Lashings and Splices

So far each knot has joined a rope to itself, another rope or a single object. A lashing binds two or more poles together with many turns of rope, and a splice weaves rope strands into each other to make a permanent loop or join with no knot at all. This chapter covers two lashings and the basics of an eye splice.

What a Lashing Is

• It starts and ends with a hitch. Usually a clove hitch round one pole, so the turns have something to grip.
• The turns do the holding. Several wraps spread the load, and friction between rope and wood keeps them tight.
• Frapping tightens it. Turns pulled across the wraps squeeze them together and stop them loosening.
• It suits poles, not people. Lashings are for camp gadgets, frames and simple structures, not for anything life-critical.

The Square Lashing

A square lashing joins two poles that cross at right angles, such as the upright and rail of a simple frame. The wraps go round both poles, and frapping turns between the poles pull them tight against each other. Natural fibre rope such as manila or sisal grips wood well. (Best rope for lashings: check.)

1. Tie a clove hitch round the upright, just under where the rail crosses it.
2. Wrap the rope over the rail, behind the upright, under the rail and back in front of the upright. Repeat three or four times, keeping the turns neat and side by side.
3. Make two or three frapping turns round the wraps, between the poles, pulling hard so the wraps tighten.
4. Finish with a clove hitch round the rail or upright and tuck the end out of the way.

The Diagonal Lashing

A diagonal lashing joins two poles that cross at an angle other than a right angle, and is used where poles need to brace against each other, such as the cross of an A-frame. The poles tend to spring apart, so a first set of turns pulls them together before the wraps go on. (Typical uses: check.)

1. Tie a timber hitch (or a clove hitch) round both poles where they cross.
2. Make three or four wraps round both poles across one diagonal, pulling them tight.
3. Make three or four wraps across the other diagonal, so the two sets cross over each other.
4. Make two frapping turns between the poles, then finish with a clove hitch on one pole.

The Eye Splice

A splice joins rope by weaving its own strands together instead of tying a knot. An eye splice makes a fixed loop in the end of a rope, and a good one is neater and usually stronger than the equivalent knotted loop. It is done on laid (twisted three-strand) rope, as described in an earlier chapter, because the strands can be opened and tucked. (Strength compared with knots: check.)

1. Whip or tape the rope end so it does not unravel, then unlay the strands for a few turns.
2. Bend the rope round to form the eye, laying the three loose strands against the standing part where you want the eye to end.
3. Tuck the middle strand under one strand of the standing part, against the lay of the rope, and pull snug.
4. Tuck each of the other two strands under a different strand of the standing part, so every end goes under a strand of its own.
5. Continue tucking each strand over one and under one, for at least three full rounds, pulling snug each time.
6. Roll the splice under your foot and trim the ends, leaving a short tail.

Not Yet Verified, and Sources

• Source. Written from general knowledge of common knot practice; no specific source was read, and nothing is quoted from a text.
• Marked (check). The best rope for lashings, typical uses of the diagonal lashing, and how a splice compares in strength with a knotted loop.
• Descriptions. The steps are in words, and splices in particular are hard to learn from text alone. Follow them with real rope and adjust to what you see.

Exercises