When making cordage, one challenge is getting a string long enough for the use you have in mind, and splicing may be required.
See How to Make Cordage for instructions on the “reverse-wrap” technique of twisting and wrapping plant fibers to make string. When you get to the end of your material and want to lengthen the string, here’s what to do:
As you are getting toward the end of one of your two strands, overlap the remaining, unwrapped section, with the end of a new strand. As you continue twisting and wrapping, incorporate the new strand into the old one, twisting them together. When you get close to the end of the other old strand, do the same with a second new one. This works best if you started with one strand somewhat longer than the other. The splice will be weaker than the other parts of the string, so you don’t want two splices at the same point.
The first amazing thing about reverse wrapping is that the cord does not unravel when you let go of it, because of the reversal: you twist in one direction (away from you), then wrap in the other (towards you).
Another amazing thing is that the cord is more than twice as strong as the original fibers, from the tension of the opposing twisting and wrapping. The ultimate strength of the cord depends on the plant used and the thickness of the string. Starting with thicker strands doesn’t always work, but the thickness can be increased by taking completed cords and reverse wrapping them together.
Deer sinew, dogbane stems, and slippery elm bark are the strongest wild fibers available in the eastern part of North America. All were used by the Indians to make bowstrings, which must bear a high level of tension and pressure. You will probably find more mundane uses for your string; I hope you enjoy it.
