Rope is one of mankind's oldest tools. Today it is made by twisting together the stringy fibers of certain plants, or by twisting together or weaving strands of nylon, plastic, or other modern materials. The ends of a rope sometimes begin coming apart. For a temporary fix, tie a knot in each end or wrap it with duct tape. The permanent way to prevent ropes from unraveling is by whipping or fusing the ends.
Cut off any of the rope that has already unraveled. Take a piece of strong string, preferably waxed and at least two feet long, and form a loop in it. Lay the loop near the end of the rope. Tightly wrap, or whip, the string around the rope. When the whipping is at least as wide as the rope is thick, slip the end through the loop and pull hard. Trim off the excess string, then whip the rope's other end.
(Other methods for whipping can be found in the Pioneering merit badge pamphlet.)
Rope and cord made of plastic or nylon will melt when exposed to high heat. Cut away the frayed part of the rope, then, working in a well ventilated area, hold each end a few inches above a lighted match or candle to melt and fuse the strands together. Melted rope can be hot and sticky-don't touch the end until it has cooled. Do not try to fuse ropes made of manila, sisal, hemp, cotton, or other natural fibers, because they will burn rather than or than melt