Paracord problems

[Macaroon]

I've wanted to make some soft shackles for ages, using some short off-cuts of paracord in the oddments bin. Over the past few days I've put together a nice little kit of fid-type tools, knitter's needles etc., and refreshed my memory by having a look at numerous youtube vids to get it clear in my head, and they're all pretty much what you'd expect in terms of the standard way of opening the braid at the right position and feeding the loose end in,
then milking the free end down through the outer braid (having gutted it first). In all the vids it's clear to see them penetrating the side wall of the sheath to open it enough to pass the end inside, and one after the other thay just get it to glide down through, easy peasy.
So I cut my lengths, gutted them and marked them up at the points of entry I need, threaded my fid and set to.

Three hours later I've got very painful hands and nothing achieved - I just can't get the weave of the braid to open enough to allow the free end to enter it. I've tried everything I can think of to work it open and just can't get it to do so without damaging the braid.

It's driving me spare!

Anyone out there with any tips?

HELP!

 

[onfire]

I wonder if the weave of para cord is just too restrictive compared to, say, Amsteel?

Good luck with it though, I look forward to the results

 

[Macaroon]

I thought that at first, but all these guys on the vids are just slipping them through with hardly a wiggle; and the paracord I'm using is pukka 550, the same as they're using. I even bought a purpose-made fid which is the exact size diameter needed to get the one end into the sleeve and through, and the loose end is fixed flush to the end so it should be a cakewalk.

I can't make head nor tale of it and it's not good for me; Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[Joonsy]

If I understand correctly it sounds like you are having difficulty in threading one end of cord ‘inside’ the other end of cord for a few inches. It sounds to me like your fid is too big, for cords thinner than 5mm there is a better way.. When I do this I don’t use a fid, I use something called a ‘ballpoint bodkin’ (available from sewing shops about £2.50), it requires a slightly different technique in that you have to ‘pull’ the cord through instead of ‘push’ as you would do with a fid, a ballpoint bodkin makes the job very easy I’ve done it countless times. If you want to pass the cord through much more than a few inches I use a device I made myself from a single strand of brass rabbit snare wire which is used in exactly the same way as the ballpoint bodkin (‘’pulling’’ not ‘’pushing’’) both items have an eye on one end, you push the eye through the sidewall then along through the inside of braid for required distance then back out through the sidewall again, you then thread the tip only of end of cord and then ‘’pull’’ the tool back out in reverse direction as to when it was first inserted (you are pulling one end through the other). The bodkin and wire tool are much smaller than a fid and are better at splicing lines of less than 5mm. There is actually a tool that does the job in exactly the same way as my home-made snare-wire device, but it is very expensive and you can easily make your own from a doubled over length of wire and it works just as good (the tool you can buy is just a very expensive piece of doubled over wire anyway). If my description is unclear then watch this vid and just imagine replacing that tool in vid with my home-made wire device but use exactly the same technique as in vid. Hope this helps.
This is that vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP74FE4p8to
and tool in use http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i--rWgMzeWM
This is that tool http://d-splicer.com/d-splicer-tool/d-splicer-set/

This is my improvised brass snare-wire version

Ballpoint bodkin

 

[Macaroon]

Joonsy, you're a lifesaver! Because I was watching people do what I was trying to do, I didn't allow myself to think clearly about alternative ways of going about it - but your post is excellent, that's obviously the way forward!

I've got a few different bodkins here which I've used for other things for ages, but didn't know of that one, I'll have a look when next in town; meanwhile, as soon as I can use my hands again I'll make a tool such as the one you show and have another go................

Thanks a lot for taking the time for such an informative response,............

 

[Joonsy]

thanks for reply, hope you manage to suss it, by the way there is also a proper splicing tool as well for thin lines called ''Holt Splicing Needle'' as used in sailing but it costs about £10-£12, it is much dearer than a sewing bodkin but it is stronger though as it's specificaly made for the job, don't forget a wire tool can go round corners but the needle can't if that's a neccesity on quite long splices. when you have a chance just google Holt Splicing Needle. Good luck. -- Oh and just to add, when threading the 'eye' of needle you only want the tip of end of cord poking out, if you thread too much through the eye it will double over and form a lump make pulling it through harder, too little and it will not hold and just pull out of the eye, basically you want the smallest amount poking through eye of needle that will allow for it to be pulled through, approx 1cm-1.5cm.

''Holt Sailing Splicing Needle'' for thin cord shown below, notice you ''pull'' not ''push'' to operate.

 

[Macaroon]

Great information, once again I'm impressed by the breadth and depth of knowledge on the forum; where else would you go to get these answers this quickly late on a Saturday evening?

Thanks again, mine eyes are clear once more!