrick bend and the first, Figs 1 to 3. is in many wavs.slmuar to the reef knot, even to the extent that a mlnor error will result in a granny knot. It is a useful knot for joining two ends, particularly of large ropes and will not jam. The tails shou Id be seiz.ed to their respective standing parts and, althouqh the knot has been shewn flat for photographic clarity, the two bights will take up positions at right angles to each other, when urider load. .' Figs 4 to 6 show the alternative Carrick bend. which being a 'flat' knot by its nature, will not take up the right-angular position, and is used as the basis for the Carrick mat, when it is doubled and followed around as many times as required. It is also the basis for the decorative diamond knot shown in Knot 7.

6 Carrick Bend

7 Diamond Knot

This is q purely decorative knot and would be used to form the eye of a lanyard or perhaps the commencement of a bell rope. It is a natural progression from the second type of Carrick bend, made 1nthe centre of a line with a small bight, which eventually forms the eye. The two .ends are 'followed around' and brought up through the centre.of the original Carrick bend, after whiGh the knot is worked towards the eye and all parts are drawn tight. See also Knot 54.

8 Sheet Bend, Double

The.mostcornmonlvaccepted knotfor joiriing two ropes together and probably the best, particularly if the ropesare_ of different sizes, when the larger rope provides the bi ght and the smaller, the

bends

orturns,

Sheet Bend

The.only difference between the sheet bend and the double sheet bend is that two turns ate ta ken arou nd the bi ght of the rna in rope for the latte r, whilst the form er has only one tu rn. Figs 1 to 5 illustrate thesheetbend and6 to 8 the double sheet bend. This knot is even more efficient if both ropes are-ef the sa me size.

9 Binder Turn

One of the lesser known knots and a variation of the sheet bend, it is used for the same purpose and the same rule applies for ropes of different sizes. The fact that both tails emerge on the same side and lay together with the one standing part, makes it suitable for working olose up to a block, or even for passing over a large sheave when hauled in the one direction, ie, with the lay ofthe tails.

Notpaeticularlv usefulin itself, a trick. knot, as the name implies, it does form thebasis for other-more practical knots (Knots 11
andjZ).

10

It is undoubted Iy the best khat to illustrate the essentia I hands/rope rei atlonship, t should be tied with one contin uous, sweeping movement of the hands, meeting and parting, thus, emphasising the understandlnq of 'thelay'. use.of the fingertips, and the sensitivity of the h arids nccessa ry to all successfu I knottlnq,
:1

Knot

TomFool's

11 Man Harness from

Fool's Knot

The fool's knot (Knot 10) with two half-hitches, combine to form the harness, sometimes known as a chair knot, suitable for lowering a casualty over a ship's side or down the face of a building. The fool's knot is made at the centre of a rope which must be at least twice as long as the descent with the. bights adjusted so that one is twice the size of the other; their sizes also being governed by the size of the casualty, eg a child or an adult, For photographic purposes the bights have been formed in miniature and would be considerably larger than illustrated, even for a child. A half-hitch is turned and cast on from both ends to complete the harness, which is then arranged on the casualty with the smaller bight around the chest end under the armpits, the larger bight under the thighs, and .the knot itself i~ front of the casualty, just above chest level. One half of the rope is retained for lowering and the other end thrown down to an assistant. The casualty is lowered in a sitting position with the wei.ght of the body taken on the thighs. The assistant below hauls off with his standing part, keeping the casualtyclearof the ship's side. .

12 Sheep Shankfrom Fool's Knot, Pinned Sheep Shank

There are several ways of making a sheep shank but the purpose of all of them is to shorten the rope without cutting it. In this instance, the fool's knot neither adds to nor detracts from the efficiency of the completed knot, but, at best, in a long shank, does holdthe three parts together at the centre, the fool's knot itself not being under load. As illustrated, the knot is.completed by turning: and casting a half-hitch over the bights -at the extreme ends of the fool's knot, on both sides of the centre. In the pinned version, Figs 6 to 8, further bights of the standing parts are raised at both ends, through the existing end bights of the knot and secured by the insertion of marlin spikes or similar pins. The pins must be secured in position with a lashing (not shown) and the whole has no especial purpose or use, other than as an elaborate means of ensuring that the end hitches do not work their way off, particularly if the rope is subjected toa fluctuating tension. Under these conditions it would suffice to seize the end bights to the standing partsafterthe initlelIoed has beenepptied.

Sheep Shank

13

The common sheep shank is simply two opposite bights, their length beihg the amount by which the rope is required to be shortened, laid parallel and half-hitches, turned and cast over both ends. The finished knot should be. held in position until the rope has taken the strain, whilst if.subjected tofluctuatinq loads, the protruding bights should be seized to their standing parts, after the knot has been first stretched to its limit. The strength of the rope is obviously increased between the hitches, but this is of no value as the standing parts are the governing factor.

This almost comes under the heading of a decorative knot-and is of thesarrre family as the [urvrnasthead knot. Its practical use is lim ltsd, but with the ta ils jOIned with a short splice and the bi ghts lengthened and adjusted, it could provide an ideal sling for a spherical object.

Shamrock Knot

14

5;

15 Bowline

This knot can be tied by forming the loop shown in Fig 4 separately and poking the tail end up through afterwards, but it is more professional to reach the stage shown in Fig 4 with one continuous movement. The tail is held across the standing part, Fig 1, and the right hand rotated clockwise, through almost 18.0°, whilst.the left hand lifts the bight over the tail end, Figs 2 and 3, resulting in the loop being formed with the tail automatically 'up through' all as Fig 4. This will put a turn in the bight which is allowed to escape by a twist of the fingers of the right hand, The knot is completed by passing the tail around the back of th.e standing part and returning it down through the loop, Figs 5 to 7. Running Bowline The running bowline is simply a bowline, tied as above but around its own standing part, thus forming a noose as in Fig 8.

16 Bowline on a Bight

The initial movements to form this knot are as for the bowline (Knot 15, Figs 1 to 4), except that a bight of the rope j;s used ~Fig 1), The variation occurs from this point onwards, sufficient of the bight being drawn up through the loop, before bein_gpassed down over the two main bights and returned up the .. ack of the knot to b its position around the standing parts and/or tail end. This knot can be used as a man harness similar to that shown in Knot '11, by making it in the centre of a long rope, with two standing parts and the sizes of the bights adjusted as previously described. If the initial bight of Fig 1 is passed around the standing part and back down through the loop (as with the tail of a bowline),the knot becomes a double bowline (not illustrated).

17 Clove Hitch (cast) Clove Hitch (turned]

A clove, hitch is turned when it is tied around an endless object, eg a rail or mooring ring, Fig,s 1 to 4. It is cast when the two bights are formed in the hands and the knot dropped over a post or the like, Figs 5 to 7. Proceeding from Fig 5, the right hand bight is placed.ovsr the left hand bight to arrive at the virtually . completed knot shown in Fig 6. If subjected to continuous tugging this knot tends to work loose and if made fast around an .object which can revolve; it niay wind itself off. It should therefore, always be finished off with at least one half-hitch.

Rolling Hitch

18

This is simply a clove hitch with two (or more) initial turns instead of one, laid back towards the standing part and over its own initial turnts), thus jamming it, Figs 1 to 4. In the illustrations the tail end has been detlbaratelv kept short to dearly. show the lay of these initial turns, particularly in Fig 4, but in practice a longer tail end would be employed and indeed would be essential to complete the knot as may be seen in Fig 6. As with the clove hitch this knot should be finished off with at least one half-hitch. It will withstand being hauled at right angles to its turns without sliding along the object to which it is tied, however smooth that object may be, provided it is hauled against the initial two or more turns. In Fig 6, it will only hold if hauled to the right. When a rope or wire is hauled tight over a winch drum or capstan it is necessary to temporarily secure it whilst the end is removed from the drum and made fast permanently to bollards or the like. fA short length of rope or light chain, called a stopper is used, one end being made fast to a deck fitting or even around the bollard itself and the other end made fast to the rope or wire in question. The wire is then slackened back until the load is taken by the stopper, when the.wire.is said to be stoppered off. A rolling hitch would be used to make the stopper fast, in such a case, whilst other uses of course depend on circumstances.

19 Fisherman's Bend or Bucket Hitch

The fisherman's bend is the correct name for this knot, but it is more commonly known as a bucket hitch and as the name implies. it is ideal for making a lanyard fast to the handle of a bucket, or for any similar purpose.

A quick and easily made-temporary hitch, recommended for dragging a plank or spar rather than lifting it, for, although it will not slip, provided a steady strain is maintained, there are other, more secure knots if the load is to be raised to any height.

20

Timber Hitch

21 Cat'sPaw

The most efficient method of attaching the bight of a rope, or a sling to a hook, provided that both standing parts are' under load. It will prevent the hook sliding along the rope and thus ensures that the load, eg, a spar, will be lifted horizontally. Conversely, by careful selection of the position of the eat's paw in relation to the length of the sling, the load may be lifted at any required angle.

A quick and efficient method of attaching the tail endofa rope to a hook, provided a constant strain is maintained; the knot being held in position during the initial application of the load, Figs 1 and 2.

Midshipman's Hitch
This isa variation of the. Backwall hitch, used for the same purpose, and somewhat more secure; particularly when working with a slippery rope, Figs 3 and 4.

22 Backwall Hitch

Thief Knot orDraw Hitch

23

This Isan acknowledged and perfectly effioient knot, but. it can be dangero.us INhen used by arnateu rs as alifel i ne. The pu rpose of the knot is to. provide a qui ck: release. by si mply tuggi ng the tai I end, whilst the standing part is capable of supporting a load. It can be used, with a short tail, whenever it is necessary to sJip a load. But itis rnoreotten associated with the fireservicewhere its purpose is to provide the means of-escape, as alifeline. coupled with the advantage that the rope is retrievable. Should the. building be higher than halfthe length ofths rope, the procedure is repeated from one convenient level to the next, until' the operator reaches the grou nd. In this event, the h itch is formed with the biqht.at the centre ofthe rope, and both endshahgiitg down. The operator, having shinned down the standing part retrieves his rope by tugging the other fall, hence the alternative name of thief knot. It Is a pparent from the ill ustratiorts that one fa II of the. rope will support a load (the left fall in Fig6) whilst the other will not and as the two falls lay side by side, confusion between them, whilst understandable, could prove fatal. Note The danger ot confusinq the two falls cannot.beteo highly .stressed, even to professionals much less to amateurs, It was not long ago that such a confusion resulted ina highly trained and competent man falling to his death, with his rope on top of him.

Jury Ma'sthead Knot

24

Asthe name implies, this knot is used as a temporarvrneasureln the emerge ncy 1'1gJngof a jury mast" The centre of the knot is g placed overthe top of the mast-and the twin standing parts form the backstav. Forestay and shrouds are mads fast to the remaining three bights and 'the greater the strain set up in the, rigging, the tighter the knot will grip the mast. It is made at the centre of.a rope long enough to provide the backstayls) and it is usually more convenient to make.tbe second bight 51 hlly larger than thE; fi rst a rid th ird ,bights, Particu la r ig attention m US! 'hepa id to the relative positlons of-the three ,bights when they are interwoven, after which the knot becomes almost autornatlc.

Rope Ladder Knot

25

The rope laddetRnot' is actually the nmg of a true rope ladder as di stln ct frorna.pil at ladde r wh ich has.ropesldes a rtd timber rungs. It is,efficjent-andmost usefu I aboards mall boats as it needs. so little stows ge space, It can be made with twin tails at the top for making it fast or as ill u strafed, made on the bi g.ht of a,rope With .an eye, seized j n position. The illustrations commence with the top of the ladder and the first rung completed, and proceed to show theforrnation of the second rung, This is repeatedfor-as many rungs as r-e,quirecj.the ;5' formation being made in alternate side ropes to keep the finlshed ladder symmetrical. The length .of the rung and the number of turns 'employed is a matter of choice and also depends on the size of the rope being used It is advisable tomake the rungs only slightiy wider than the human foot. lfthe ladder is wider than is strictly necessary there may be excessive sag in the rungs.

Stage or Scaffold Hitch

26

The sale purpose of this knot, made at both ends ota plank' of wood is to support the plank, or stage as it is called when used in this manner, not only horizontally, but also in su.ch a manner th at it wi II not twist 0 r ca rit, The horn is the smaller piece of timber, nailed at right angles to the stage, on the underside. Its purpose is twofold. Firstly~to prevent the whole knot fro m slipping off th e end. of the stage and secondly, the one side being longer than the other, to provide room for a person's legs, when Sitting on the stage, working against a ship's side. The khat may be formed without the horns, but when used, as illustrated. the first complete turn is taken on the inside of the horn and the second on the outside, the rope crossing the horn on the underside. The firstturn isthen not only lifted over the second, but its bight is also passed around the long end of the horn, resulting in two parts of rope crossing the underside of the horn diagonally. . The ori gi naI second turn is then lifted cornpl etelv over th e fi rst and third turns and 'this bight placed downwards over the end of the stage, the resulting bights formed at each edge of the stage being suitably adjusted. In this manner, the horn is effectively .secured to the stage without having to rely on nails. The whole may be formed on the end of a rope with a sufficiently long tail to make. fast in a bowline. to the standing part some distance above the stage, as illustrated. Otherwise and preferably, the knot is made on the bight of a rope, giving two standing parts, each of which can be individuallv adjusted to keep the stage level, when madsfast overhead. The photog raphs have been ta ken usi ng ami nlatu re staqe a nd a small rope for the sake of convenience, but in practice the size of the stage would be in ke.eping with its load and span.

27 Lighterman's Hitch

This is another quick and simple method of forming a temporary eye in the end ofarope, perfectly stable when under constant strain, but otherwise suspect. The instability could be overcome by seizing the tail to the standing part, but this would defeat the object of ease and speed. It is most easily made by forming the initial movements of a bowli ne and repeati fig the proeed ure fa rther aIong t he stand ing part. For bowline see Knot 15

There is little that can be said aboutthis knot, its uses are limited, unless as a' slirig or thelike, but it does producefour standing parts! neitherof which will render an the other,

Square Knot

28

29 8argee's
Eye Splice

With apologies to all bargees, a rough and ready, rather un-seamanlike but otherwise effective way of making an eye in the end of a rope.

30 Mon~eys ... I,. , Fist

Made in the end of a heaving line, with a metal bailor similar weJght, inserted into the weave, its pu rpcse is to givecanyi ng quality to the.llne, Measure off nine hand turns of line and work from this point.back towards the tail end, inserting the weight before completing the lastthree turns. Work the knot tiqht and to shape, cuttlnqotf and burying the tail. end. As heavlnqllne.lsa cornparativetvexpendable item a separate.flst can be made of a better quality cordage', with a protrudlnqeve; to which the heavin.g line is made fast. By this method the fist can be re-used when it becomes necessary to replace the lihe. TO'do this. an-eve spllcels flrst formed in the end of the line and the splice buried in the first turns.

4,

31 EyeSplice

With strands whipped and unlaid for the required distance, it is essential to carefully, arrange them asin Fig 1, with the central strand on top. the left hand strand emerging from below the rope, and the remaining strand laying to the right of centre. This central strand (subsequently referred toas B) is always tucked first, being tucked against the lay under any strand of tile standinq part, the required size of the eye being the only governing factor, Fig 1. The left-hand strand (A) is always tucked next, being passed to the left of B, over the strand under which B has been tucked and under the next, Fig 2, the whole being hauled tight as in Fig 3. The-work is now turned over; the back of the spllce appears as Fig 4 and the rernaininqstrand C is found, laying on the left. Itis essential that strand C be brought over to the right before being tucked towards the left under the one remaining strand of the standing part as in Fig 5. When hauled tight the back of the splice appears as Fig 6 which aIso com pletes the fi rst fu II tu ck, when one tail should em erge from between .each pair 'Of strands. Tucking over one/under one, against the lay is continued until three full tucks have been made, Fig 7. At this stage the splice is virtually completed "and the tails maybe cut off, allowing a small amount to offset the tendency of the splice to 'draw'. Alternatively the tails may be cut slightly longer, halved and each half of the one strand whipped to the corresponding half of the neighbouring strand, as a safeguard against the splice drawjnq, By far the neatest method is to taper the splice as illustrated. The strands are halved and one half of each strand is cut off fairly close to the third tuck; afterwhich the remaining half strands are tucked in the usual manner fora further three full tucks, and the finished splice appears as in Fig 8.

Short Splice

32

This is a' method for permanently joining two ropes provided the splice does not have to work over a sheave .. Sufficient.length of strands to provide three full tucks (approxlrnatelv four times the circumference) are unlaidfrom the erids o.f both ropes and a whlpplnq put on each, These a re interwoven as in Fig·1and brought tightly together, Fig 2,which point becomes the centre ofthe splice. The.ends of the rlght-ha:rid rope are best temporarily whipped to the left-hand standing part and the three remeininqstrands I;lJEl tucked in tu rn, over one/u nde r one ag alnstthe lay, into the Standing part ofthe right-hand rope, the first fuU tuck appearing as,Fig 3. This is continued until three full tucks have been made. Fig4. The whipping is now removed and the whole operation repeated to. the left of centre" three fU.1I tucks being made with the ends of the Tight-hand rope into the standing part of the left,. when the completed splice.appears asFig 5. The ends have been left long' in the illustration to show their relative positions, but these are now elthe r cut off (allowi ng a little for the splice to draw) or finished off as described for the eyesplice,ie halved and whipped or tapered.

33 Long Splice

The purpose of the long spl ice is to joi n two ropes in suph a manner that there is little or no lncrease in the size of the rope, at the junction, whi 1stthe fin ished work, having the appea ranee and Iay of the a rigin aI rope, is su ltable for working over a sheave. The splice relies solely on friction for its stability and so is of considerable length, hut for the purpose of photography, it has had to be made much $IJ 0 rter than itwould be in practise. Wh ilst the lengths re-ferred to later are im porta nt, the rea re varying opinions regarding the. recommended length of a long splice, suffice to say that the longer the splice, the more secure it will be. Twenty-times the olrcurnterence of the rope has been adopted in this case. The unlaid tallsars interwoven as ifto commence a Short Splice (Knot 32), except that their length is twenty-five times that of the circumference of the rope, Fig 1. Onestrand of the right-hand rope is unlaid away to the tight for a distance oftwenty times the Circumference; Fig 2, and its im mediate counts rpa rt. from the left-h and rope is Iaid back in its place, Figs 3 and 4. At the point where the replacement and unlaid strands meet, the tail of the replacement strand should be approximately five times' the circumference in length and the previously unlald strand is cut to this same length. The processls repeated on the left-hand side, one strand of the right-hand rope replacing its counterpart in the left-hand rope, Fig 6, and the end of the unlald strand being cut to length as before .. This. leaves two untouched strands at the centre, Fig6, which are cut to the same length as the other two pairs of-tells. When laying up the replacement stran ds it is assentla I to twist th e strand with every tum of the lay. The splice is now put under load and well stretched, prior to tucking away the three. pairs oftalls. This has not been illustrated 'as there are several methods which can be used: Each strand is separated into- thirds, an overhand knot made with each counterpart third and the whole beaten down into. the lay, beto re tu ckl ng each set of three ends under onestra nd.only of the standing part.
or

The-thirds may be tucked with the. lay around the three corresponding standing part strands, tapering as.the work proceeds.
or

The overhand Knot ts made with the full strands, which are tapered and tucked with the lay around their counterpart strands.

or

The overhand knot is made. with the full strands, which are then halved and tucked with thelay around the two adjacent strands of the standing part, tapering as before.

or

The overhand knot may be dispensed with in the lasttWo variations.

Back Sp'lice

34

The so Ie purpose of th is splice is to prevent the end of the. rope becoming frayed, Efficient, though not very elegant, it can replace the neater whipping. It is useful in ropes subjected to rough usage, as whippings do come off in time. With strands' unlald and ends whipped, a crown knot (Plate 43) is formed in the end of the rope, Fig 1. Each strand in turn is tucked over one/under one against the lay, the first frill tuck appearing as Fig 5; after which two more full tucks are inserted and the ends-trimmed short. It can be tapered by halving the strands, as in the eye splice, and insertinq three more tucks, which improvesits appearance.

This is essentially two eY\:lsplices, made by the ends of two ropes into the corresponding standing part of the other, the distance between the splices governing the length of the cut. With strands unlaid and whipped. the two ends are:offered up as Fig 1 and the required length of the cut is established, The tucking required is identicaltothat of the .eye splice (Plate 31) and the first full tuckof the left-bandend into the "right-hand standing part is shown in Fig 2 after which two more full tucks are made and the right-hand splice finished as Fig 3. The process is repeated, the right_hand end being eye spliced into the left-hand standing part when the finished work appears as Fig 4. The ends have deliberately been left: long In Fig 4, to show their respective"positions and to ill ustrate th at they may now be finished off in one of the three ways described for the eye splice.

Cut Splice

35

36 Eye Splice in Middle of

Rope

This isan instance when the rope is deliberately forced against its lay by twisting it in opposite directions. Once the disturbed lay has accepted its position, Fig 1, it will be found to run quite easily, forming three, two-stranded laid bights, Fig 2. A bight is made in the standing part to the size of the required eye, Fig 3 and the laid bights used as tails to make a normal eye. splice (Plate 31 ), the first full tuck of which is shown in Fig 4. At least two more full tucks are inserted in the normal over one/under one, against the lay manner and the completed splice appears as Fig 5. It may be noted that the two-strand laid bights conjoin perfectly with the si ng Ie stra rids under wh ich they are tucke-d, when any three assume the lay of the original rope, whilst the completed splice has the appearance of a nine-strand cable-laid rope.

37 Flemish Eye

One strand is carefully unlaid and the whole offered up, with the strands crossing at the extremity of the required eye, Fig 1. Care must be taken to ensure that the single strand marries into the vacant lay of the other two, after which it is continuously passed down through the eye filling the vacant lay until it reaches the throat afthe eye, Figs 2 and 3. Simi.larly the double strand is continuously passed up through the eye, being wrapped around the single strand, again filling the vacant lay, until it also reaches the throat of the eye. Fig 4. The three strands having again met, the single strand is laid back in its original position, to form the tail end (Figs 5 and 6), which is then firmly seized to the standing part.

Th is is essenti ally a decorative eye spl ice but it .ca n al so be usefu I if the eye isexpected to work close up toa sheave. The first fulltuck only ohm ordinary eye splice is made, (Plate 31, Figs 1to 6) as Fig 1, Awall knot (Plate 42) is now formed around the standing part, above the tuck, and hauled tight Fj9 2. Th isis to IIowed arou nd once more, hauled tight and the tails cutoff dose to thefinished knot, Fig 3..

38 SingleTu.ck .EyeSplice with Wall Knot Finish

Chain Splice

39

The purpose of the chain splice is to join a rope pennant to a normal small link of a chain in such a manner that rope and chain will pass freely throu_gha fair-lead. The eye of the splice is its weakest part, its strength being less than that of the standing part and undoubtedly less than that of the chain to which it is attached. It is most often used in conju nction with a mooring chain, when the pennant is only called upon to lift the slack-of the chain inboard. The principle of both the normal method of tuckinq (over ohe!underone) and that of the long splice (the laying up of One strand to replace another) are cbnjoinedin its formation. For the purpose of photography it has been necessary to make the splice much shorter than would be the case in practise 8f)d therefore the lengths, referred to below are important. Unlay one strand only (marked A) for a distance of twenty-five times the circumference of the rope and set aside, reeving the remaining two strands (B and C), still laid together, through the end link of the chain, Fig 1. Haul Band C through the link, back to the standing part and separate them, leaving only sufficient laid rope (two strands) to pass through the link and form the actual eye, fig2. Unlav-srrand A for a further distance of twenty times the circumference of the rope, Fig 3, replacing it with strand B, laid into the' vacated lay in the same way as described for the long splice, until B and A meet CIS in Fig 4, when the tail of B should be approximately five times the circumference of the rope. Cut A, leaving a tail the same length as that of B. These tails are now tucked away using any of the methods. described for the long splice (Knot 33) to completion· as shown in Fig 5 which also shows the remaining unused tail C. This strand is cut to a length suitable for four or five tucks, which are inserted over one/under one against the' lay, working around the rope. The finished splice appears as Fig 6.

40 Shroud
Knot

This is essentially a decorative method of joining two ropesalthou_gh it is said to have been the accepted way of repairing shrouds in the olden days, which rnsv well be true in view .of its name. Itis ce rta inly nice r Iooki ng .tha n a short spli ce for su ch a purpose and-altho ugh it does not req ui reas m u_chmateria I it does not have the strength of a short splice. The ends of both ropes are unlaid and interwoven as in the commencement of a.short splice (Knot 32, Figs 1 andZ). A wall knot (K not42), is form ad around the. sta rid ing pa rt of th-e,upper rope with the strand s of the lowe r; above the j unotion. but agai nst the lay, 'Fig i. The procedure is repeated below the junction, with the strands of-the upperrope forming a second wall knot also against the lay, Fig 2. All ends are unravelled. thinned out to tapers, and firmly secured at intervals with sail twine', Fig 3, before beingserved to produce thefinished knot shown in Fig:.4.

This corrsists of a bowl ineon a big ht (Knat 16) with one short standing part spliced around one of the eyes. The other standing part is made fast and the challenge is, to untie the bowline on a bight; without hauling the standing part through or releasing the splice. It is not impossible and a clue to the method used is given in the introduction. Method There arena set movements to be made. The knot is kept loose and with the standing part taut, the whole is tumbled over and over towards the end of the rope. In this manner the turns. of which the original knot was composed are transferred to the standing-part and the last turn, into the eye of the splice ·itself.

41

The Untiable Knot

42 Wall Knot

More often simply referred to as 'a wall', this knot is formed by passing each strand in turn around and under its neighbour, with the lav, the end of the third strand being passed upwards through the bight formed by the first, Fig 4. It is hauled tight and if made. c.orrectly, aII three stra nds e merge from the 'top of the knot as Fig 5. The ends have .been left long in Fig 5, firstly, to clearly indicate these points of ernerqence: secondly for com pari soh with the emergence of the tails of a crown (Knot 43); andthirdlvto symbolise that a wall is seldom if ever, used on its own and in practice these tails would continue to be used. Even in the case of the single tuck eye splice with wall knot finish, Knot 38, where it is built around a standing part, it is followed around. It is usually associated with the crown knot (Knot 43) whilst the combined wall and crown is in turn, the basis of the man-rope knot (Knot 44). A slight varlation of the wall itself, pssslnq each strand .around two neighbou ring strands instead of one and it becomes a Matthew Walker (Knot 59).

,fit!:.

43 Crown Knot

The crown is very similar to the wall except that each strand in turn, is passed around and over its neIghbour; the' third strand being passed downwardsthrouoh the bight torrnsd by the first, Fig 3. As distinct from the wall, the three strands emerge from thebottom offhe knot; Fig4. Iii keepinqwiththe.well, the crown is seldom if ever used on itsownand the ends in Fig 4 have been left long for the same reason as described for-the wall. ln this case the crown; be ing th e·com mencsment of 'the,ba ckspl ice, would probably have its ernfs.tucked away accordinqlv (Knot 34), It is more usually associated with the wall. To form a stopper knot the wall is first formed as in Knot 42, after-which it is 'crowned' as-shown, thusiorming the waif and crown. This is shown in -greaterdet-ail in the commencement of the man-rope knot, Plate 44, wh ereFig 1 shows the com pieted wa II and crown, prior to be.irigfollowed around.

This is si m pl;Va wa II {Knot 42) with a crown (Knot 43 ) formed 0 n the top, Fig 1, making the wall and crown previously referred to. It will be found that the tails emerging downwards from the crown, lay neatly alonpside the strands of the wall below and these strands are followed around with the working tails, Fig 2. 'Now the fails eme'rging upwards from the doubled wall re',align with the strands of the original crownand these are also followed a rou nd completing the man-rope knot as H~ :3. As may be expected with anycrown the tai Is emerge. ina downwardsdirectlon andthey have been left long IOn 3 to iltustrete Fig this point, In practice they would, of course; be cut off close to the knot.

44

Man Rope

Knot

45 Turk's Head

The Turk's head is a purely decorative piece of ropework, invariably made around an object such as-a guard rail. It has been commenced on the hand, only to show what happens at the back of the work, as illustrated by the rotation of the hand. In practice, it would be made direct onto the chosen object. Similarly, fbi" photographic purposes and clarity, the working end has been kept short and again, in practice, sufficient length of end would be employed, to complete the work without rendering around. The rope isarrahged asFig 1 arid the w:oi"kingend tucked as Fig 2, thus forming the first cross over, at which time the turns at the back of the hand are laying parallel, Fig 3. These are new crossed over each other, Fig 4, and the working end tucked between them from right to left Fig 5. One opening will be found to remain, Fig 6, into which the working end is passed from left to right. On viewing the work from the other side, Fig 7, the working end will be found to have returned to the point of origin, laying alongside the other end and leading in the same direction. (The work was, at this point placed over a cylindrical object, as the remainder is automatic and there is no reason to view the reverse side.) The working end is now passed over and under around the knot for a second time following exactly the course of the first turns, on the completion of which it will return to the point of origin in its correct lay and pointing in the right direction for a further fpllow around, Fig 8. The procedure is repeated and the completed work appears as Fig 9, after which the ends are cut short and buried under the turns at the point of origin. The illustrations show the most Simple of Turk's head. More elaborate versions are possible by increasing the parts and turns, whilst the number of times the knot is followed around is a matter of choice.

Oceen Plait and lor Mat

46

A considerable length of cordaqs is required to form this plait and the rope which, from time to time disappears out of the picture. and returns, is in fact the bightof a lonq.rope, The rope is laid up as Fig 1, after which ths part in the left hand of this f g u re is bra ught over the other ta i I and up under the one bighias shown in Fig 2. The part now held in the left hand in Fig 2 is the one end which remains in this position and isnotused aRain. The other end is worked over one/under one as-shown in Figs 3 arid 4, the first full circuit of the plait being completed as Fig 5., the working end meeting the other at the point of origin, laying alongside it and poinfinqin the correctdlrection to Continue .' with'the.firstfelfow arcund. This is completed as Fig 6, when once again the working end returns to the. point of origin. ready to commence the thi'ro "Ircuit, after which the who-Ieis worke.d tig:ht arid to shape, -the.erids cut off and;buried under the mat; The completed work appears as shown in Fig 7. The mat may befollowed around more than thres times. if required, but then the whole tends to become unwieldy and the strands begin to ride up over each other. It is usually used as the centre piece of a larger mat. perhaps being surrounded by several turns of simple plaiting, before the. introduction of's circle of other, smaller mats ('f a different design, the whole being sewn together with sail twine.

47 Admiralty Eye Splice

The regulations governing the use of wire-eve splices in industry are necessarily strict and whilst the following eye splices, Admiralty and Liverpool (Knot 48) are considered to be adequate for normal usage, the reader, if considering either splice from the point of view of insurance and/or the regulations must refer back to the regulations, in force at the time. The main feature of the Admiralty eye splice is, that after the first tuck, all strands are tucked away over ohe/under one, against the

lay of the standing part.

There are 'also, at least three methods of completing the first full tuck, the one illustrated being the 1-6-2-3-5-4 order oftucking. The required size of the eye is established and a seizing put on accordingly. after which all strands are unlaid, ensuring that they are in their right order, "the heart being always assoclated with the first tucking strand. Fig 1. Diagram A shows the relative positions' of the tucking strands to the standlnq part and strand No 1, together with the heart is the first to be tucked, from left to right, Fig 2. and hauled tight. Fig 3. The heart ls now cut out and Diagram B shows the sequence of the next tuck, when strand 6 is tucked. also from left to right as Fig 4, before being hauled tight. In accordance with the sequ.ence and Diagram C, strand 2 is the next to be tucked from right to left. around the same strand of the standing part as strand 6, but in the opposite direction. providing the locking tuck. as shown in Fig 5, after which it is hauled tight. Strand No 3. as shown by Diagram D and Fig 6 follows suit and as previously. this shows the point of entry and direction of the strand. It is of course. as with previous strands. hauled tight, but is not shown as such, since this would make the lllustraticns unintelligible. Strand 5.•Diagram E is the next to be tucked and it must be noted that whilst all previous strands have been tucked under one this strand is tucked under two. Diagram E also shows strand 5 being tucked from left to right, whereas Fig 7 in association with this diagram appears to contradict the fact. The reason for this is that Fig 7 (for the first time) is a view of the back of the splice. (Note the reversal of the long leg of the seizinq.) Still viewing the back of the splice, strand 4 (Diagram F) is tucked between the same two strands of the standing part as strand 5, but under one strand only, all as Fig 8. The completed first tuck appears as Fig 9 and has been deliberately left slack for clarity. In practice each strand is hammered down with a mallet as it is tucked. All strands are now tucked over one/under one, against the lay, each being hammered down in turn, when the finished work appears as Fig 10, which shows five full tucks. If the splice is to be Served. it is necessary to taper it and this is done by halving all strands and inserting three further tucks with the halved strands, similar to that shown for the eye splice in rope (Knot31). '

.. --~i_'.-I,
'/,.-,

"

1_', "-

---~T~-1
I

8N
A

B4

G
5

--I

.l

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'.. ,
I
.

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,

II
I I

i_(6)~ ..--+~.I.T.·lD .+
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Fa

10

48 Liverpool EyeSplice

The 1-6.~2-3-5-4 method I Knot 47) of inserting the, first tuck can be used in this spllca.but an alternative is illustrated, in which five ofthe six strands enter the standing part between the same two strands arid the sixth forms the locking tuck. The Liverpool splice is not as effic.ient -asthe Admirahy and should definitely not be used when the wi re into w.hich 'it is form ed is likely to revolve under load, All strands. are unlaid, .care.being taken to maintain them intheir correct order,1 to 6, which is.theorder oftuckinq and strand 1 is established (Fig 1) whi Ist or a"gram G indicates its tucked direction and position. The.spike is inserted between the appropriate strands of.the standing part, lifting one strand only, under which strand '1, together with the heart, .is tucked from right to left, Fig 2 ,-and hau led tight as Fig 3, after which the hea rt is cut off. The spike is partially withdrawn and re-inserted under two strands, Diagram H and strand 2. is tucked as Fig 4, As it is.almost a question of repetition, strands 3.,4 arid 5 are tucked by again partially withdrawing the spike and re-inserting under three strands, Diagram J, to receive strand 3; four strands, Diagram K to receive strand 4; five strands, Diagram L to receive strand 5. At this stage., strand 6 is.ths only one-rernaininq-untuckedand the front of the splice appears as Fig 5, with the back as Fig 6, strand 6 beirig on-the right This is now tucked under the same strand of the standing partes stra nd 1, but in the opposite direction, Di agra III M and Fig '7. 0 n completion, theflriished first full tuck appears as Fig 8. All strands should be hammered down With a mallet as thM are tucked, but all have-been left loose so that the illustration is as clear as possible; From this point onwards, the weakness of the Liverpoolspl ice 'becom es apparent. The spike is inserted under.any one strand. above the first full tuck and the oorrespondinq tail, in professional jargon is contln uaIly tucked unde r this strand, with' the lay; more si rilply, t,[1etail is wound around and around this one strand. Once inserted, the spike is-twisted around the wire ahead ofthe ta;il end. The first tail, completely tucked. is shown in Fig 9. The. process is repeated with each tai.1 in tum being wound around its appropriate strand of the standing part to completion as in Fig 1a.. The heart must not be disturbed when tuckinq.strands 4 arid 5, which are laid on the opposite side of the heart to theflrstthrae; and maintain the. position of the heart in the middle of the wire.

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49 Flemish
Eye Splice

This is an easy method of producing a long eye in the-end of a wire for general purpose work,as no tools are required. It is not as efficient as a normal eye splice and therefore should not be loadedto the same degree. The wire is carefully halved, with the heart r_emaining laid with the three strands on the one side, for a length of approximately two and a halftimes that of the required eye. The two sets of strands are crossed at the extremity of the ,eye, Fig 1, ensuring that the one set fits snugly into the vacant lay of the other and both are married by tucking the left-hand set under and up through the eye and the right hand set over and down, Figs 2 to 5. This tucking is continued, re-establishing the original six-strand lay until the two sets of strands meet at the throat-of the eye, Fig 6. These strands are now re-laid together to form a single sixstrand tail, Figs 7 and 8, which is firmly seized to the standing part; The use of a bulldog grip instead of a seizirig obviously increa ses 'the strength of the eye'.

50 Lo.ng S'plice
[Wire)

The long splice in wire is made on the same basic principle.as that of rope and for the same reeson. namely to join tWQ ends in such manner that the diameter of the wire is not increased_ atths join and it is thus suitable for working over a sheave, It may be said that it consists of two stages: the unlaying and replacement of corresponding strands, which is comparatively simple, once the principle is understood; and the, tucking away of the tail ends, which is the secret of good lonq-spllcinq. The former is shown in Figs 1 to 6 and the latterIwhich also applies to the grommet, Knot 51), in Figs 7 to 14. Age in, as with rope, th€ spl ice depends solelv on fri ctlon for its stability, but a much lonqersplice is required when working with wire. The accepted standard for the tote,I length of the splice is' Oft for every one eig hth ofan inch of the d iamete r. Th is does 'not provide for the tail ends, for which a further 6in per one eighth of dlarnetsr is allowed. It is assurned that the wire illustrated is one inch diarneter. in which case the total length of the splice would be 88ft and as it is impossible to photograph such lengths without a complete loss of detail, the splice has been done in miniature and the reader must envisage the trua lengths involved, A temporary whipping is put on each of the two wires 44ft from their respective ends, all strands are unlaidback to these points and the hearts cut out, Fig 1. The strands are interwoven on the same principle as those of rope in the-short splice (Knot 32, Fig' L until all are meshing alternately, whenthetwo wires are brouqhttoqether until the ends of the hearts meet and the six pairs of strands are married, Fig 2, when the whipping is removed. As with the loriqspllce in rope (Knot 33l"one corresponding pair of wi res is se Iected, that of the rig ht hand wire u nlai d for a d i sra n ce of 40ft a-ndthat of the left; ca refu lIy Iaio back in Its pia ce , when 4ft of itslength remains at the 40ft mark. Th:eynlaid riqht-hand strand is cut t-o the-same length and the first pair of tails, each 4ft long,established 40ft away from the point of "marry (the centre of the splice) as Fig 3. The next adj acent, correspond ing pai r of strands are now worked in the same manner and the sec-and pair of ends, both cut to 4ft long, established 28ft from the marrying point. Fig 4. The process is repealed with the third pair Of strands, resulting in the third pair cftalls. cut to length as before, 16ft from th-e centre, Fig 5. The whole process is repeated to the left of centra. resulting in a further three pairs oftails being established and thewhole appears as Fig 6, with six.pairs of tails, each 4ft long and.the distances between them being 12, 12,32,12, and' 2ft respectively. Thls.completes the. basicsplice and it only remains to tuck away the.tail ends. Each tail is served for its full length with marline or soft wire to irrcreese the diameter of the.strand to approximately that ofthe haa rt, Fig 7, Agal n for photog raphi c pu rposes the ta ilsa re .shown in m iriiature and.the reader is reminded that they are' in fact 4ft long. The-heart i~ exposed and lifted, Fig 8, cut at-the crossing poirtt and worked outthrough the lay for a distance exactly equal to the length ofthe tail which will eventually replace it, Fig!'!, where, it is cut off. There are special tools, designed fot tueklnq the tails narnelva

tee needle and tucker, but it can be done with a pair of small spi kes or the Ii ke, Tti e standin g part isopened and working arcu nd ths wire, with the lay, the tail is gradually worked into the centre of the wire, replacing the heart, Figs 10 to 13. The remaining tail istucksd in a .similar marinerwhen the, finished work appears as Fig 14 and the whole is repeatedforthe remaining five pairs i:Jf tails. It is importantthat there is no gap between the endbf the buried 'ta il and thecontin uarion of the,.heart.

3
D1

E1

11

13

51 Grommet [Wire]

In making a grommet the principles of the Flemish eye (counter layingthree strands with three corresponding strands and a heart) and the long splice are combined and when the circle of the grommet itself is completed sufficient length of tails mustremain to proceed with the long splice, Fig 4. A length of wire, approximately nlnetlrnes-thedlarrreter ofths required grommet is needed and three adjacent strands are carefully unlaid, leaving the heart intact with the remaining three strands. The unlaid strands are discarded and the heart is removed for equal distances from both ends, leaving a length of heart equal to the circu mference of the grommet in the centre ofthe working strands. The circle is formed and the two sets of three strands married at the point where the two ends of the heart meet, Fig 1. The riqhthand ends are brought under .and up and the left-hand ends over and down through the circle. re-forming the six-strand lay as Figs 2 and 3 and continued until the ends meet and the basic grommet is completed Fig 4. The tails are now unlaid, Fig 5 and as illustrated in Knot 50, a Icing splice is formed with the three pairs of strands, which are then cut to the required length. Fig 6. it only remains to tuck away the ends as shown in Knot 50, Figs 7 to 14, and the completed grommet appears as Fig 7.

PART TWO

52

ToWallAny Number of Strands

Pass each strand around under its neighbou r, working anti-clockwise, Fig 1, and pass the last strand up through the bight of the first (held on the thumb), Fig 2. ln a correct wall all strands emerge separately from the top, pointing upwards. Any number of strands may be used and it can be made backwards (ie clockwise). Double wsuThe emergin_gstrands, Fig 3, lay alongside previous bights which are 'followed around' until all again emerge separately from the top, pointinq upwards as in Fig 4. The knot has been shown 'flat' but when hauled tight it assumes a vertical form, the 'followed around' strands resting on the wall below. Continuous Walling Suitable only for covering any cylindrical object due to the hollow centre which develops. Strands are whipped to the object and walls made one on top of another, Fig 5A Wall Plait* A reasonably tight plait can be made by continuous walling without a central heart provided not more than four strands are used, Fig 5B.

"'Indicates throughout knots using four individual strands that can be made on three strands of an unlaid rope (see Introduction).

..

Any Number of Strands

53 To Crown

Pass each strand around over its neighbour working anti-clockwise, Fig 1, and th-e last strand down through the bight of the first, Fig 2. All strands shouldernerqe separately from the bottom, pointing downwards, Fig 3. It can also be made backwards (clockwise) and any number of strands used. Double Crown' Formthe crown as shown in Fig,3"pull back anyone strand and make a clockwise turn around. the strand it has passed over, returning it to its oriqinai position, Fig 4. Repeat' with the other three stra nds, the last passirig through the double bight of the first, Fig 5.

This is another method of covering any cylindrical object, by forming one crown on top of another, Fig6A.

Continuous

Crowning

This is made by continuous crowning, anti-clockwise, without a centra I heart, not more than four strands being used, when a spiral effect will result, Fig 68-.

Crown Plait, Spiral*

A straight, chain-like pattern will result if the crowns are made alternately anti-clockwise and clockwise, Fig 6e.

Crown Plait, Straight"

This is made by forming alternate walls and crowns, using not more than four strands, Fig 6D, '

Wall and Crown Plait"

Note

Four strands when crowned also produce a square knot.

54

On Four

Diamond Knot, Strands*

A biqht is formed in all strands, Fig 1. Each strand is then taken anti-clockwise past the adjacent bight and up through the next Figs 2 to 6. Double Diamond Knot t From the single diamond, each strand is 'followed around' until all again emerge from the top. Because the original knot was made by passing one bight before going up through the next, each 'follow around'strand passes under two parts, the last under two double parts, Fig 98. Diamond Hitching Continuous diamond knotting can be used to cover any cylindrical object, and consists of one diamond knot on top of another: Fig 9A. Diamond Plait This can be made with one diamond knot on top of another but a tighter plait is obtained if crowns are made between the diamonds. Fig 9C shows single and double diamond knots with crowns between.