Australian Strander

[LuisPaulo]

Hi.

I bought this tool to cut fine strands of rawhide but..... I can't use this ! I just cut short strands, the strands are not at the same width, etc...

So, it drives me crazy !!!

Help me !!!!

[TracyMoss]

I have ot cut rawhide when it is mostly dry. Just a little moisture to it or it will stretch and nothing will be even. As for the australian strander, they work pretty good on most things, but I have a lacemaker that I use for long strands and a really sharp razor blade, if it gets just the least bit dull you need to replace it.

[rawhide1]

LuisPaulo

How fine are ya trying to cut? How thick is the rawhide your trying to cut? How long have ya used the strander? I've never used the Aussie strander so can't speak on it. I always case my rawhide and have never had a problem with it not cutting uniform or stretching. I've cut calf down to 1/64" which at that width it has a tendency to want to break. IMHO ya need to make sure your rawhide is cased and pracitice like heck with the strand cutter. And as Mr. Moss stated make sure ya have a sharp razor blade. Hope this helps.

Mike

[KAW]

You can make good stings with about anything as long as the moisture is right and you keep your blades sharp.

[LuisPaulo]

Actually I use a very thin skin made for use in drums.

I'll try that you post here, and I think its a matter of more practice.

Thanks for your help.

[Hedge]

You can do it with the strander, but it takes practice, the right consitancy of the hide and sharp blades. That means don't be stingy

with the blades. As soon as it starts showing signs of cutting hard, change it.

[OutBackP]

I've just ordered one but have a book by Ron Edwards who recommends them. Heres how he say's to use it. I'll put it in my own words so as not to break copyright laws etc.

The strander is used on the left thumb (right handed people)

Lay the skin on a bench and with a piece of string and marking tool draw a circle.

Fix the circle of leather to your bench with a tack in the center and let the edge overhang a little on the side you are working.

Cut the first inch or so with a knife and feed into the cutter.

As the lace is being cut the leather circle revolves.

You will need to repostition from time to time as the circle gets smaller.

Use a sharp blade. Change the position of the blade or replace after each skin.

Amount of lace is somewhere between 100-200 metres of 3mm lace from a hide.

When cutting pull the lace slighty away from the circle. This will lesson the chance of the blade running off and cutting uneven widths.

Hope this helps.

[leatheroo]

thanks for this tip about tacking the center of the circle, what a great idea

[Gremlin]

The aussie strander is my lace cutter of choice. I've tried other types (plastic stick type things, razor knife, jeri stripper, etc) but always come back to the strander. If I may, I suggest you practice on some scrap vegtan leather first. It is stiff enough to allow the user to get accustomed to handling the tool.

[jimsaddler]

"The strander is used on the left thumb (right handed people)

Lay the skin on a bench and with a piece of string and marking tool draw a circle.

Fix the circle of leather to your bench with a tack in the center and let the edge overhang a little on the side you are working."

Can I add a few points here please.

Firstly I must be a bungler as I use the (R.M. Williams) Strander on my Rt Index Finger and pull the Strand away from the Hide with my left hand and have done so for for nearly 50 years. It's by far the best to use. BUT it takes practice, Pratice and more practice to get perfect Strands.

Secondly if I was to strand from a circle I'd go broke very quickly. Thats for people with money to waste!! or to make money from writing Books. If you are using a full hide you trim the Hide to eliminate the Flabby or stretchy spots (Belly etc) and are left with an Egg shape. The day before you start Stranding Mellow the Hide with water and Saddle Soap and roll it up in Calico or Hessian then Plastic. Next day then trim arround the hide to give a square edge for the Strander to run on. Then lay the Hide on a Table (or if you can get a Chinese revolving Banquet Table even better) and sit yourself with the Hide under your left Arm, make a cut the width of the Strand you're cutting long enough to get hold of and start pulling the Strand through with your left hand. Your right hand being the Strander hand, your right index Finger being through the Strander and your Rt Thumb being the guide. If your Blade is sharp the Strander will do all the work for you effortlessly. As soon as it gets hard to pull Change the Blade ( I used to sharpen them on a Glass Stone). The sujestion to practice on a bit of Veg Tan is spot on Start light then get heavier. I forgot to say that as corners get to small to turn trim them into easier to manage curves.

Whe you've cut your Strand pull it Straight between a Glove greased with Saddle Soap (rounds the edges a bit too).

Kindest Regards.

Jim.

Edited March 28, 2008 by jimsaddler

[barra]

Jim. I too use the strander in the right hand. I am actually left handed but due to a childhood accident my left thumb will not fit in the strander. I don't have a problem using the strander right handed as you describe.

Barra

[OutBackP]

Thanks Jim some very good advice from someone who has used the thumb strander for some time.

As they say "there's more than one way to skin a rabbit". I can see your point with cutting an oval and not a circle, but in R. Edwards defence he does metion both way's. His reasoning being that with an oval you get left with a odd shape in the middle. Like you said you can trim this piece as you go.

I must say though that Ron Edwards was a very respected man in his leather skills and bush skills. He was also the president for the Australian plaiters and whipmakers assocation. So I really don't think he would write advice in one of his books just to sell it. I think it's just a case of what you know.

For one I'll be following your advice and Ron Edwards and probably come up with a different technique that works for me.

Thanks

Tony

[jimsaddler]

Dear Outback

sorry for the quip about selling Books. In the Trade we get quips all the time that we are doing it wrong because we saw to way to do it properly in a Book.

This has been a set back to communications between those who know and those that want to learn. The Tradesman promptly says to himself, "why waste time sharing knowledge" and shuts up. In my early days I knew most of the Plaiters, Saddlers & Harness Makers, of the time and there were very few. They shared with me a lot of Knowledge because I listened and practised what they taught me and went back for more. Now I am able to share that Knowledge as a result. Unfortunately a lot of Books are written on the Trades and a lot of them did not get facts right as they were outside looking in. This what has upset me at times and the reason for the quip.

Now for a bit more on Stranding Aussie style.

In actual fact the R M Strander is not the absolute best. Your Right hand Thumbnail as a Guide and a Sharp worn down Clickers Knife held between the Rt Thumb and index Finger are.

All the old Whippy's used this method and it was faster ( but rough on the Skin).

R M developed the Strander to save sore Thumbs, it is an exact copy of the action of Thumb Stranding . I saw the Stranders using it in 5 Percy St in the early 70's for Commercial Stranding of Roo Skin but with a handle welded on for easier Hold

So try my methd and you'll see the logic of the Trade.

Kindest Regards. Jim

[daviD A Morris]

I've been using one of those RM Williams stranders most of my life, have know a lot of other people who've used them for a long time and this is the first I've every heard of putting it on the left thumb!

BTW Dean Williams sells a very nice strander, a bit more complicated but heaps more versatile than the RM strander. I got one a couple of years ago. It was only about $100 and that included a complete set of instructions on making a kangaroo hide stock whip. This strander is realy good for doing tapered strands and also caters better for variations in thickness of the the hide and you can also take it off of the strand at any point and putt it back on without threading all the way out tto the end of the strand. Up till then I spent most of my life using the thumbnail method when ever I wanted tapered strands or mutliple strand cut together at one-time.

if any one is interested I'll get a photo of Dean Williams's whip cutter's strander onto here.

regards

dam

Edited March 29, 2008 by daviD A Morris

[CharlieR]

I've been using one of those RM Williams stranders most of my life, have know a lot of other people who've used them for a long time and this is the first I've every heard of putting it on the left thumb!BTW Dean Williams sells a very nice strander, a bit more complicated but heaps more versatile than the RM strander. I got one a couple of years ago. It was only about $100 and that included a complete set of instructions on making a kangaroo hide stock whip. This strander is realy good for doing tapered strands and also caters better for variations in thickness of the the hide and you can also take it off of the strand at any point and putt it back on without threading all the way out tto the end of the strand. Up till then I spent most of my life using the thumbnail method when ever I wanted tapered strands or mutliple strand cut together at one-time.if any one is interested I'll get a photo of Dean Williams's whip cutter's strander onto here.regardsdam

Yes,, would be interested in seeing a pic of this.

[Gremlin]

Well, I must be one of the few that use the aussie strander on my thumb. To be honest, I use it both ways depending on what I am making the lace out of. Neither way is wrong. You do it in any way that works for you.

As for skiving the lace down, I use a very small hobby wood plane with the lace fed thru the bottom and drawn upwards with the flesh side towards the blade. Fast and very easy.

[okiwen]

I would really like to see the Williams strander also. Everytime I need to cut a strap of any kind I lament the use of a strap guage. It doesn't make sense to me to have all that drag way to the outside of your support. Specially when I need to cut a billet or something like it. I think the handle should be hooked to the blade portion not the guide portion.

[OutBackP]

Well I just received the Aussie strander today, haven't really used it properly yet. Was a little disappointed with the quality but it worked surprisingly well. Will give it a proper testing this week.

Jim I can see why you say you use it on your right index finger, not only is the hole almost to small for my thumb it just feels more comfortable on my right. I guess that's why I'm here. If you can't learn first hand it's better to get advice from lots of people.

Would be a nice to have a few pictures of people using them.

David I to would like to see your strander.

Gremlin glad to see someone backing up Ron Edwards!

Has any one tried using a safety razor blade split in half? I briefly tried with a old one from my razor, didn't seem to go well. Not sure if its to flexible or just not sharp enough.

Tony

[HorsehairBraider]

I would really like to see the Williams strander also. Everytime I need to cut a strap of any kind I lament the use of a strap guage. It doesn't make sense to me to have all that drag way to the outside of your support. Specially when I need to cut a billet or something like it. I think the handle should be hooked to the blade portion not the guide portion.

Hmmm. That does make sense, but when you use the tool you always end up wanting to put pressure on the blade (for a more consistent width). I wonder if your system would work? Is there any way to test it?

[okiwen]

Hmmm. That does make sense, but when you use the tool you always end up wanting to put pressure on the blade (for a more consistent width). I wonder if your system would work? Is there any way to test it?

I know it will work. I see it in my head, clearly. I just am not a manufacturer. I am an idea man.

I also know that I hate strap guages...alot. I will lay a steel ruler down and cut by hand to avoid that frustration.

[greg gomersall]

I would really like to see the Williams strander also. Everytime I need to cut a strap of any kind I lament the use of a strap guage. It doesn't make sense to me to have all that drag way to the outside of your support. Specially when I need to cut a billet or something like it. I think the handle should be hooked to the blade portion not the guide portion.

They already make what you are discribing they call it a plough gauge and I use one for cutting stirrup leathers. Works way nicer than a draw gauge on wide straps but you better have a couple shots of everclear before you price one out. Greg

[kseidel]

John Bianchi has produced a new strap cutter that has the blade in the handle and the edge of the strap off to the side. Can be used right or left handed. Pretty inexpensive. Same principle as the plough gauge only pulling instead of pushing. I still prefer the plough gauge for heavier leather and wider straps like stirrup leathers.

Keith

[barra]

Attached is a Picture of a Plough guage. The wing nut looking screw is to adjust the brass roller for strap thickness and the other adjustment screw is to adjust the width of the strap. It is then pushed to cut straps.

Greg is right, have a defibrolator handy when you see the price of a new one.

Barra.

Edited March 30, 2008 by barra

[daviD A Morris]

Pics of the Dean Williams whip strander.

the width adjustment has 2 "stops" on it, one for your narrowest setting, one for your widest. Then as you cut your tapered strand you just automaticaly start at the narrowest (or widest if you want to taper the other direction) that you have set it and gradually work out to your widest setting. Widest that it will cut is about 7/8"

[jimsaddler]

Has any one tried using a safety razor blade split in half? I briefly tried with a old one from my razor, didn't seem to go well. Not sure if its to flexible or just not sharp enough.

The Safety Razor used to work with my old Strander as it had a very fine slit in the top to take it, but it got "borrowed". I just use narrow Stanley Knife Break off blades now as the Top of my new one is now a Roller type.

For David Morris is that Dean Williams from R Ms I'd like to catch up with him if I can.

Kindest regard. Jim.