Homemade string cutters

[Alan Bell]

Here is what it looks like when you use it. You grab hold of the string coming out the top of the disk and apull gently and steadily and the knife seems to float on down all by itself. Make sure you catch the knife before it reaches the end and falls to the floor or worse still, it stabs you in your foot!!

Vaya con Dios, Alan Bell

[megabit]

Thanks Alan,

So do you have the hide stretched between 2 clamps or are you holding the other end out of frame? Do you use the same jig to bevel your string? Speaking of beveling wouldn't it easiest to just cut and bevel at the same time?

Oh, and I ordered a fixed blade knife to use the other day. Mine is cumming from Argentina though not Japan. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...bayphotohosting

Thanks for putting up with this pest.

Mike

[rawhider]

That's a pretty ingenious little tool there Alan! I like it. Can you bevel with it?

[Alan Bell]

Naw, beveling is done with the same sharp knife and a piece of scrap leather protecting your holding hand and holding the knife at an angle and beveling freehand. And I am just holding the end while cutting the strip of rawhide into strings.

Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

[seveneves]

I made a video of mine on youtube a while ago. it's not quite as fancy but it works great.

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I hope that helps. I need to make some feet so I can bolt it to the table. Now i just clamp it in my vice.

[seveneves]

This is one I made out of a couple pieces of pipe. It works great but needs a set of feet to secure it to the table.

I also made a simple skiver that I'll post some pictures of.

These are in more detail on youtube.

Here's the skiver:

Edited March 3, 2010 by seveneves

[Dewey]

Does anyone have a picture of their string cutters that they could possibly post... I dont have the money to buy and expensive one and am looking for an idea to make one from. thanks vander

I doubt this will help most folks here but here's how I've been cutting leather lacing for ten lustrums . My needs are perhaps less exacting than are yours. I make very thin spiral cutting dies the length I need. I can make a die in about 30 minutes using automotive hose clamps, steel rule cutting blades (either 0.014" one point, or 0.028" two point, both 15/16" tall and center bevel.) See pictures. There is some material waste but I consider it acceptable due to the massive reduction in my labor. I don't need to edge the grain side because die cutting rolls the cut edge over by it's very nature enough to suit my needs. It's a great way for me to still utilize my scrap leather. In my youth I'd spend a lot of time in libraries and read that this is how the American Indians made their lacing. It ain't my idea, but I modernized it. You'd need a small but powerful press. Small hydraulic ones would be just fine. I stretch the lace to make it straight.

The cutting die:

The cutting press

lace:

I have made dies to make lacing that is much longer.