General questions, re: edge braiding. Eight String Round Edge Braid: Bruce Grant, page 300. Help!

[fighttobreathe]

I’m trying this braid and I’m really confused. 

 

I’m joining the edges of two pieces of leather with this braid and I want it to look good with an 8 strand around a core herringbone braid handle. 

The herringbone braid is made up of 3/16 stands. I was thinking about using the same size for the edge braid, or should I use a little smaller? 

Also, I’ve read the “if your strand is 1/8”, your punched holes should be 1/8” from the edge and 1/8” apart.” 

Is that from center to center or near edge to near edge?

And what size hole should I punch for my 3/16” strand? Is there a chart with that info out there somewhere? 

 

Thank you everyone! 

 

Charlesanne

Edited October 7, 2019 by fighttobreathe

[LatigoAmigo]

22 minutes ago, fighttobreathe said:

The herringbone braid is made up of 3/16 stands. I was thinking about using the same size for the edge braid, or should I use a little smaller? 

It would depend somewhat on the thickness of the strand you are using, i.e., if the lace is on the thin side, then you might want a smaller hole. 

25 minutes ago, fighttobreathe said:

Also, I’ve read the “if your strand is 1/8”, your punched holes should be 1/8” from the edge and 1/8” apart.” 

Is that from center to center or near edge to near edge?

That is from the near edge of the lacing hole to the near edge of the leather. 

26 minutes ago, fighttobreathe said:

And what size hole should I punch for my 3/16” strand? Is there a chart with that info out there somewhere? 

Again, this depends on the thickness of the strands, if the strands are beveled, and if you want to see the lacing holes or not. The strand will be going through the lacing hole twice, so you might want to start with a hole the same size as the width of the strand, or just slightly smaller. You might try a test piece first, try some variations and see which one you like best. Keep in mind that the hole is going to stretch out a little. This will also give you a little practice with the braid.

A beautiful braiding pattern... be sure to post the results!

[fighttobreathe]

@LatigoAmigo

Thank you so much for your response!

I can make the lace as thin as needed. I can split the laces or skiv the edges of the panels if I need to. The lacing I already have cut is 3/16”, 3mm thick and beveled on both edges  

I’m not sure if I’m getting it right past the number 6 part of plate 121. All Bruce says is “the sequence from then on is clearly demonstrated in the panels.” 

What I seem to be doing is then, after coming through hole 8 from the back, the string goes under three of the back side strings, through hole number 5 (back to front) and then under, over, and under the next three and through hole nine (back to front) and repeat. I have ZERO CLUE if that is right!

I’d eventually like to be good enough for the holes to not show. 

Here are two photos of a practice piece. I worked from left to right with the flesh side up, just bc that’s how I had the holes punched. 

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tLWyX30m7sSPBcOGwY_nYGAVELhgxn5i/view?usp=drivesdk

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z-1W0vWSubeZ5zt-9DFBv7yIoo5Uyb9J/view?usp=drivesdk

Edited October 7, 2019 by fighttobreathe

[LatigoAmigo]

1 hour ago, fighttobreathe said:

I have ZERO CLUE if that is right!

That is the rhythm that you want. Kinda like "four steps forward, three steps backward." 

1 hour ago, fighttobreathe said:

I’d eventually like to be good enough for the holes to not show. 

Some hole will almost always show because the beginning and the end of the braid will not fill the holes in the same way as the rest of the braid. You might try using slits instead of holes. 

1 hour ago, fighttobreathe said:

Here are two photos of a practice piece.

Lookin' good. You will find that there will usually be some variant in the finished look because of the nature of leather, i.e., thinner, thicker, softer, firmer. You might find that at the end of a long run of lace, the thong has gotten thinner as a result of being pulled through the many lacing holes. I have had the best luck using kangaroo as it is thin and firm, although 'roo can be pretty pricey. 

I hope you don't mind, but here I've posted your photos, as links are sometimes lost over time. 

Edited October 7, 2019 by LatigoAmigo