Cabling Installer Tips Watch

Ralph L. Renner

President

All Clear Communications Inc.

Upperco, MD

I disagree with the procedure described in Steps 5 to 8 in the tip, "Use braided rope to make pulling grip" (see September 1998, page 82). The picture shows rope strands wrapped around the outside of the rope. With more than 40 years` experience in telephone installation, maintenance, and repair, I started out as a lineman. I was taught to weave the strands into the rope at least three times. By using this technique, I made a splice that was smooth and would not hang up or get caught in conduit or other conveyan-ces. All of our splices were done this way, and they still hold up after all this time. No super-adhesive glue is needed and the rope would break before the splice ever came apart. In my experiences with super-adhesive glue, it has failed from time to time.