The straps I ended up making
So a few weeks ago I asked for advice on making leather straps, and then a few days ago I finally went and made a few.
I decided to make a flat one and a braided one, but my mom suggested I make more cuz I'm going to a camp Banjo Ben is having, and she said I could give/sell some there. So I have so far made four flat ones, one three strand hair style flat braid, and one four strand round braid. Two of the flat ones are 1.5" and the other two are 1c, all very comfortable. The flat braid is fairly comfortable, looks good, but it's too long for me (I like shorter straps) the round braided one is the one I'm using now.
So the round braid was made from four offcuts from making the other straps, so peices of fluctuating width. It worked out very nicely, and I'm gonna try to do another with thicker strips of leather. The difference in width of the strips was slightly inconvenient to work with, but didn't harm the finished product. I really enjoyed working on them, despite not liking the smell of leather.
Also, just gonna mention that my mom did all the major cutting because she knows how to use her leather tools, and I'm not trusted with sharp objects cuz my parents like my music and don't want me becoming an adaptive-cuz-of-disabilities musician.
I'll try to attach a few photos here
Never mind, photos aren't working right now, I'll attach them later
Re: The straps I ended up making
Moms are always right. You want to keep thoes fingers. ha, ha
You could do a tune while we wait for the pictures.
Or talk more about the music scene in Africa...Banjo Ben camp? Got a link?
Re: The straps I ended up making
Look forward to seeing those straps.
Adam
Re: The straps I ended up making
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DougC
Moms are always right. You want to keep thoes fingers. ha, ha
You could do a tune while we wait for the pictures.
Or talk more about the music scene in Africa...Banjo Ben camp? Got a link?
Still not uploading, I'll try tomorrow at a time with faster internet.
The music scene..... well, I am the music scene here. The locals listen to Brazilian pop (like American pop, but in Portuguese, so don't imagine choro) and the closest other musicians I know are over four hours drive away.
Banjo Ben held his first cabin camp last year, and it was a huge success, so he's doing two this year (about two weeks apart) due to popular demand. There's twelve spaces for each of the three instruments (guitar, mandolin and banjo) and six for bass. To my knowledge all slots are taken this year. There's discussion about it on his forum if you want more info, just search cabin camp in the search area.
Re: The straps I ended up making
Re: The straps I ended up making
Hi Gunnar,
They look really good. I especially like the flat braided one (bottom of first photo). I wouldn't know these were your first attempt if you didn't tell us. I am sure the people you will meet at the camp will like them.
I think it is especially nice that you and your mother have the kind of relationship where she makes suggestions and you listen, and she works on the straps with you.
Thanks for showing us these. Good job!
Best wishes,
Bob
Re: The straps I ended up making
1 Attachment(s)
Re: The straps I ended up making
Gunnar, nice job on your straps. Here is a style of braiding call 'never ending braid'. It is nice for a strap as you have no ends or knots. this is a smaller piece that I was making for a watch fob or key ring.
Attachment 182276
Re: The straps I ended up making
Good work there, Gunnar. They look the part.
Pops1, that one has me intrigued - what is the trick in making such a strap?
Re: The straps I ended up making
Thanks Pops and John! I've got a few more pics to share shortly.
Pops, I'm also now curious how does one manage to create such a braid? It looks like you cut a strip of leather into three strips, braided them, and then uncut them at the end....
Re: The straps I ended up making
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John Kelly
Good work there, Gunnar. They look the part.
Pops1, that one has me intrigued - what is the trick in making such a strap?
John - look up 'mystery braid' on YouTube. It's made from a flat piece of leather (like a belt) with parallel cuts made along its length, except for short uncut tabs at each end. Then you do a lot of twisting and fiddling. It's not very difficult. :)
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Re: The straps I ended up making
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gunnar
Good work, Gunnar. You will find that when making a round braid strap, if you make the braid much tighter, the result is the strong, round, rope-like effect you might want. Your very loose braid doesn't have that rope-like roundness to it.
Here are round braided leather straps of mine that are bound quite tight. These braids are only about 5mm wide (under 1/4 inch)
Attachment 182330
Also be careful to twist each strand as you go along so that you keep the same side of the leather on the outside at all times. This way you won't get the mix of treated and untreated leather on the outside of the braid. If you wanted that mixed effect, pay no heed :)
Re: The straps I ended up making
Like Ron says, " you do a lot of twisting and fiddling". If I remember you braid four, then pull the end of the piece thru and do two more and pull the end thru again. I saw it many years ago and sat and fooled till I figured it out, but haven't done it in a while. This is one of a few I stumbled on a few days ago. You could do the round braid, or something similar, but it is a little more work.
Re: The straps I ended up making
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ron McMillan
Good work, Gunnar. You will find that when making a round braid strap, if you make the braid much tighter, the result is the strong, round, rope-like effect you might want. Your very loose braid doesn't have that rope-like roundness to it.
Here are round braided leather straps of mine that are bound quite tight. These braids are only about 5mm wide (under 1/4 inch)
Attachment 182330
Also be careful to twist each strand as you go along so that you keep the same side of the leather on the outside at all times. This way you won't get the mix of treated and untreated leather on the outside of the braid. If you wanted that mixed effect, pay no heed :)
Thanks Ron. I couldn't pull it tighter because my four pieces of leather were very different sizes (one was about a third of an inch, and another was tiny, about like a shoelace)
I'm gonna braid two more, and they'll have more uniform pieces.
Also, I did intentionally leave one of the strips as suede all the way, I was twisting each piece all the way through. I like the two tone look
Re: The straps I ended up making
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15rC...w?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ojb...w?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_Ay...w?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BMM...w?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdV...w?usp=drivesdk
Here's the other pictures I got, note that the last one is a round braided strap that was pulled much tighter than the other one I made, and it's got that rope-like quality. Also I intentionally made it two tone, I'm gonna braid one more that's also gonna be two tone but a different tone pattern. I'm enjoying making these, I've got around twenty, mostly flat straps, they're super comfortable, about seven of them are a bit short, good for people built like Sierra, or people who wear the strap like Bill. Also, all the straps can be attached with a short leather thong to either A or F styles, and the flat straps also can be attached to a strap button (I'm not a fan of those though)
I've enjoyed doing this, when I move back to the states I'll probably try and find a leather supply and start selling them
Re: The straps I ended up making
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Gunnar
Thanks Pops and John! I've got a few more pics to share shortly.
Pops, I'm also now curious how does one manage to create such a braid? It looks like you cut a strip of leather into three strips, braided them, and then uncut them at the end....
You don't cut all the way on either end, so each end is one piece, but the middle is 3.
Re: The straps I ended up making
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pops1
You don't cut all the way on either end, so each end is one piece, but the middle is 3.
Yeah, I saw that it wasn't cut, but I still don't get how you braid it without cutting it. I'll look it up on YouTube sometime
Re: The straps I ended up making
Each time you cross in the braiding count 1,2,3,4 then twist the end through your braid,1,2 twist it in again. Now start over until you have braided it tight enough for your length.
Re: The straps I ended up making
Have a couple charity shop belts to use, modify , to be a strap..
Re: The straps I ended up making
Here is one I made using the mystery weave or never ending braid method.
Attachment 182715
Re: The straps I ended up making
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Guitfiddle Mike
Here is one I made using the mystery weave or never ending braid method.
Attachment 182715
You need to go into edit mode / Go Advanced and sort out the photograph. The attachment hasn't been done correctly.
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Re: The straps I ended up making
Re: The straps I ended up making
I like that security loop under the tail piece; protects against end pin pop out!
Re: The straps I ended up making
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John Soper
I like that security loop under the tail piece; protects against end pin pop out!
Had a near miss not long after I got it. Whew! Almost learned the hard way.