How to Braid a Cotton Rope Lead
Do you have broken cotton rope leads or lead ropes gathering dust in your barn or garage? Don't know what to do with them, but don't want to throw them away, either? Don't worry, because you can save yourself a lot of money simply by braiding your broken rope leads back together to repair them or crafting your own lead ropes for a fraction of the cost of buying new ones. And in a tough economy, it pays to save every dollar possible.
Things You'll Need
- 8 feet three-strand, cotton or nylon rope 5/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter
- Bolt, bull or panic snap
Instructions
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Beginning the Handler's End with a Crown Knot
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1
Unbraid about nine inches of rope. Tape the end of each strand to keep the rope from unraveling.
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2
Hold the rope in your fist at the beginning of the unbraided section. Arrange the strands equal distances a part from one another.
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3
Position one strand over the strand to its right.
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4
Position the strand to the right (the second strand) over the tail of the first strand and over the third strand.
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5
Position the third strand over the tail of the second strand and insert the tail of the third strand into the loop formed by the first strand.
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6
Tighten the crown knot by gently pulling on each strand. The knot must be even and secure to support back braiding the strands into the rope.
Back Braiding the Handler's End
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7
Choose any one of the strands and insert the tail under the second underlying strand. Pull the strand through.
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8
Do the same for the strand to the right and then for the third, remaining strand.
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9
Repeat the previous steps until all the strands have been braided. Braid each strand only once, then move on to the next strand.
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10
Tighten the braids by pulling on the ends of the strands.
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11
Cut the ends of the strands off. If the braid is not tight enough, you can tape around the rope to secure the ends of the strands.
Braiding on the Snap
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12
Unbraid about nine inches of rope at the opposite end. Tape the end of each strand to keep the rope from unraveling.
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13
Run two of the strands through the eye of the snap. Run the third strand through the eye of the snap in the opposite direction. The strand should run over the first two strands.
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14
Pull the strands tight. Begin back braiding with one of the first two strands.
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15
Repeat the process, moving to the strand to the right each time. The third strand, the one that was run through in the opposite direction, may need to be braided over two strands and then under one strand to be properly aligned with the other two strands.
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16
Cut the ends of the strands off. If the braid is not tight enough, you can tape around the rope to secure the ends of the strands.
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1
Tips & Warnings
See References for pictures.
