shrink tube over splices

[Sneaky Duck]

I saw a company that sells spliced STS backstays and it has shrink tubing over the splices. Is there a benefit to doing that? What application would it be appropriate? I'm going through all the systems of my boat and replacing all the lines and there are a lot of spliced eyes and spliced on blocks. It's all below deck plates and out of the sun. I'm curious if I should consider doing that, or is it really just for looks?

 

[slug zitski]

I don’t know what the heat shrink is for

Always a good idea to add a stitched whipping to a splice

 

[SloopJonB]

I've done it for years - works better than whipping.

Doesn't replace stitched whipping but otherwise it's faster and easier.

Not as salty though.

 

[Quickstep192]

I’ve done it using adhesive lined heat shrink, but I’ve always felt it was the lazy way out until I saw that SJB does it. From now on I’ll feel better about it.

 

[Kenny Dumas]

I wouldn’t do it on dyneema

 

[Haligonian Winterr]

Only place I've used it is over whippings/ends for poly-tech cover eye splices in small diameter (5mm) ropes for lasers. Otherwise Millionaires tape is better for chafe and much more serviceable.

 

[Irrational 14]

Looks cheap. Like you got it from Amazon.

 

[SloopJonB]

I wouldn’t do it on dyneema

Works fine if it's adhesive lined and you suck up the splice very tight a few times before shrinking it.

I've got a few Dyneema lines that terminate with halyard knots and I used shrink on the tail of the knot where it lies against the halyard after I had tensioned them with the winch a few times.

Worked great. Dunno about lifespan but my experience with it on poly double braid is that it lasts a lot longer than whipping.

As to looking cheap, I agree it's not as salty as whipping but I think any kind of tape looks a lot cheaper.

 

[Steam Flyer]

What kind?

I've done it but even the expensive stuff does not seem to hold up in UV

 

[SloopJonB]

What kind?

I've done it but even the expensive stuff does not seem to hold up in UV

Don't have it here to check - it's a tackle box of pro stuff my electrician BIL gave me.

 

[Kenny Dumas]

I’d be concerned about overheating the dyneema but haven’t bothered to check the numbers. I had some cool PTFE over PFA I used for hi reliability cable that would bake HDPE if you made it go off, I think.

 

[Quickstep192]

Heat shrink looks more professional if you use clear or use a color that matches the rope. Sherco Auto/Marine has a wide variety of colors and clear as well as some colored translucents.