Here's the wire fid I've been using and the fruits of it's service.... *Edit: 7/64 amsteel and 14 gauge copper wire.
The fid itself is actually 2 or 3 times as long as this so 10"+ buries are not an issue.
And the Dead eye with locking Brummel, the adjustable bury, and the "dead end" or handle.
Last edited by cavscout; 01-01-2010 at 18:58.
Cavscout, what size wire & what size Amsteel are you using?
My knife is so sharp it cut the sixth finger off my right hand! On the plus side, Inigo Montoya no longer hunts me.
That's 7/64 amsteel and 14 gauge? copper wire. The label says "14 Red". It was insulated but I stripped that off. I picked up a spool of it at home depot several years ago and it's just been sitting in my garage.
I use a blunt needle with a large eye, and a tiny hooked needle, both of which I found in an old sewing box. I have no idea how they are supposed to be used.
The hooked needle is perfect for pulling out strands for tapering. I cut the strands with Fiskars scissors, near the pivot screw, which area of the blades I rarely use for anything else.
The blunt, large eye needle is the perfect fid for 7/64 Amsteel. If you use a wire, you won't like this method, but it works just like the larger fids I used for splicing braided tow ropes long ago!
- MacEntyre
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
www.MollyMacGear.com
Perhaps the large one is for "needle point"? (I'm guessing... have no idea what "needle pointing" is... probably nothing to do with navigating using a compass.)
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- MacEntyre
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
www.MollyMacGear.com
I'd guess that he's talking about a yarn needle
http://www.amazon.com/Colonial-Needl...2494042&sr=8-1
I've used the plastic kind, like in the picture above, for 7/64 line. They are just a little too big for it to be easy. I find them much better for 1/8 line.
There are also metal yarn needles and upholstery needles. Upholstery needles are long, over 6 inches and have a smaller eye than a yarn needle.
The Dritz loop turner that someone recommended on this site (Dritz 647) works great for me; better than yarn needles, upholstery needles, and bent wire.
Another tool you can use is a Permalok Needle. You can buy them, or make one.
For 7/64 I use one of the 2 needles on the left. they're a Size 5 double-ended knitting needle that I threaded the end of. You can kinda see the threads in the second one from the left.
And here's a locked brummel eye with some paracord sheath for abrasion resistance.
Happy splicing,
Acer
It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Formerly known as Acercanto, my trail name is MacGuyver to some, and Pucker Factor to others.
It's not procrastinating, its proactively delaying the implementation of the energy-intensive phase of the project until the enthusiasm factor is at its maximum effectiveness. - Randy Glasbergen
Acer, the chafing gear is a nice touch!
Dave
"Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."~~~May Sarton
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