strand should be sufficient to ensure a safe splice (view 3). As a finishing touch, cut off all loose ends and roll and pound the splice on a hard surface (view 4).

Long Splice

In a LONG SPLICE, either the ends of a line are joined together or the ends of two different lines are joined without increasing the diameter of the line. The strength of a properly made long splice will be equal to that of the line itself. The long splice is ideal for joining two lines where the line will be run over pulleys in a block. A short-spliced line would not serve this purpose since the diameter of the line at the point of splicing is larger than that of the remaining portion and may not pass over the pulleys in the block properly. The long splice also has a neater appearance than the short splice.

To make a long splice, unlay the ends about 15 turns and arrange the strands as shown in figure 4-26, view 1. Using two opposing strands, begin unlaying one and follow immediately laying its opposing strand tight into the left groove (fig. 4-26, view 2). Be sure you choose the correct pairs of strands for opposites. This is important. To determine the correct pair, try laying one of the tucking ends into the opposite standing line. The strand that this tucking end tends to push out and replace will be the correct opposing strand. In the process of replacing one strand with its opposing tucking end, keep a close watch on the marriage back at the starting place. If the other loose tucking ends are allowed too much freedom, they will divorce themselves from the original marriage. This creates quite a puzzle for the splicer due to the fact that the lines do not fit up correctly, and no matter which two strands are chosen, the splicer seems to end up with a stranger between them or else the last tucking ends have two strands between them. Therefore, it is important to keep the marriage intact when replacing

Figure 4-26. - Making a long splice.