How to prepare Kangaroo Lace

[bergjes]

Hi,

I'm new to leather braiding.

I found this forum, and there is a whole lot of information.

Still I can't find an answer to my question.

I bought some kangaroo lace to braid a bracelet.

What I want to no is, do I need to prepare the Kangaroo lace? (oiling, leather soap, etc.)

I read something about preparing/beveling rawhide, but is this also with Kangaroo Lace?

Forgive me my ignorance, but I'm just starting.

Thanks,

Erik

(Netherlands)

[KnotHead]

It all depends on the lace itself.

1. Is the lace on a spool?
2. Is the lace in a rolled up Ball, or Tamale?
3. Is the lace already beveled?
4. What size is the lace?
5. Was the lace cut from drum stuffed Hide?

Softening the lace is also dependent on the type of hide it came from. If drum stuffed, I would use Pecards Leather dressing, where a little bit goes a long way. If it is already in lace form, you should not have to do too much to the actual lace itself.

Brian...

[bergjes]

It all depends on the lace itself.

1. Is the lace on a spool?
2. Is the lace in a rolled up Ball, or Tamale?
3. Is the lace already beveled?
4. What size is the lace?
5. Was the lace cut from drum stuffed Hide?

Softening the lace is also dependent on the type of hide it came from. If drum stuffed, I would use Pecards Leather dressing, where a little bit goes a long way. If it is already in lace form, you should not have to do too much to the actual lace itself.

Brian...

Thanks Brian.

So many questions.

I bought the lace from murphywhips.com.

It's 20 meters, 3mm wide, from a spool. (brown and black)

For I can tell the lace is not beveled, but I don't know if this is nescesary.

Hope this will tell you more?

[rawhide1]

Thanks Brian.

So many questions.

I bought the lace from murphywhips.com.

It's 20 meters, 3mm wide, from a spool. (brown and black)

For I can tell the lace is not beveled, but I don't know if this is nescesary.

Hope this will tell you more?

When I first started braiding I used pre cut roo from tandy (I still will sometimes) I didn't bother beveling because I didn't have a way to bevel. And plus I was just trying to learn to braid and that was enough. I found that after I was finished braiding the piece and rolled it real well it looked pretty good. I just use saddle soap to grease my strings with when I'm braiding.

With all that being said I think once ya get the basics of braiding down. You need to either make or buy a beveler. You will see a big difference in the finished project. When strings are beveled and the finished piece is rolled it's night and day.

Best wishes, Mike

Edited January 23, 2010 by rawhide1

[Spence]

I use 'roo almost exclusively now.

I cut the strings, soap and stretch. Then I bevel. As I'm braiding, I will soap again, as needed to seat the strings properly.

I use a recipe I found in one of the whipmaking or braiding books. A pound of lard, a bar of Ivory soap, some water. Cook it up and don't let it boil over. Makes enough soap to fill a 2 lb coffee can.

If I'm braiding horse tack or anything that's gonna be hanging outside, I add a couple of drops of kerosene. This is supposed to keep bugs out of the leather.

[roo4u]

i usually dont bevel my roo but that is cuz the thickness i split down to doesnt require beveling plus roo is so soft that usually if you just roll it when your done it will get really nice and smooth. this is for the lace i cut myself that is not the commercial stuff that is kind of hard. that stuff i would not use without beveling. also we never use any kind of soap on our thongs when braiding but again they are split to a very nice weight and they lay nicely in the braid.

[jerryrwm]

When I am doing any kind of plaiting with kangaroo I go through the same steps every time.

Cut the strands to desired width plus about a mm wider. When making a set for a whip, they are tapered as I cut. (Use a D Williams cutter.)

When making tack, hatbands, lanyards, dog leads, etc. they are all cut same width the full length.

Then the strands are stretched. Tie them off and stretch them between the fingers while walking backwards. (No more tension than I use when plaiting.) This step reduces broken strands when plaiting. And breaking a 25' strand when making a whip is a real pain. Really dislike having to plait in and hide a broken strand. It can be done and if done correctly, it is nearly impossible to find.

Then I run the laces through the splitter. Usually to the thinnest part of the hide. To thin and you end up with paper thin laces that won't stand up to much use. Especially on whips that are used frequently.

Then skive (bevel) the edges. Plaiting tack and leads, etc. I use a beveler. Can't remember who made it. Had it for about 15 yrs. Still works fine. Skiving a whip overlay is a little bigger pain in the butt with the beveler because the strands are tapered . So I use a scalpel and a leather wrap on the finger. Then just walk backwards and keep a steady pressure on the blade and don't let the lace 'chatter' across the finger wrap. For up to 16 plait whips I skive flesh side only. For 16 and above it's all four corners. Makes the final product feel like glass.

I use a lard, glycerine soap, water, and beeswax mixture for plaiting soap. Makes it easier to get a tight plait which is critical when making whips.

Then what ever the plaited item is, it gets rolled on the marble slab. As my old Aussie mentor said, "Mate, ya hafta rawl the pisss outta 'er ta make 'er smooth." Another hint - if you stop plaiting and tie off the laces when taking a break - smoke or bathroom - take the project out of the vice and roll it on the slab. This sets the plaiting that you just finished and helps keep it tight.

Give it a go and good luck.

Jerry

Edited January 23, 2010 by jerryrwm

[bergjes]

Thanks guys, this is real good information for me.

I think I just start braiding without preperation, except for the leather soap.

Perhaps later if I'm really hooked to the braiding I go one step further, and making my own lace.

But for now I will use the Kangaroo Lace as is.

After all your good help I still have 2 qustions though:

1. you all mention "rolling" your finished piece. But what is that exactly, and how is it done?
2. Does anybody now a real good leatherworker in the netherlands, where perhaps I can follow some workshops?

Thanks again,

Erik

[entiendo]

I cut, bevel, split and soap mine before plaiting or doing buttons. The soap really helps get it just a bit tighter and it goes through my fingers nicer too. I do not make my own soap but I admire those who do! I just used white saddle soap. Then I wash the plaiting, towel dry, and hang for about 45 minutes. I think they roll out just a bit better when they are a little damp.

I've only used the ready made string once and it kept breaking on my buttons so I realized quickly I needed to cut my own string. I imagine if you get some string cut from the good part of the hide it could stand up to the buttons.

I just started splitting my string and it does make a difference, it may even be more important than beveling. I've been splitting mine to about .8 mm But before splitting I never ordered a hide more than 1 mm thick. That's probably why I got along for so long without splitting. If I had a hide that was a little thick I would bevel on all 4 corners.

I may have been taught to cut my hides a bit differently than most. I cut a spiral strip anywhere between 1/2" to 1 1/4" wide (depending on the size of the hide) after I cut the hide into a circle or oblong. I stretch that strip before I cut my string off of it. That way I don't have to account for stretching when I cut my string. I think there might be a little more waste this way but it's the way my cutter is set up to do it anyway.

[HorsehairBraider]

Thanks guys, this is real good information for me.

I think I just start braiding without preperation, except for the leather soap.

Perhaps later if I'm really hooked to the braiding I go one step further, and making my own lace.

But for now I will use the Kangaroo Lace as is.

After all your good help I still have 2 qustions though:

1. you all mention "rolling" your finished piece. But what is that exactly, and how is it done?
2. Does anybody now a real good leatherworker in the netherlands, where perhaps I can follow some workshops?

Thanks again,

Erik

When you have finished braiding a length, find a nice clean piece of board, and a nice clean place to do this, and put the board on top of your braiding and then roll the braiding back and forth under the board. If you have clean shoes and a clean floor (I sure don't!) you can also roll it under your foot. You just roll it back and forth, all along the length. That will even out the braid and smooth it. Never judge your braiding until you have rolled it...

Don't know of a good leatherworker in the Netherlands though, sorry about that. Maybe someone else does.

[jerryrwm]

Thanks guys, this is real good information for me.

I think I just start braiding without preperation, except for the leather soap.

Perhaps later if I'm really hooked to the braiding I go one step further, and making my own lace.

But for now I will use the Kangaroo Lace as is.

After all your good help I still have 2 qustions though:

1. you all mention "rolling" your finished piece. But what is that exactly, and how is it done?
2. Does anybody now a real good leatherworker in the netherlands, where perhaps I can follow some workshops?

Thanks again,

Erik

When rolling I use a piece of lumber - that is wrapped with brown wrapping paper and roll the piece on a marble slab. I have a 24" x 30" x 1" marble slab that I got from a construction site dumpster. They had cut it out of a marble counter top for a sink. I followed them down to the dumpster because they were not allowed to give it to anyone - it had to officially become garbage before anyone could take it.

Roll your braiding by holding the board at an angle rather than perpendicular to the braiding. This will prevent rolling a groove into the finished work.

Also, if you use a finish on the braiding such as shellac or something similar, roll the work between coats of shellac. It does really help smooth it out.

Jerry

[bergjes]

Thanks again for all the good advice.

It´s up to me now.

I´m just going to start braiding, and I have to learn a lot along the way.

I did some asking around here in the Netherlands but Leather Braiding is not very popular, so I will

be back for more answers here with you all.

I´ll let you know how I ´m progressing.

Greetings,

Erik