Peter

Cool, I'll give that a go. Cant see the inner core adding much strength to the finished splice if you did leave it in, especially once its tapered.

List on a 441 is near enough £800 now though.

W254 YKN. What is the point of this again?

Carvers like it. Where is the tree located?

Signwriting looks good, but under Cheltenham Fairford Cirencester Tetbury shouldnt it say New York Paris Peckham?

They are class one double braids, although tachyon has a second core so slightly more complicated. Samson instructions are a good place to start, download them from the Samson website. If youve never spliced DB before, do some test runs on ordinary db from a chandlers, the covers are much looser so its easier to get the final bury in, and you wont waste expensive arb ropes.

Good work, you must be the only four legged tree surgeon in Yorkshire!

Any fresh wood contains water and tars/ creosotes. Burning them will damage your chimney, if you have a masonry chimney, or corrode a liner. When I first had a wood burner I burnt relatively unseasoned (3 months undercover), and my flue liner was full of debris and on fire after about 4 months of everyday burning. Seasoned wood, ie 15-20% moisture content, regardless of species, will burn hotter and cleaner than green ash. Hence why I burn properly seasoned willow and sell the ash etc.

Actually I think its more like 350kg, I had forgotten about taking the sides off too, they must weigh 150 kgs.

I agree. Perhaps there should be a NPTC test for knots? Certainly there should be more emphasis on these basics in training, the number of current students who cant tie a Blakes properly is appalling. I would like to see knots and the principles of splicing taught at a very basic level. The failings of the current training system are perhaps best reserved for another thread though? Practising arborists that cant be bothered to learn to tie knots properly are unlikely to have the patience to learn splicing anyway. Certainly if anyone asks me about buying or selling non-Ce marked splices I would give them the same advise, and if anyone is selling such splices under false pretences perhaps that is a matter for Trading Standards?

I use strops for the really big stuff too, so it doesnt really matter how much it weighs. Handling brash or big bundles of small diameter material is where it really shines. (Bigger crane would be nice though)

Especially not birch or ash!

Yes, bought one as soon as the truck was ready to work. I'll get some pics, its nearly 6 feet tip to tip when its open, I can lift a 4 foot diameter log with it. Weighs 500kg with the rotator.

I thought exactly the same thing!

ISA kit checks are for a recreational event, so dont come under the regs that apply to work situations, although in most cases the same standards are applied. An ISA kit check is certainly not a "thorough examination", it would take a week to do all the kit checks before an event if it were!

I think there are two seperate issues here, firstly supplying a splice to a third party, whether it is for financial reward or not, secondly splicing your own equipment. The CE process is relevant to the first, but not the second. With regard to AFAG 401 point 42, "someone competent" is not specifically restricted to the manufacturer. If I can demonstrate competence then I should be able to splice my own rope. Of course, CE certification would demonstrate this, but no other skill demands that level of qualification in everyday use. For instance, the TM comes with double fishermans knots on the bridge. They are part of the CE certification for manufacture and supply of the harness. When its time to replace the bridge, the end user can buy a new bridge and make the knots themself. The new knot isnt CE certified, but it's just as strong as the original. What qualifies the end user to tie that double fishermans? The missing link here is a recognised splicing qualification, but what is to stop an individual from building a portfolio of splices, having them break tested, and recording the results to demonstrate competence? Sure, you still cant sell them, but what is there to prevent the individual using those splices? The only way we will ever find out is for a case to go to court, and who is ever going to take themselves to court for incompetant splicing?

No, because by shortening the rope you dont affect its construction. The CE certification is available seperately, you should have a paper copy in your LOLER folder, as long as the rope is marked and referenced to that CE cert, then it doesnt really matter if the original label is there or not.

Just to be clear, are you saying that a Yale factory splice is definately stronger than the equivalent hand splice?

I dont see there is any difference between splicing 3 strand and any other rope. It is still your life that depends on it. Any serious accident or fatality would be recorded under RIDDOR, if an accident occurs which results in hospital treatment it will be reported. The very fact that the anti hand splicing lobby isnt trumpeting about accident statistics suggests to me that there arent any. The Yale factory splice may be different, but that doesnt make it any safer. A properly made hand splice results in very little strength loss, as you said in your first post. Splicing instructions generally come from companies in the USA, who arent bound by CE regs. Again, not aware of instances of splices failing over there. I for one am for eductation about splicing, everyone who uses them should at least understand how they work, instead of shrouding the process in a cloak of mystery. Its not rocket science, and you dont need a 5 tonne machine, just some common sense and a fairly simple set of skills.

The regulations on PPE have changed since then John, although the principle is the same, the actual wording may lead one to believe that only the manufacturer of the rope can adequately perform an eye splice.

Good post. Two things, firstly has a hand splice ever failed in use in arb? Certainly dont recall seeing any accident statistics on it. Certainly when I was at college, three strand splicing was on the curriculum for the purpose of making prussic loops. Secondly, if the manufacturer's instructions are correctly followed to produce a splice, then that modification is approved by the manufacturer. The fact that the result splice is not itself CE marked is a technicality. Two identical splices, one made in the factory using a CE certified process, and one made by a competent but un-certified person, what is the difference? Admittedly it is a technicality that could land the splicer in court, were the worst to happen, which brings me back to the first point, in all the years that hand splicing has gone on just in this country, in double braid, 16 strand, and in 3 strand, literally hundreds of thousands of splices, has anyone ever been injured? That is a serious question by the way, I genuinely want to know. I am not endorsing the wholesale production and sale of hand splices by amatuers by any means, one should consider carefully before putting literally a life on the line, whether it be yours or someone elses.

Rob, I'v got some big lumps of pop at the mo, is it worth anything for milling?

Anyone for a ninja style stealth noctural rec climb, armed with tape measure?

Haha, pity you werent moving on Sunday eh? I have employed Will and can thoroughly recommend him, he is a hard worker, needs very little whipping, and can be bribed with ice-cream.

After chewing up bits of fin and spitting them out I think even the best knives would look blunt. Have you had a look through the chip to see if any nasties had gone through?