Amsteel Help

[Roadrunnr72]

my problem with the needle is extracting it. I can seem to get it out without pliers and you only get a few uses before it really starts some fraying.

I use a piece of thin mechanics wire doubled over. Push in at the "out point", through the amsteel, and out at the "in point", hook the end to be pulled and pull it back through. The first time I made a whoopie, I used a needle and tried to "thread" it through the amsteel. I like the pulling method better. When hooking the end, don't get to much extra through the wire.

[PapaSmurf]

papasmurf- on the your chart, what unit of measure are the buries listed in?

The buries are in inches. I do pay attention to the bury lengths for whoopies and chain links, but for other lightly loaded splices, I just do whatever feels right. Do we really need a tarp guyline that's rated 425 lbs?

My preferred splicing tool is a twisted piece of steel wire. I have a nail that I bent at a 90 degree angle. I mount this nail into my cordless drill. Take approx 24" of wire with the center bent over the nail and hit the trigger on the cordless drill. I tweak the size of the loop created by the nail so it will just fit the tapered end. Makes a nice sturdy splicing tool with a loop on the end. If it gets too bent up, I just go make another one.

For Last-it and mason's twine, I just use a folded piece of this same lightweight steel wire.