Tech Tips | Tools of the trade, Part 13 Figure 6 – This bronze splicing fid is a variation made by SeaDog Line Figure 8 – A wire fid Tubular splicing fids Tubular ¿ ds, usually made of aluminum or plastic, can be used with most constructions of rope; however, each ¿ d is intended for a speci ¿ c diameter of rope. They can be purchased individually or in sets. Samson Rope makes Metal Splicing Fids for 1/4 ″ to 1 ″ diameter rope. �c; ϐ Ǥa;�c; ǡ�c; Ǥ The splicing wand Brion Toss’s Splicing Wand is another tool making splices in single and double braided rope. Unlike wire and tubular fi ds, which work much like needles, this tool uses a snare to pull one part of the rope through another. Insert the wand at the exit point and out at the entry point. Then use the snare to grab the end of the rope. I often attach the end of the rope to the wand with a piece of tape so that the end does not snag on yarns as it is being pulled through. When the splicing wand is removed, it pulls the end of the rope with it. Figure 9 – The splicing wand and other tools can be found at http://briontoss.com. Figure 7 – An aluminum tubular fid “ . . . a bulky knot cannot compare to the sleekness of an eye splice . . . Wire fids A wire fi d is a very simple fi d that can be used with either single or double-braided rope. Don’t let its simplicity fool you; this can be a very useful tool. Both tubular fi ds and wire fi ds work like needles. Attach one end of the rope to the tail of the fi d (usually using a piece of tape to hold it in place). Then inset the fi d into the rope at the desired location, bring it out at the exit point, and pull the rope end rope behind the fi d. “ In the Tech Tips column for the Winter 2012 issue of Protocol, I will cover more about tools for splicing. Happy splicing! Delbert L. Hall is President of D2 Flying Effects, an ETCP Certified Rigger and Recognized Trainer. He is the creator of RigCalc, a rigging app for Android and Apple iOS devices. Delbert is also a Professor of Theatre and Dance at East Tennessee State University and the recipient of United States Institute for Theatre Technology—Southeast Regional Section’s Founders Award as the Outstanding Educator in Theatrical Design and Technology for 2001. Delbert regularly presents rigging related sessions at the USITT national conference and at LDI. FALL 2011 51 PROTOCOL