Bevan Report post Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) This video made the difference for me. Now I know how to use this wonderful tool. My lace cutting went from ok to wow. Bevan, thank you ever so much, mate. You are more than welcome Joe , Its just a matter of tinker-n with it and i am glad it helped , I hope Annette finds it as easy as you did, Cheers Bevan Edited May 18, 2011 by Bevan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acox4t4 Report post Posted May 19, 2011 Just like normal some places it cuts good then it will cut like , cut good then cut like:asoapbox: . I hope these pictures will help ya see what the heck I'm doing wrong. As it is I think I'm going to have to try and cut it straight again to get the edges even since it looks like crap. With having to cut the bevel off now I'm going to be close to having wasted the whole hide, since its going to be cut close to or even less then the 1/8 inch that I need. . Hopefully you can see in the pic's that for some reason the hide twist and in some cases will even bevel the top side. This is how I got it set up to start the bevel. Looks pretty good here. Very crappy spot. Another crappy spot. I have more pictures that I can send ya via e-mail if you would like. Or hopefully these will pin-point what the heck I'm doing wrong. I used new blades, for the one side used the one blade and then put another new one for the other side since I just couldn't get a nice even cut. How narrow can roo be cut and still be used?? LOL I've got to laugh so that I don't cry and put more soap in my mouth but see roo4u why I've been dreading this task of cutting lace. LOL Dang it and I was thinking that I was finally going to make some lace for braiding a set of reins. This is going to make me not get much sleep tonight, thinking about what the heck I'm doing wrong. Any help will be greatly appriciated. Thanks in advance. And Yes Bevan I thought the video was great and easy to follow, and I thought that I had it set up like you had yours and as you can see it looks good in some places. So nothing wrong with your video, your tool, but totally its the dummy trying to use it, that just is not getting it right. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roo4u Report post Posted May 19, 2011 did you stretch it first before trying to bevel it? it looks like maybe your into some soft spots, which are harder to cut...im using a bit different type beveler but the only time i have trouble with it is when i have real soft spots....i wish i lived closer so i could help you out....i know how frustrating it is when you cant make it work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KnotHead Report post Posted May 19, 2011 (edited) acox. I have cut my strings all the way down to 1.2mm and still been able to braid with it. I believe that 1.0mm is as small as anyone will want to go to with kangaroo. B... Edited May 19, 2011 by KnotHead Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bevan Report post Posted May 19, 2011 (edited) Hi..... The thick blade you are using in the first few images is not any good at all for the job, the finer one you have in the last is the one I use. I sent 2 fences one for thicker leather, bigger 'step' and one for thin, small 'step', I can't tell which you have in the image but for roo it should be the smaller 'step'. It also looks like the gap from the blade to the fence is too far, so take your fence so you are only cutting 1/2 a mm. about paper thin. - Dont try too much leather to start with, use scrap you have rejected. Position of thumb too needs to be looked at - mine is further back, take a look. One further point try to bevell just one side without taking off the width using one of the blades supplied. So steps, stretch leather, cut to 1mm over end size, so if you want end result to be 6mm start with 7mm lace. set beveller up with correct blade and bring bottom of fence up to beez dick from blade, with blade touching top of fence. I tend to want to know how you stretched it, there be could something in the above post that roo4u was onto. beez bits.bmp Edited May 19, 2011 by Bevan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rcsaddles Report post Posted May 19, 2011 I also saw somewhere that someone said they make sure the flesh side was fleshed great before tanning. Not sure how to explain what I am trying to say. You know how at thimes on the flesh side you can pull off some loose stuff? Ya, that. Anyway, does anyone condition their strings before beveling? Not sure if that will make a difference or not. Someone said they bevel then splits to have all the material he can to bevel. Just trying to throw out some ideas. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bevan Report post Posted May 19, 2011 I also saw somewhere that someone said they make sure the flesh side was fleshed great before tanning. Not sure how to explain what I am trying to say. You know how at thimes on the flesh side you can pull off some loose stuff? Ya, that. Anyway, does anyone condition their strings before beveling? Not sure if that will make a difference or not. Someone said they bevel then splits to have all the material he can to bevel. Just trying to throw out some ideas. Good point Joe I normally use drum stuffed hides !!but some times i have to use dry , this is the only time i will split the lace before resizing or beveling just to take the fluff off ,, with greasey hides you dont see too much fluff cheers Bevan www.bwrwhips.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KnotHead Report post Posted May 19, 2011 Someone said they bevel then splits to have all the material he can to bevel. Just trying to throw out some ideas. That was me. I do it that way for the simple reason that having more material on the surface of my cutter seems to work out best for the cutter I use. I get a much cleaner cut on my bevels that way. I am also beveling at 30°. I don't know what that bevel is on the cutter acox is using. I have no idea if that will work on the cutter acox is using, or not. I have no experience with that cutter. B... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acox4t4 Report post Posted May 20, 2011 There is alot of fluff on the underside where it seems to cut like crud, and it also seems like it has more stretch in those spots also. I might have a bad hide or I may have not ordered the right stuff. Either way I'm not giving up. I greatly appriciate your help and I promise ya that I'm taking all the information that your giving me and trying to get it figured out, so please know that your time and effort is not being wasted. I'm trying, and again thank you for looking at the pictures. Annette Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rcsaddles Report post Posted May 20, 2011 I was pretty sure it was you, Brian, but when I got ready to post, I wasn't sure so I changed to someone. This is why I really like this site. There is so much information here that your average person won't have. I'm sure if we keep this up, we will all be expert lace cutters in no time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
want2braid Report post Posted May 20, 2011 Hello! If you want to make it like a greased hide you can do like I do even to drum stuffed kangaroo hide. Its the old timer method of camp fuel and parafin(jelly)wax. You take a stainless pot and pour the white gas( also called Camp Fuel) by Coleman's, and then use a cheese grater to shave a bar of parafin wax into it, which makes it dissolve better. You stir it up and then put your string in. I spiral out whole hides, so I rough cut them at 3/4'' and throw that in before splitting, fine cutting or beveling. It gives i more body, stiffening it up a little that make it cut and split cleaner, but has a buttery/waxy feel. After I let it soak a while, I pull the long strand between my thumb and index finger to get out excess mixture, coil it up and let it hang to dry. The humidiy will determine how long this might take, but the camp fuel is highly refined so it evaporates quickly. I have left it in the mixture to long and it leaves a wax residue on the outside. It will simply buff off with a soft cloth and elbow grease. I hope maybe this could save your string... Have a great week! Brent There is alot of fluff on the underside where it seems to cut like crud, and it also seems like it has more stretch in those spots also. I might have a bad hide or I may have not ordered the right stuff. Either way I'm not giving up. I greatly appriciate your help and I promise ya that I'm taking all the information that your giving me and trying to get it figured out, so please know that your time and effort is not being wasted. I'm trying, and again thank you for looking at the pictures. Annette Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KnotHead Report post Posted May 20, 2011 I mainly get the same thing on colored hides. The saddle tan, red and blue ones mainly. I don't have much of a problem with whiskey tan, black and the brown colors. But as mentioned above, I use a Pecards leather dressing to fix that problem of the hairy parts. I think I will have to try the method in the post above though. My cutter is different than the one acox is using. Below is what my cutter looks like with the 90° insert in place. So my cutter is a bit different and some of my solutions are based on the cutter in the photo. B... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acox4t4 Report post Posted May 25, 2011 I think I finally got it !!!! Whoot Whoot !!!! This black roo hide was soooooo much better, it didn't have that fluffy stuff and is even thickness. It didn't roll up on me, instead it just went through the bevan tool like butter. Both the cutter and beveler I might be tooting my horn to soon, so here are a few pictures for you all to look at and see what ya think, but in compairson to my previous efforts this one rocks. I also have a couple of questions for want2braid hopefully reads this post or if not if anyone else can answer the questions that would be great. want2braid mentioned a way to get rid of that fluffy stuff with a mixture of camp fuel and wax. I went and bought both and ready to throw that cruddy whiskey hide in but also have a red hide with some fluffy that I need to do also since I notice its fluffy on the back as well. Can I put them in together?? If not can I put the whiskey in then pull it out and put the red one in the same mixture?? When you say leave it in awhile -- How long is awhile??? In Kansas a walkabout would mean walking around the city mall shoping for 1 hour, for Bevan it would mean being in the bush seeing the great outdoors for a year. For my sister when we go fishing for AWHILE if she doesn't catch a fish within the first 5 mins, she is done. Where as for me give me a lawn chair, some drinks, shade and a fish playing with my hook and I'm good for AWHILE. So just wondering since I left that second raw hide flop in the lime for AWHILE, and ended up with a holly mess. HEHE Well I was heading to bed but was so excited about the lace that I just had to share my excitement before I could get any sleep. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acox4t4 Report post Posted May 26, 2011 Want2braid that was great advice on using the camp fuel and wax, I soaked both the whiskey and red in it today and made the whiskey hide to where I was able to get it cut and beveled. Thank you so much I only let it soak for about 5 mins, not sure if it should have been longer but just that 5 mins worked wonders on it. Like I kept saying about Bevan's tool it was totally my error, once I got the roo stiffened up by soaking then it cut so easy. Would never have got it right without ya want2braid. And Knothead would be proud of my progress also, I had a blood sacrifice today Only one thing to say to you all...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KnotHead Report post Posted May 26, 2011 I am proud that you are making good progression. I don't know how bad the blood sacrifice was. So I don't want to boast of that just in case there was a limb lost. LOL... B... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rcsaddles Report post Posted May 26, 2011 Wow, a blood sacrifice, I never thought of it that way. Thank you for informing us of that. If you don't mind, I will use that one in the future. Please tell more about the white fuel and wax mixture. How much of each do you use? Can you store it in a glass jar for later use or not? Does the wax solidify and you reheat it? You guys left so many unanswered questions I feel like I am listening to my teenage son. Hope you all take that as a joke. I really would like to hear more about this so please post more. This is such a great place for information. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KnotHead Report post Posted May 26, 2011 Yep, blood sacrifice. I use that cause it would seem for me anyway, that no matter what I do about learning something new; either in leather braiding, or in my full time job; I always end up with some sort of cut. Either on my hands, or my fingers and sometimes both. LOL... Hence is where the term blood sacrifice for this type of work came from for me. LOL... I read my bible a lot and the first time I cut myself with my Aussie Strander, I thought of the term blood sacrifice from the Old Testament. LOL... You can use that term as much as you want Joe. I don't own it. LOL... But I do experience it a lot. LOL... B... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roo4u Report post Posted May 26, 2011 joe...the white gas/wax thing is in bruce grants book how to make cowboy horse gear. you take the white gas and shave as much wax into it as will dissolve. be very careful as the fumes can ignite from a fire source many feet away, also they are heavy and travel along the ground. b.g. says it is for sizing sleazy leather. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nod4Eight Report post Posted May 26, 2011 That sounds like a good trick to keep in your back pocket. Thanks for testing that out acox! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
