want2braid

If you are using the multiple string method you can use any number of strings. I use 5 on little diameters, 6 or 7 on medium diameters, and 8 on bigger diameters. You can use 8 on littler also, or any number. You just have to cut your string narrower, and split it thinner. I really like tying the single strand button too. It can only be done as 4,6,8, etc. just as the foundation in a heelknot. Even though it's called a single strand long button,myself, and those who tie nosebuttons with it a lot use a 12' to 16' strand to tie the foundation, then you can splice in shorter 8' to 10' strands or shorter if need be to finish your interweave. You just have to splice a new string in under 3 or 4 strands and continue in the previous strands path. Even if you use 3 strings you only have to bury 6 ends, vs. 16 ends on a 8 strand, multiple string button. The downfall is the groundwork and button string have to be exact to work out, where a multiple string button is easier to make fit on different sizes of groundworks by braiding shorter or longer with your foundation button. Best of luck and happy braiding! Brent

There are two DVDs the Bryan Neubert made that really help, and also a DVD called Four Strands of Rawhide. I've never seen it, but it's on my list to get soon. Also, Gail oughts books have great illistrations, and there are braiding seminars posted on here sometimes. If you have a specific question, many on here including myself would be glad to help you get started, or help,through a challenging braiding technique. Best of luck!Brent C.

Good deal, you are getting some good string cut. It takes good string, to braid good gear! I'm glad b/c Ms. Shelly is a great braider, and her idea is awesome. I found on my finer strands like calf, I barely wet it, and then put it in a bag and it condensates and gets way to wet. I think the paper towels in a tupperware would do the trick. Leatherpounder is also a very good braider I was fortunate to meet in Elko, last year at the poetry gathering. His idea works well, I have used that method on romal reins, and bosal bodies. Aggie braider has a good thought. The clinic would be great to attend. Not just from help from Nate and Leland, but the networking with other braiders as well. There are other amazing braiders there that almost makes you wonder why they are there... but they too are trying to always improve their braiding, which is what keeps me inspired. There are several braiders that I can call, text, or email with questions. The other thing he mentioned was focus... that is right, I was the inspiration for that thought. I was bouncing around doing a little of everything, but had done alot of what they worked on and was just studying technique. The 2nd day I buckled down half a day and did a rawhide nosebutton, and learned a cool little method, I didn't think was possible! I'll be attending the advanced one in the fall, and if not interfering with reining/cowhorse shows, I may go to part or all of the bosal clinic in Feb.. Keep braiding and have a good one! Brent

I crown my strands starting in my left hand. For the pineapple/gaucho you go under the first strand, then over and under to the end. Then the 2nd under over, and so on, until the last one you take around the mandrel, rein/bosal bosy or whatever and then go under over under etc. to the bottom. Then you start braiding down by which ever side would start with under1 over 1. When you get to the bottom, to make it the same, I have turn it back when a strand from the left comes around, and follows a right strand up, and then turn back each in sequence, as you obviously know how to do. If I were to turn it back with the right strand coming around and following a string in my left hand it would be different. Some people crown the strands at the top by going over a strand, or whatever, and that would effect it. This is just ONE way to do it, the way I personally do as learned from rawhide and bitmaking guru Dave Klesper. You must have gotten the Tom Hall diamgram from Mr. Nagel? We have written books to each other on braiding! lol No rush, I have lots of practice buttons, and still go back to it. Best of luck! Try, try again, and it will come! Brent

Hey! I have made a pair that were 15'' cuffs and they were a little too small! They are darn pretty and just hanging in a collection, but next time Mr. Nate Wald said loop to button 17''. That means your initial braid 34'' + enough left to do your knot foundation however you do it! My hobbles are posted in my profile albums if you'd like to see them!

Hey! I don't have a hansen, but a handmade cutter and beveler. What I use is 1/2 a wooden clothspin to put downward pressure on it as I pull it through. No hard just enough to keep it against the guide to cut straight. I also made a nicer stick out of hardwood with a square cut out of a corner and use it while beveling. I've found sharp blades make your string though, and obviously temper. I for sure found through Mr. Nate Wald, and Mr. Don Brown that I has a tendency to cut my string too wet and that made a real uneven cut, so I cut and braid my string alot drier now! Not dry, just drier. Not sure if the stick might help, but its saved my thumb learning. Best of luck and happy braiding!

Hey! It looks like you turned your ends back differently on the bottom then the way you crowned them to braid down. So if you run you pairs out of the end, one side would be over one and one end will be under one! You can turn them back herringbone by over or onder 3. On the end its comes out over 1 you go over 2 more then under 2 then over 2 and so on. The end that comes out under 1 you go under 2 more, and then over 2, over 2 under 2 over 2 and so on. This will give you a herringbone interweave, but won't be turned back pineapple (inside the button) which would require both ends to be the same turnback.

Here is the 12 strand trenza patria in the pattern that I described as learned from TCAA members!

Hey! I do the 12 plait Trenza Patria all the time now its a great braid! First of all it changes patterns and then changes sides. If you have 5 on the left and 7 on the right. You start out over 3 under 3, then the next strand under 3 over 2, then you will have 7 on the left and 5 on the right. On the left top string goes over 3 under 3, then the next strand goes under 3 over 2. You need to make sure and tighten by pulling out, not downward or at an angle as it tighens a couple inches above the braid! I would post pics but I have a broken camera. Will post later! I hope this clarifies!

Alan, Just let me know! It would still be good to get anothers insight, it would just depend on horseshow dates. If you get it organized and dates let me know! Thanks! Brent

Thanks, I do have that! I finally found the first Bryan Neubert dvd to watch too, and I believe he ties a heel knot by going out side of the foundation instead of going under 2 that forms a x. If I remember right he said that this would make the knot grip tighter around the the groundwork, but I need to watch it to confirm my sometimes day dreaming! lol Thanks for the suggestion buddy!

Rob, Yeah, I should have just went to an eight bight, and thought maybe, but my last nosebutton was too tight. The wonders of braiding. I just found you on facebook. I posted pictures of it just the other day when I got done. Going out side of the foundation like the way Bryan Neubert says to do a heel knot on the first DVD he made? I'll have to try and find it and see. The o3, and u3 is pretty cool though, its a unique look, so i'm happy with it being the first time and all, I was just mostly wondering about how to go outside the foundation like you said, and keeping the v's straight. Thanks, for the great tutorial, and all of the aftermath advice. Have a great week!

Hello! If you want to make it like a greased hide you can do like I do even to drum stuffed kangaroo hide. Its the old timer method of camp fuel and parafin(jelly)wax. You take a stainless pot and pour the white gas( also called Camp Fuel) by Coleman's, and then use a cheese grater to shave a bar of parafin wax into it, which makes it dissolve better. You stir it up and then put your string in. I spiral out whole hides, so I rough cut them at 3/4'' and throw that in before splitting, fine cutting or beveling. It gives i more body, stiffening it up a little that make it cut and split cleaner, but has a buttery/waxy feel. After I let it soak a while, I pull the long strand between my thumb and index finger to get out excess mixture, coil it up and let it hang to dry. The humidiy will determine how long this might take, but the camp fuel is highly refined so it evaporates quickly. I have left it in the mixture to long and it leaves a wax residue on the outside. It will simply buff off with a soft cloth and elbow grease. I hope maybe this could save your string... Have a great week! Brent

Rob, How's it going? I just tied my first single strand long button for the nosebutton on a bosal. You replied to me about a 3 wrap. I was wondering with the specs you gave me, how many bight do you usually use? I did a very short 6 1/2'' nosebutton, on a lariat rope for loping hackamore, so the diameter wasn't really big. I used 3/32'' string, 3 wraps, and 6 bights, and ended up making the whole thing over 3 under 3 to make it complete. I just built it up like expanding a heel knot, but I saw you said something about turning back your first interweave outside of the foundation? How do you go about doing that? Thanks again for the help, the strands I cut to your suggestions and braided up really nice for 16 plait 5/8'' body. Have a great week! Brent

As Alan mentioned, that spot looks like the lime didn't get rinsed out, and then neutralized with vinegar. You can definately cut smaller discs out, around that area and get a lot of good string. If you try to spiral the whole hide into one big string and then cut out the parts that are bad, you won't get the length for say reins/romal, etc., etc. I've had those same spots and just cut around it. Your braiding is only as good as the string you braid with, so its better just to not use questionable rawhide, which in this case is the whiter area over the hind of that hide. That section usually has a different feel, even in the thick parts after you split it, it usually stretches alot like the belly, but that's just what i've found from my own mistakes. It looks like you still did a good job, and have a lot of good hide still to braid with. Looking forward to seeing the finished gear made out of this hide!

Alan! I went to the Nate Wald/Mehl Lawson clinic and really learned alot. I will be moving to OKC area at the end of the month. Horse show season will be an obstacle, but if you get the dates, time, place narrowed down, and there is no conflicts with the show schedule, I would definately like to come. So I can't say for sure right now, but if you have a maybe list put me on it and keep me posted! Thanks! Brent

Just a thought! I was asking around and found that some guys just cut the good discs out of a hide, instead of spiraling out the whole hide! That way you don't cross the back bone and you get 1 long even strand! It increases the yield. YOu may get 1 or 2 strands out of each disk depending on the size, and can use 2 hides to make one so long as they match in width, depth. bevel! Wayne Beven from Canada said that Holstein makes good rawhide, but you don't want to spiral through pigment change of white and black. The white /black on its own is good hide , but they just have two different feels. He said to try and get one that is 80% one main color and avoid the others. Maybe you can get discs of areas? I know cutting discs out of the last hide increased my yield!

Nate helped with that for a good reason. Your button takes the shape of your groundwork. I made 20 buttons of 2.5/32'' and some were really good 8 bight pineapple and gaucho knots and others seemed lop-sided. The tape smashed out of shape as I tied it, and tighten as I went. Thats where the more stable rawhide or leather foundation comes in. Also, some people use a wrap of leather and put a brass tack through the body work and leather to anchor it, or Nate said you could grove the leather and take a needle and string under a few strands through the leather wrapped around the body, wrap around a few time tight and tie it off. With a grove there the string is flush with the leather foundation.

Hey, Your welcome! Just for your info, the 8 strings crowned to start is an 8 bight, like mine was 5. Its not doubled in bites and strings and thats why you can use 5 and 7 and not just 6 and 8. As Mike was saying you will count double the bites on a gaucho because you turn it back and go outside over a strand and back under two, so it makes it twice. A 6 bight gaucho 12 and 5 bite 10 etc. I ll try and take pics when I get back from Wyoming. And, let me know how the rawhide venture goes. I plan on meeting up with Clint, when I get to Oklahoma, so maybe you can meet us there? Brent

I have posted pics to facebook, how should I post pics on here? You are limited to the number you upload! Also, on the multiple string to do an 8 bight you use 8 strings, you braid down, turn back one end and make pairs then turn back both ends and split pairs until each ends strands intersect. An 8 bight would be the equevalent of a 32 plait braid. It has 8 up v's , 8 down v's, and and over 2 under 2 pattern, you count it out as 8 + 8 for the number of rows of v's up and down, which follow each bight, and multiply by how many strands it goes over. A 6 bight over 3 under 3 would be like a 36 plait, but a 6 bight over 2 under 2 would be like a 24 plait. Let me know what you want pics of, I braid multiple strings nosebuttons every week now, in nylon, or rawhide, and can post the stages you'd like to see. Brent