Long Braided Projects

[CharlieR]

OK folks--I'm working on my first set of braided reins-kangaroo. Am braiding around a leather core and everything is looking fine so far. My questions is this--when you are braiding long projects, such as reins or reatas--how/what do you use to hold them as they get longer? There must be a dozen or more ideas on this subject--how about sharing a few. My procedure is rather simple so far--I use a small, narrow table and as the reins get longer, I just wrap them around the table when they get enough length--but there HAS to be a better way.

[HorsehairBraider]

A better way! Huh, don't know about that...

If it is nice weather I stand outside, tie my strings to a fence and start walking backwards.... Indoors, I usually tie to a chair. Then I just keep putting the chair further and further away. I've never done anything more high tech than that. I sometimes look at my loom, which has a system with a brake, for winding the newly woven cloth onto the cloth beam but that won't actually work for braiding, as in weaving both ends of your warp are tied down hard and fast and in braiding, one end of your strings have to be free to move where ever you put them. I've also used a clamp, but normally I just use an extra piece of short string and tie off to something.

[rawhide1]

sometimes i'll ty off around a stair banister or what works good is if ya can set a eye hook somewhere then ya can move your work through it and ty it off as it gets longer. Or ya can clamp it in a vise or get ya some strong spring clips and clamp it to a kitchen self. Just a few things I've done or still do. Hope it helps

Mike

[deadringer]

G'day CharlieR,

I usaully hold every thing in a vise that is lined with thick felt (about 1/2 in thick so it does not damage the leather) that is attached to a bench or table .This helps stop your work from twisting around while your plaiting .,helps with keeping your seams straight also. Try not to get to far away from the point where your work is secured, no more than 2-3 feet.

If the reins you are making are romals you can start braiding in the middle so you don't have so much string to pull through. makes things a bit quicker .

Try to let everthing lie straight once it is braided otherwise it will look like it has kinks in it when finished.Even leather has a memory

hope this helps

Cheers

Chris

[rgerbitz]

Hey Charlie,

I do most of my braiding down in the basement. So I screwed a 2x4 to a floor joist so that it stops short of the floor by about 3 feet. Then I use a hand clamp to adjust up the 2x4 as I progress. I agree with deadringer that the closer to the clamp you can stay the straighter your braid will be.

Good luck,

Rob