Wetting Strings And Conditioning Finished Items

[Peter T]

Hmm sounds like it might be worth a go. I'll have to chase some up sometime. Thanks for the feedback.

Pete

[bluerider]

You can add water to white saddle soap. The stuff in the tin wool dry out over time, both by having the lid off when using it and with the lid closed. I add a bit of water based on how much the cake has shrink away from the edge of the can. I then place the tin on my stoves griddle and stir out a it melts. Out will look like you are burning out at first and the completely melted soap will have a yellowish color. Once cooled out will be white and good a new. I've never tried adding more water to make out softer but my experience suggests that out is most likely possible.

[TXAG]

You can add water to white saddle soap. The stuff in the tin will dry out over time, both by having the lid off when using it and with the lid closed. I add a bit of water based on how much the cake has shrunk away from the edge of the can. I then place the tin on my stoves griddle and stir it until it melts. It will look like you are burning it at first and the completely melted soap will have a yellowish color. Once cooled, it will be white and good as new. I've never tried adding more water to make it softer but my experience suggests that it is most likely possible.

FTFY

[BIS Leads]

You can add water to white saddle soap. The stuff in the tin wool dry out over time, both by having the lid off when using it and with the lid closed. I add a bit of water based on how much the cake has shrink away from the edge of the can. I then place the tin on my stoves griddle and stir out a it melts. Out will look like you are burning out at first and the completely melted soap will have a yellowish color. Once cooled out will be white and good a new. I've never tried adding more water to make out softer but my experience suggests that out is most likely possible.

thanks so much for this feedback. So, I took about a 1/2 cup of the white saddle soap and an equal part water. Melted it down, and it did turn yellow - probably would have tossed it if not for your heads up! Once it cooled, it was solid as a rock again. So I added more water, and then more - 2 more cups total. It now is not solid - but a thick slimy concoction. Not as much like lotion as Bick4, but usuable. Was wondering if adding a bit of ivory soap would cut the adhesion factor and make what I want.

I've tried the soap straight on the roo laces, but it left them feeling a bit tacky for my ease in braiding. Using a damp rag and getting some soap worked into it works great - but I have to go into another room to get water, and I am just too lazy! Ha! Ha!

[bluerider]

I'm glad you found Something that works. I run my roo lace through the saddle soap twice, once on each side and once it dries it's not tacky. I normally use it for knots tied on latigo leads but I have braided with it dry and it braids just fine. The soap allows the dry lace to be pulled tight with out excessive stretching. But it's not like braiding rawhide where you can braid a bit and then tighten up what you've braided. With dry roo you have to braid with even tension. I Don't know if out makes a difference but the lace i'm using is cut from a drum stuffed hides.

[BIS Leads]

I am learning jsut how much a difference there is in roo leather. I am in the process of using up my existing supply and switching over to a drum stuffed leather. It is so soft, I do not even know why I soap it. But I learned to always soap first, so that's what I am doing. For the other leather, it was imperative to get it nice and wet in order to get it to braid tight. But you are right, if I braid when it is too wet, it does tend to over stretch. Hadn't quite connected that dot before!

[brycew74]

I use a can of saddle soap a bar of ivory soap half a bar of paraffin wax and 2 or so cups of water works pretty well and kind of seals it and makes it shiny

[Sovran81]

I am learning jsut how much a difference there is in roo leather. I am in the process of using up my existing supply and switching over to a drum stuffed leather. It is so soft, I do not even know why I soap it. But I learned to always soap first, so that's what I am doing. For the other leather, it was imperative to get it nice and wet in order to get it to braid tight. But you are right, if I braid when it is too wet, it does tend to over stretch. Hadn't quite connected that dot before!

This statement confuses me. Well the part of it being over stretched. If it isnt stretched to the max before you braid, then it stretches while you braid which reduces width and gives uneven strands. It also tends to thicken where it narrows. Stretch hide, cut strand, stretch, resize, split, braid.

I am also confused on you idea of drum stuffed. Do you mean color or lube stuffed? So many tanneries mean color when it used to mean color and lube.

I have used both. Packer grade 1 leather is great stuff, and you pay for it. Other color stuffed leather is great also if you dont mind spending the time to lube it.

[Tracym]

How much difference in cost is there between Packer grade 1 - which I think is the whipmaking grade drum stuffed, and their regular craft lace? I haven't figured out if the craft lace is drum stuffed or not, but I'm guessing not. I don't know anyone that offers the colors in drum stuffed (if the above is correct) - do you? I also am not sure what you mean by color or lube stuffed?

[BIS Leads]

This is what my supplier told me in an email regarding his lace vs the lace I have been buying:

"They (the factories) both tan the hides differently...they stretch and dry

tan their hides where the one my leather comes from tan and soak and use

a hydraulic plate to compress the fibre bundles inside the hide which

makes it more even and stronger. There are a myriad of differences

between the leathers without going into all of the details."

One big difference I noticed between the two laces, was the smell. My new lace has that wonderful leather smell!

And he has it in lots of colors. Some colors are a bit thicker than others, but all seem to be supple and consistant in quality, and so far I have been really pleased.