Adding Third Colour in 4 Part Round Braid

[animagusbc]

Well, I've learnt so much from this site but have a question that I'm hoping someone would be able to answer.

I've started experimenting with making Lanyards and have mastered using 2 colours of 1/8" Kangaroo Leather but how do I go about adding a third colour to a 4 part round braid? Do I have to cut 1 piece in 1/2 and then glue another piece to it?

I've used 3 different colours with a 6 part round braid which is very straightforward but not understanding how to add a 3rd colour in a 4 part round braid.

What do others recommend?

Also any tips on how to make the my first lead look a lot smoother as I've seen some where the leather just blends in together.

Thanks for everbody's help here.

P.S. Here is a pic of my first leash made.

[megabit]

Not sure I follow what you are asking. If I wanted 3 colors in a 4 plait braid I would use 2 strings of the same color and 2 strings of different colors like 2 white, 1 red and 1 blue. This of course means you can't attach your clip by doubling over 2 strings and would need to back braid at both ends. I guess you could splice in the 3rd color though if you didn't want to back braid for a loop.

[animagusbc]

I see where you are going with this...I know where to go with this now..duhhhh!!! LOL....

[megabit]

So you want something like this?

[rawhide1]

If ya want your braid to look smoother ya need to bevel your strings on the flesh side. And then roll the finished braid work between two boards with a little pressure.

Mike

[animagusbc]

Thanks Everybody...Rawhide and Megabit...would you be able to tell me what tool I would need to bevel the flesh side? That would be greatly appreciated as I would love my leash to have much more finished look to it. Thanks again.

Edited May 27, 2009 by animagusbc

[megabit]

Depends on how handy you are and what you want to spend. I know of at least one person who can do so free hand with a sharp knife. You can improvise a beveler with a hard board a nail and a knife. Or you could buy one. I like the one I got from WhiteBuf on here let me go find the link to the threads.

Here is a link: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=15534

Edited May 27, 2009 by megabit

[animagusbc]

Love it but just a tad bit expensive for me at the moment as I'm just a beginner and just learning the ropes here. The leash was my first project but I will see if I can get it cleaner looking by using the 2x4 to smooth it out.

What a great forum for learning...Shall I get into making masks too...I think my artsy fartsy side is coming out...LOL

Depends on how handy you are and what you want to spend. I know of at least one person who can do so free hand with a sharp knife. You can improvise a beveler with a hard board a nail and a knife. Or you could buy one. I like the one I got from WhiteBuf on here let me go find the link to the threads.

Here is a link: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=15534

[Hilly]

Depends on how handy you are and what you want to spend. I know of at least one person who can do so free hand with a sharp knife. You can improvise a beveler with a hard board a nail and a knife. Or you could buy one. I like the one I got from WhiteBuf on here let me go find the link to the threads.

Here is a link: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=15534

I bought one of Whitebuff's string makers, too, and I love it. I'm totally new to braiding, and I was making my own nice looking strings about an hour after recieving it. This tool rocks.

[jerryrwm]

You can take one of your strings and dye it from the mid-point. That means you might have to use natural color hide first and dye that string twice. Or you can dye a lighter string with darker dye. But a three-color 4 strand leash is gonna look a little awkward as far as color pattern goes. Migh be better off using three colors and a 6 strand leash.

As far as skiving the corners of the strands, it is important to get that part of the operation down solid or the finished project will not look finished. If you look at some of the whipmaking books, they show you how to do it by hand. The keys to hand skiving are make sure your blade is as sharp as you can get it. I use #11 scalpel blades and right out of the package, I give them a couple passes on the polishing wheel to give them that clean edge. Also you need to find a good cover for your finger. I make a collar out of 4-5 oz leather. Gives the laces a smooth surface to slide on, and also protects the finger when skiving.

Many whip makers skive the strands by hand because the strands taper and it's kinda hard to use a fixed width blade on the various cutters when the lace has to taper. Depending on the size of the whip, the strands could taper from 10-12 mm down to 3-4 mm at the point end. For a very fine finish, some will skive the flesh side with a deep cut say 45 deg. and then turn the lace over and just skive the tiniest corner off the hair side. When it is done right and rolled properly -(I use two pieces of marble slab), the resulting plaiting will feel like a snakeskin - textured with no sharp edges at all.

Just learn to walk backwards at a steady pace, have your strands soaped so they slide easy, keep your pulling hand steady and the blade hand firmly against the lace. It takes practice and I guarantee you will cut through a number of strands before you get it down.

Just my $.02 worth.

Jerry

[Essentia]

I learnt to bevel by hand first but then I got lazy, I had this little machine made up and where your pulling the lace to the blade it still runs smooth and gives an even bevel on tapered lace aswell as straight lace

Tony

Edited May 29, 2009 by Essentia

[LBbyJ]

I to learned to bevel by hand before buying a string cutter. Like others have said, secure one end well, wrap your finger in some leather to protect it and give some slide and hold a very sharp knife at a 45 degree angle to the edge of the leather as you walk backwards keeping the lace taunt. It is fairly easy to pick up once you do a string or two.

3 colors in a 4 strand braid is a little bit of a challenge, you would have to either tie off the ends with some sinew or tie a terminal knot but that would require four loose ends. When I do lanyards 1 or 2 colors I use a length of 4 strand and make the loops of the lanyard and bring the ends together and tie them together with sinew and cover with a fancy knot.

One other thought would be to cut your strands an inch or two long and fold them over and braid around the extra inch, you could even trim the lace down a little to 3/32.

Nice work on the lead!!

John

[bran7347]

You could also take four different color strings, tie a turks head, slip your snap in behind it and start braiding. just a thought.

[entiendo]

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't a leash have a turnback at both ends? You only have 2 strings of strength there at the snap. Kangaroo is a great leather and very strong but 4 strings and a core are most defiantly stronger than 2 strings. You could also add up to 4 colors very easily. Unless I'm totally misunderstanding the question, which may be possible.

Edited June 6, 2009 by entiendo

[LBbyJ]

You are correct about the turn back or end loops and that you need more then 2 strands for strength. Most of the leads I've seen will continue the 4 strand braid through the loop and then back weave the loose ends into the braid. Here's a link to Maeve's work on Etsy showing what I mean:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23477842

Edited June 7, 2009 by LBbyJ

[Maeve]

You are correct about the turn back or end loops and that you need more then 2 strands for strength. Most of the leads I've seen will continue the 4 strand braid through the loop and then back weave the loose ends into the braid.

And ..... I would never plait a 4 plait leash without a core. Not only WITH a core ..... but braid the core back into the lead when doing the back braid. I have seen a chihuahua pull a back braid out of a 4 plait lead that was loosely braided without a core. I was shocked to say the least! A back braid without a core still has only 4 strings holding the dog. Recently I learned a really neat technique where the handle was started with a fold-over start then braided into the leash by threading the strings through the folded over strings. It makes a very nice looking hand grip. But again ... it is only 2 strings strong. While the pro handlers don't use the hand grip, all I can see in my mind's eye is that ONE DAY when a handler puts the loop over his/her hand while doing something, the dog lunging and the lead breaking. I know that the chances aren't that good for something like that happening but still. I don't want it on my shoulders if it SHOULD happen! As neat as the technique is, I won't use it.

Here is a picture of a 4 color braid that is over a core with the back braids. These are sight hound tag collars that I made for a Greyhound/Whippet group. Yes, I know that it is a ring not a snap! But you can see how they can be braided in with 4 colors and look good while having strength! Wow ... that was a run-on sentence! LOL!

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?t...ion_id=15699714

Love and Light,

Maeve