rawhider

I've never done that. I just bevel my egdes on the foundation really extreme, and it seems to work for what I like. But there is no reason why it wouldn't work for you. You can really do anything you like to underneath the knot, just so long as it doesn't come apart after you start useing the slide.

Looks good, MB. The 6 plait is a little hard to get the hang of. Your knots look really good. Working with rawhide is kind of like working with concrete: once it's ready, get your work done quick!

Be nice to me (Megabit!!) how do you guys like to figure out how many strings and what width they will be to cover a foundation or a core or what have you? I have gotten pretty good at guessing, but I'd like to know how to calculate the exact measurements. Please no complicated math formulas - my brain can only take so much before it just shuts down.

I don't let the dog in the shop. I do mostly rawhide, and even though she's a good girl, if she gets to eating rawhide, it's only a matter of time before she eats one of my pieces. I knew a guy who's dog ate a set of romal reins he just finished. It was hazardous for the dog, not the rawhide - the lead pill he got after eating it.

Hey, that looks really good! Nice kack you got there... never seen a rope strap concho quite like that before. Doesn't that get in the way of your dallys?

Joe, I couldn't find pics of the whips. What I do for pics on here is when you are posting or replying, look down on the bottom right hand corner of the text window. you'll see browse and upload bottons. I click the browse button and it takes me to my computers picture file. I then select whichever picture I want and them click the upload button. It seems to work for me...

Yeah, you'll have to do a couple to figure out exactly how to cover it. you'll get good at interweaving in order to fill up the knot a little bit. Charlie- I use about a 9/16" mandrel. It works well.

Looks good to me! Pretty sturdy. Do you like the 4 strand rope? I've never used one befoer, but I hear they are really handy.

You'll have to post pics when you're done. I'd love to see them.

those are really nice, Alan. That dark hide is really cool. I'm working on a set of romals, and the rawhide is a beautiful amber color, and the beveled edges came out a little lighter. They are really pretty. do you find that horse hide is darker? I've never braided with it.

Hey, no problem Jed. I started out with a book and endless supplies of rawhide. Several cows gave their lives, only to end up as chew toys for the dog!! As for your question, I leave the leather collar in the kot. It is the foundation, and without the foudation the knot will work loose. I braid with my strings just wet enough to work, so there isn't really alot of shrinkage. I braid my knot, roll is or pound it, I usually just slide them off and hange them with the others, but you can wait till it drys if you want too. It won't shrink so much that you won't be able to get it off. Don't feel bad about asking questions. There are a lot of awesome braiders on here, I've learned form everyone, so if you don't understand something, just ask. Hopefully one of us can explain it. ~Luke

Yeah, I've built several roo slides like that. They hold up fine. You shouldn't have to glue anything, just make sure you hide your ends right, and you'll be fine.

Waiting for some rawhide to case, so I whipped up a slide. and I took pics of how I build it. Cut a bevel, wrap and match. Tape, shape and braid.

Same here. Take your mandrel and a piece of leather strap. Cut one end of the leather strap at a steap bevel, wrap around the mandrel, and cut the other end so that the bevels fight tight together without leaving a bump where they meet. Take some tape (I use floral tape) and take a couple wraps around the collar. Shave with a razor to make sure you have a consistant foundation, and braid away!

Hey, Jed. For not having done anything like this you're doin really good. As for the finishing knot, you are on the right track. Loosely braid the 4 strands down the lariat as far as you want, then turn them around and weave them back up. Depending on how oyu weave them back up you will get a pineapple knot weave or a gaucho knot weave. When you get to the top, I pick two long strand that are opposite eachother and work them into the ring knot at the base of the honda. That will give the long knot a good ending as it's hard to make the start of that knot look good. Keep it up and good luck! ~Luke

Oh...thanks. That's very helpful.

We need some of you experienced braiders to show us how you build up your heel knot foundations. I've been having trouble with getting nice big knots, and I need advice. Thanks in advance!!

I think that no matter the cost, any cutter/beveler will save so much time that it's really worth it if you are serious about producing good braided peices. I purchased a hansen on ebay last fall, and I love it. I love having a splitter there aswell. When I'm cutting strings, I need to use only one other tool to get them ready, the rest is done on the hansen. It makes the strings so much more consistant. I thought about the lacemaster, but I didn't like the way that the beveler looked like it worked. Looked like it could be a pain, and you need to have SHARP blades to bevel roo hide. With the hansen, I just put in a shaving razor and I can shave off what ever I need. My 2 cents.

Just wondering if any of you rawhiders have seen Bryan Neuberts Advanced Rawhide Braiding video. I've been thinking of getting it, bt after reading a little more about it, I am wondering what level of braiding it really covers. Any other good video resources out there?

...but it was fun to make anyway! I built this for my mother inlaw, nothing to do with leather, but is is a horshoe, and most horses have saddles, and most saddles are made out of leather...so... Here you go!

Thanks, everyone. The interweave is some english bridle leather that I split down. I'm doing that alot now that I have a good splitter!!

Seems like theres lots of these things being made around here!

Looks good Mike! I noticed in one of the pics, you have coils of rawhide hangin up. Do you make oyu own, or do you purchace pre-cut strings?

That's really nice! Thanks for sharing!

Heres some things i've been working on for freinds for the holidays A key fob for a freins who just got his first pickup this year. A mini maguay rope for his rearview mirror A tiedown for a roping buddy