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  1. #1

    Is this a known method of splicing a continuous loop?

    Hey,

    Tried to splice a continuous loop, got stuck, and made something up. Hung on the result a few times and haven't fallen yet. Curious whether this is a known technique, or if people can see any obvious problems.

    Was trying to splice myself a continuous loop per the L-36.com instructions:

    https://l-36.com/loop.php

    But I got stuck when it came time to pull the end past the halfway point:

    https://l-36.com/image/loop_loop17.jpg

    The overlap was too tight. I couldn't get a second thickness of amsteel down the center with the other end already in that space.

    So instead I took the two ends as they emerged from the "sheath" at the halfway point

    https://l-36.com/image/loop_loop10.jpg

    and I did another end to end long splice. Now I have the main loop, and then the ends coming out and making a little continuous loop. I did the tapering to reduce this second end to end splice down to the single thickness of amsteel, and milked the sheath until the little loop got all the way in.

    Put another way: instead of doing the overlap as instructed with the ends side by side, I did the overlap with each end diving into the other.

    At first the two loops were not exactly the same size. The inner loop was smaller, and the outer "sheath" loop wasn't bearing load. After I massaged the loop a lot, I got the inner loop to slip a bit and even out the two loops. (In a way, this experience has made me a lot less concerned about lockstitching my splices. It takes a lot of work to make the splice slip!)

    If I did it again, I'd err on the side of making the inner loop bigger, because you can easily make the outer splice slip.

    Anyway, does this sound safe? It's certainly a lot easier than the published method.

    (If you're wondering why I bother with the overlap at all, it's mostly for fun. I like the look of the constant thickness, and the idea that I'm getting the most out of whatever thickness of amsteel I've used.)

  2. #2
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Well it's 'out there' so it is technically 'known' I suppose. But it is definitely the most convoluted process I've seen yet.

    Hard to know without seeing the actual process if your variant is safe.

    Much easier is the locked brummel method demonstrated HERE by Tac Blades. I've made and hung many a night from these with no problems.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  3. #3
    Senior Member BuckeyeFan's Avatar
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    Definitely use Tac Blades method.

    Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    One thing to note is that the OP's reference is sailing oriented, and in that situation I can appreciate how a continuous loop with full, doubled strength all the way around might be the norm. Not so for hammock use.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    Well it's 'out there' so it is technically 'known' I suppose. But it is definitely the most convoluted process I've seen yet.

    Hard to know without seeing the actual process if your variant is safe.

    Much easier is the locked brummel method demonstrated HERE by Tac Blades. I've made and hung many a night from these with no problems.
    beware though, although it looks like a locked brummel, it actually is not (it pulls apart without any effort), so the way it is presented in this video the two passed that look like a brummel are basically not doing anything. that's okay as long as you're aware, and ideally lock stitch the loop so it doesn't come apart on you in time.

  6. #6
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    btw, welcome to the forum, and thank you for the link to this method. though i know l-36, i hadn't seen this one, it is superb (as usual from him)

    i'm not entirely sure i understand what you did there exactly, but it sounds rather interesting. as others have said, strength wise you probably don't need to worry for hammocking purposes (in the worse case you'll be closer to 2x line strength instead of 4x, that's most likely fine, unless you're using dyneema line under 2mm, or something that's not dyneema), bust perhaps it's an interesting method you came up with (i'd have to try and replicate both methods before i can comment further)

  7. #7
    Here's the locked brummel method.

    https://youtu.be/DUSYUsWprc8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Here's the locked brummel method.

    https://youtu.be/DUSYUsWprc8
    yeah, that's an actual locked one. and he's good, he seems to take care to do his research and not cause confusion. i'd only object to the tapering part, and measurements in inches instead of line diametres, but otherwise it's solid.

    i got a chance to look carefully at l-36 and grok the difference to what you (OP) did: my impression is that, if you managed to make that second long splice (must be a mighty big continuous loop), and to get it tapered so it doesn't bulge much, then it should be fine. the challenge i see is equalizing the core and the sheath, as you "milk them back in", which if i understand correctly is exactly what you found, in this respect it seems harder to do than the original instructions (?), but if you managed it, then it should be rock solid. i'd still lock stitch it though. you do need to lock stitch such things, unless it's constantly loaded (i find it somewhat funny that of all splice users, us hammock campers are the ones who never lock stitch, and we seem to need it the most, as we typically tend to "pack and unpack", so fold,load, repeat, the most, much more than sailors i suspect.

    still, i like it (both versions). i don't like continuous loops and don't use them at all, but this i might like, it seems "proper"
    Last edited by nanok; 05-05-2021 at 14:33.

  9. #9
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nanok View Post
    beware though, although it looks like a locked brummel, it actually is not (it pulls apart without any effort), so the way it is presented in this video the two passed that look like a brummel are basically not doing anything. that's okay as long as you're aware, and ideally lock stitch the loop so it doesn't come apart on you in time.
    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Here's the locked brummel method.

    https://youtu.be/DUSYUsWprc8
    Thank you, and I stand corrected. I do hate to pass along bad info.

    I made a pair per Triple Nickel demo and there's no doubt they are stronger and will hold even without burying the tag ends. However, I've made (without lock stitch) and used the Tac Blades style for many a night with no slippage whatsoever. I'd guess, however, that larksheading it into a hammock channel provides a lot of extra friction and ensures its integrity.

    But going forward I plan to use an actual locked brummel!
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    Thank you, and I stand corrected. I do hate to pass along bad info.

    I made a pair per Triple Nickel demo and there's no doubt they are stronger and will hold even without burying the tag ends. However, I've made (without lock stitch) and used the Tac Blades style for many a night with no slippage whatsoever. I'd guess, however, that larksheading it into a hammock channel provides a lot of extra friction and ensures its integrity.

    But going forward I plan to use an actual locked brummel!
    The TacBlades version will actually give you 200% line strength but with the theoretical possibility that the burys could back out.

    The locked brummel method is only 90/100% line but cannot have the burys back out.

    In reality, I think the TacBlades version is just fine. Actually deliberately backing out one of the burys is difficult enough to do and I don't think that is ever going to happen when under load.

    To test one out, I made a TacBlades version a few months ago and have been using it as a connection point on my homemade cable machine in the garage gym ever since. It's been loaded and unloaded several times a week for the best part of 4 months and is still in one piece with no signs of the burys backing out...

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