Vaquero1 Report post Posted December 30, 2010 Hi all, can anybody tell me how i can make the burner rounded inside? I think the rope does not run trough it lightly... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KnotHead Report post Posted December 30, 2010 Very nice work. I like them. Brian... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roo4u Report post Posted December 30, 2010 i think in one of bruce grants books he showed them being shaped over a pointy ended stick....build your honda then while still flexible slide them onto the stick that is the shape you want and let them dry...this gives them the right curve so rope slides free. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aggiebraider Report post Posted December 31, 2010 I received the dvd with Bill Dorrance called 4 Strands of Rawhide for christmas, and after watching it, I feel like I can comment without ever having made a honda lol. The way he shows in the dvd is to use a series of wedges that he hand cut, two of which are round on one side and the rest are flat. Bill used 4 different wedges together and fit the two with the rounded edges on the portions of the inside of the honda you would want to be rounded. The other two were put in between the first two in alternating directions so that it basically made a block with rounded ends. By using wedges, you can put them in one at a time, rather than trying to shove a whole block in at once. Once they are inserted, you can either let it dry normally, or I read somewhere on here that some people boil their hondas with the wedges inside to allow for more water to be in the strands, and then shrink uniformly around the wedges. I think it also said this somewhat hardens the hondas a bit. Hope this helps, CW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rgerbitz Report post Posted December 31, 2010 Your braiding is looking real good man. The way explained it is the way I do it, except that I don't boil them. Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curlyjo Report post Posted January 1, 2011 I've used the wedge system that Bill Dorrance used but switched to a single stick to build hondas. The very first was a spoke from an old wagon wheel, shaped up to a point and rounded where the final honda is placed. Now I have 3 hardwood shapes that are identical and are tapered to allow driving the braided hondas down and stretching to the final form. I can get 2 hondas on each stick one being just a tiny bit smaller than the other. I then boil for about 11/2 minutes and allow them to dry. I then put on the burners and drive them back on the sticks and dip just the burners in boiling water for about 30 seconds. This really takes the sap out and makes them really hard. When you first build the hondas don't make them full sized as they will stretch when they get wet. And don't dry them in a hurry. Bill D needed 2 in a hurry and stuck them in a warm oven to dry. When he took them out he tapped them on the counter and they shattered in pieces. I hope this makes sense. Happy New Year, Brad Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vaquero1 Report post Posted January 1, 2011 Thanks, your tipps and comments helps me a lot. i made me some wedges but now i can not put a pencil in the rope hole anymore- perhaps i must build a kind of a big wood nail with a bigger flat tail to put them inside and do the wedges over it. i ordered the bill dorrance dvd too and hope i will get them soon... i wish all of you a happy new year- your helpfulness is awsome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curlyjo Report post Posted January 1, 2011 Vaquero1, to make the rope hole, get a short(21/2 inch) stainless steel 3/8ths bolt and grind the end to a sharp point. Also grind off some of the head making sure not to leave any sharp corners. What I do is drive the honda onto my shaping stick, mark where the bolt should go, drive it back off and push the bolt through. Then drive it back on and leave it on til its dry. You mentioned your rope not running through very well. Thats where you can use a single shaper or wedges and make the honda rounder and more open on the top. You need to do that early on so that when you put on the burner you don't squeeze all the size down. Any bolt will work but I use stainless so no rusting. And use a 3/8ths as a 5/16ths is just a pain to get a rope through. You'll never know the difference. Hope that helps, Brad Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vaquero1 Report post Posted January 1, 2011 Brad,, thats a good idea with the bolt- can you please make a picture from your shaping stick? it would help me to make one ;-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curlyjo Report post Posted January 1, 2011 Brad,, thats a good idea with the bolt- can you please make a picture from your shaping stick? it would help me to make one ;-) Vaquero1, I'll try to get pictures on here as soon as I get some tech. support. Meaning my wife since the grandkids aren't here. Brad Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curlyjo Report post Posted January 2, 2011 Vaquero1, I'll try to get pictures on here as soon as I get some tech. support. Meaning my wife since the grandkids aren't here. Brad Heres some pictures. One is the long taper of the shaping stick, One is the pins I use to form the rope hole and let dry with a finished honda next to it, and the last is the big end of shaping stick. It measures about 1 1/4 on small end to 2 1/2 on large end.Overall 9 inches. I build my hondas so I can just get them over the small end and drive them down to the large end. That takes out all the stretch with the boiling after . It can get pretty tight but thats what works for me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vaquero1 Report post Posted January 2, 2011 (edited) Brad, thanks for your fast and helpful answer and for making the fotos. now i can build some bolts and a shaping stick from an old axe handle... i boild a test honda and now it is very stiff but i can break the whole with my hands... what was wrong? do i have to use lots of saddle soap? how do you boil the honda 11min and the burner only 30 sec? i have a nice san juan honda braided from the great braider ALBERT FRUNZ from germany. his material looks and feels more like leather than rawhide- does anyone know how i can become this consistence? Edited January 2, 2011 by Vaquero1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curlyjo Report post Posted January 2, 2011 Brad, thanks for your fast and helpful answer and for making the fotos. now i can build some bolts and a shaping stick from an old axe handle... i boild a test honda and now it is very stiff but i can break the whole with my hands... what was wrong? do i have to use lots of saddle soap? how do you boil the honda 11min and the burner only 30 sec? i have a nice san juan honda braided from the great braider ALBERT FRUNZ from germany. his material looks and feels more like leather than rawhide- does anyone know how i can become this consistence? Vaquero1, thats supposed to be 1and1/2 minutes,( 90 seconds.) Sorry about the misunderstanding. And when you boil the burner, place it on the the honda then drive it back on the shaper stick. that will open up the honda. then just enough water in the pot to stick the burner end in the water. It will get a little of the honda on each side but thats never been a problem. When that dries it will retain that shape for a long time. Another thing you might try is braid a honda with wedges or whatever and when you get a size and shape you really like then build your shaper to that honda. Thats what I did and have 3 sticks identical so all is the same. Also have a round one. Hope that helps, Brad Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vaquero1 Report post Posted January 3, 2011 Hi Brad, i can´t reading but i still try it- 90sec will work better- thanks ;-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vaquero1 Report post Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) after trying a lot i found a way it works good for me. i braid about 8 inches, wrapping the honda over a broom handle and making my knot. by putting the burner on it will be tighten. the ropehole is the last i do and finally i cook for 1-1,5 min. Edited March 11, 2011 by Vaquero1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roo4u Report post Posted March 11, 2011 lookin good!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ljensen Report post Posted March 16, 2011 I braided up a new honda last night and thought I would share a different method to stretch them. This is similar to a picture in Bruce Grant's book but slightly modified. I took a large steel cable eyelet and cut in half saving only the rounded end.I hang a hook over this and then attach a 10 lb. weight. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
megabit Report post Posted March 16, 2011 I don't think that burner is ever going to wear through! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ljensen Report post Posted March 16, 2011 Definitely wouldn't have to worry about the tip closing up on your rope. Also think of the weight it would add instead of all that wire. MB - Feel free to use this idea, I will only claim half of your proceeds as royalties. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
