How I cut string

[Katy]

I really like your string cutter. I made one kind of similar but it's not as neat. What kind of metal is that? Did you make it?

Hi everybody on the braiding forum. I'm still a real newbie at braiding and am still working with leather not rawhide. Though I hope someday soon I'll be brave enough to try.

I've been tooling since I was about 22 and making my own chaps and gear. (don't even ask how old I am LOL) I've just gotten back into the tooling this last year making some small stuff like Vaquero spur straps mostly and other little odd and ends. I do repairs on Leather goods, tarps, tie downs in my shop in addition to other non leather related stuff. I just love the old hand made braided tack and even the new.

Now my question... I hope I have the right forum here. .At my age (no hints ) I gotta be a little more careful about riding. So I saved up and bought the STI safety stirrups. (only decent made break away stirrup on the market IMHO), no affiliation. The thing is I bought the uncovered oxbow so all you see is plastic. (yuck) my first plan was to just cover them with leather. But I was looking around on eBay and saw new hand made oxbows that were all rawhide braided for about $120. from a saddle shop in Arizona. After seeing those I wanted mine to be rawhide braided too. But problem is I'm no where near being good enough to do it my self, especially with rawhide. Is there anybody here that does outside work with raw hide braiding that would do a set of skinny oxbows? I would much prefer to send them to a list member than someone I don't know at all.

I attached a couple of photos of them with the measurements. Any leads, advise, comments would sure be welcome. Spring is coming and I'm itching to ride. Thanks Katy

[alaskakid79]

i can take care of those oxbows. but i would advise against it. the rawhide will make them stickier to the boot. if you are looking for a slick get away find a brass pair. they are probably cheaper than covering the one you have. and you would have a higher quality product.

[JSaddlery]

Rob,

I streched out my string before I split anything down and it has that curl in it, what would you suggest do I soak it in water for a day or so than let it case overnight, I'm just a little lost on trying to get that curl out, I noticed the slit in the piece of wood there is that what takes the curl out. I tried to split it but it had that curl and wasn't working to good just beveling the edges to a point and just scuffing the center. Any help would be awsome, Thanks Tom John

This is how I do it now. It's different from how I was doing it last year and I might be doing things different next year. But this is how I am doing it now. Nothing I do is original I have stolen just about every idea I've ever had on any subject. I start with a hide that has been dehaired and has dried in a frame. I cut the whole thing out, role it up and toss it in a stock tank, then go to bed.

The next morning, after coffee and conversation with sweetie I go out and haul the limp, soggy hide out of the water and let it hang for about an hour or two. Then I cut the whole thing into a 3/4 inch strip. This last hide gave about 475 feet. I then take that strip and run it through the splitter and get it all down to the same thickness. After that it is back out to the corrals where the whole strip is stretched out between some post and left to dry for a day or two.(depends on humidity) When that has dried the whole thing gets waded up into one giant tamale and dunked in a garbage can full of water for about 20 minutes or until it starts to feel like half cooked spaghetti. It's taken out and shook out real good then place in some garbage bags for a few hours to a day or so to temper through. This strip will have a curl in it that needs to be taken out before any other string can be cut from it. I run it through on old ax handle with a slit cut in it.

Now I can start cutting string to width, after that is done everything is splitt down to its final thickness. And finally beveled. I only bevel two sides. (Because I'm lazy)

I have several barrels with the tops cut off that I employ when cutting, beveling, or splitting. All sting goes into and come out of these. It helps to keep the string from getting stepped on and tangled up if it needs to be moved. And if I need to leave to do something else I can just slip a plastic bag over the top and keep my moisture in there. If I have to be gone long I will set a glass of water down in there and it will keep the moisture right for days. Always remember to put something on the end of the string if you are going to drop it in the barrel it will save alot of time trying to fish out the end.

If I know I will be using the string in the next week or two I will put in the humidor. There is about an inch of water in the bottom with enough clorox in it to kill most living things. This helps to keep mold down to a minimum.

I think I got it all in here. If you have any question just ask and I'll make something up. If you have something to add please do I am far from having this all figured out.

Rob Gerbitz

[rgerbitz]

I'd soak it till I got a sort of half cooked spaghetti feel to it then take it out and wrap it up good in plasitc for overnight. You might have to let is soak for an hour or two depending on how thick it is. The warmer the water the quicker it will soften. When you get it out the next day it should be pliable but if any of it is overly strechy let it case for another day of so till the moisture gets down to where its not strechy at all. Then pull it over and through the stick with a slit to take out the curl. When the strip is passing through the stick it should be making an S shape as it travel over and through. I have been finding that if a split the whole strip down to about 3 or 4 32's prior to streching that I can usually get away from the strip curling up so much that I need to do anything about it.

Hope this helps

Rob

[JSaddlery]

Thanks Rob,

Ill give that a try on the next go around as I just cut the circle into string today and it came out fairly nice for a first but there is a lot for me to learn so any help is just awsome, do you know if it is easier to do the lime process or the dry scraping for removing the hair this hide was the first one for me and I cut it into string and than scraped the hair off. Tom John

I'd soak it till I got a sort of half cooked spaghetti feel to it then take it out and wrap it up good in plasitc for overnight. You might have to let is soak for an hour or two depending on how thick it is. The warmer the water the quicker it will soften. When you get it out the next day it should be pliable but if any of it is overly strechy let it case for another day of so till the moisture gets down to where its not strechy at all. Then pull it over and through the stick with a slit to take out the curl. When the strip is passing through the stick it should be making an S shape as it travel over and through. I have been finding that if a split the whole strip down to about 3 or 4 32's prior to streching that I can usually get away from the strip curling up so much that I need to do anything about it.

Hope this helps

Rob

[acox4t4]

Yes sir, I use a draw gauge. This is the one I use, its the only one I've ever used, wouldn't know if there is any advantages to the other ones. I did try and use just a good sharpe knife once, but my patience ran out about 2 feet in and I went back to use the draw gauge.

Rob

I'm off the topic here but oh my gosh I checked out your web site that it so cool. The land looks so pretty and the view of the sky ect is just breath taking, its amazing what God can do to show us he's in charge. Anyway I just wanted to tell you that I checked it out and your work you have for sale all looks great.

Annette

[4C Saddle and Harness]

This is how I do it now. It's different from how I was doing it last year and I might be doing things different next year. But this is how I am doing it now. Nothing I do is original I have stolen just about every idea I've ever had on any subject. I start with a hide that has been dehaired and has dried in a frame. I cut the whole thing out, role it up and toss it in a stock tank, then go to bed.

The next morning, after coffee and conversation with sweetie I go out and haul the limp, soggy hide out of the water and let it hang for about an hour or two. Then I cut the whole thing into a 3/4 inch strip. This last hide gave about 475 feet. I then take that strip and run it through the splitter and get it all down to the same thickness. After that it is back out to the corrals where the whole strip is stretched out between some post and left to dry for a day or two.(depends on humidity) When that has dried the whole thing gets waded up into one giant tamale and dunked in a garbage can full of water for about 20 minutes or until it starts to feel like half cooked spaghetti. It's taken out and shook out real good then place in some garbage bags for a few hours to a day or so to temper through. This strip will have a curl in it that needs to be taken out before any other string can be cut from it. I run it through on old ax handle with a slit cut in it.

Hey rob, would you be interestedmin selling some rawhide?

Now I can start cutting string to width, after that is done everything is splitt down to its final thickness. And finally beveled. I only bevel two sides. (Because I'm lazy)

I have several barrels with the tops cut off that I employ when cutting, beveling, or splitting. All sting goes into and come out of these. It helps to keep the string from getting stepped on and tangled up if it needs to be moved. And if I need to leave to do something else I can just slip a plastic bag over the top and keep my moisture in there. If I have to be gone long I will set a glass of water down in there and it will keep the moisture right for days. Always remember to put something on the end of the string if you are going to drop it in the barrel it will save alot of time trying to fish out the end.

If I know I will be using the string in the next week or two I will put in the humidor. There is about an inch of water in the bottom with enough clorox in it to kill most living things. This helps to keep mold down to a minimum.

I think I got it all in here. If you have any question just ask and I'll make something up. If you have something to add please do I am far from having this all figured out.

Rob Gerbitz

[sos]

• What kind of hides do you do? It looks like a basic veggie tan ...

Do you die your lace after cutting it the final time?

How many ounces (estimated) do you cut your lace into?

Do you do 1/8" lace with this process?

[Tanthathide9]

Thays rawhide not leather