Cutting String (Rawhide)

[megabit]

I am in the process of cutting up some hide and always seem to have a hard time using the draw gauge to get consistent width on that first pass from a disk. I cut some last night with my heavy duty scissors instead using my thumb as a guide, that seemed to work a little better. Do they make a guide that clamps to scissors blades? or do I just need to keep working at it?

Anyone else just use scissors instead of a draw gauge?

Mike

[curlyjo]

I am in the process of cutting up some hide and always seem to have a hard time using the draw gauge to get consistent width on that first pass from a disk. I cut some last night with my heavy duty scissors instead using my thumb as a guide, that seemed to work a little better. Do they make a guide that clamps to scissors blades? or do I just need to keep working at it?

Anyone else just use scissors instead of a draw gauge?

Mike

Mike, I'm going to attempt to describe how I cut string out of wet or cased rawhide. It might not make sense but I learned this over 40 years ago from Bill Dorrance. After the hide is soaked, set it out for a while to get extra water out. I'm using disc's maybe 3x4 rounded off. This is the hard part. I take a piece of broom stick handle or ax handle about 6 inches long and drill a 1/4 inch hole about an inch from the top clear through. Then cut down perpindicular about 2 inches with a narrow coping saw down through the 1/4 inch hole. Not centered if right handed of center to the left. You then slope the stick on the front part to carry the hide. The idea is to use injector blades in that slot you cut with the coping saw and tighten the blades in place with a 1/4 inch bolt through the small hole. Your guide is a small finish nail to the right of the blade. You can either move the nail with a pair of pliers and hammeror make several different size tools. I'll try to post a picture of this homemade tool when I can get someone here at home to show me how to post pictures. I cut most of my strings about 3/8 or smaller using these tools and have cut 1000's of feet. The key is using sharp blades and just walking around and around the disc off the edge of a table. When you get to a sharp corner just make it a little wider and clean it up when you size for width. You cut with the hide against your nail and your thumb on the outside. Once you figure this out it cuts real slick. This is also how I cut Roo hide using a cutter about 3/16 wide for button string. Its to pricey to cut to wide. Hope this helps and I'll try to get pictures soon. Brad

[megabit]

That sound pretty slick, but I am sure having a hard time picturing it in my mind. I definitely could use some pictures if you can get them.

[megabit]

Hmmm... I reread this and think I under stand now. Is this what you mean? (forgive my poor drawing skills)

[curlyjo]

Hmmm... I reread this and think I under stand now. Is this what you mean? (forgive my poor drawing skills)

Mike, you've got the right idea but the blade and nail are on the top. You just grip the whole stick in your hand and work your way around the outside of the disc. Give me a little time and I'll take some pictures and see if we can get them on here. With my description your almost there.Brad

Hmmm... I reread this and think I under stand now. Is this what you mean? (forgive my poor drawing skills)

[megabit]

Ok, I found a diagram in Worley's book:

[lilpep]

hello Mike

well this is just my two cents, i noticed that when cutting thicker rawhide too much moisture was not good at all i would case it in a plastic bag wrapped in a damp cloth and found that cutting was more consistent with less moisture than usual i simply spray plain water as i go around the edges of the hide as i cut to maintain the moisture. when i cut down the strings to size i would case just to about leather consistency when i split to avoid too much stretching and resized tothe width after casing once more at the same consistency. also i should mention that i stopped using soap and other stuff just plain old water worked for me, specially after i had split it down.

[curlyjo]

Hmmm... I reread this and think I under stand now. Is this what you mean? (forgive my poor drawing skills)

[busted]

I am in the process of cutting up some hide and always seem to have a hard time using the draw gauge to get consistent width on that first pass from a disk. I cut some last night with my heavy duty scissors instead using my thumb as a guide, that seemed to work a little better. Do they make a guide that clamps to scissors blades? or do I just need to keep working at it?

Anyone else just use scissors instead of a draw gauge?

Mike

I had a similar problem a couple of years ago. I bought a new draw knife from Osborne it is the generic aluminum handle.

It would not cut a straight line to save my posterior. I put a straight edge on the side of the handle where the leather

is supposed to ride. I could see daylight between the straight edge and handle frame. Not good. I took my trusty

Makita grinder and proceeded to make a flat spot on the rear of the handle. 1/8" later and the handle was parallel with

the knife. No more wandering and crooked cuts. I hope that helps.

I don't use scissors to much unless it is light weight material 2 or 3 oz.

I have found one other thing wrong with this knife. I will fix that too.

The ruler that slides through the end of the knife acts just like a teeter totter, it will move up and down at least 1/8" too.

This causes a bevel on the edge of the leather instead of a clean straight cut. I guess you get what you pay for.

[megabit]

Thanks for posting the pics. I think I'll give that a try, sure won't cost much to build that tool, so I don't have much to loose.

[curlyjo]

Thanks for posting the pics. I think I'll give that a try, sure won't cost much to build that tool, so I don't have much to loose.

Mike , if you decide to try the wood handle cutter lay your rawhide or leather on a smooth top table cut right into a bucket or plastic storage container. This keeps the dirt off and saves your splitter. I use an old glass top patio table and it can spin under your arm pretty easy. Metal works real good but wood top drags the disk . It works but its just easier on a smooth surface. Brad