Made my own strap with paracord and chainmail.Your DIY equipment?

[MollyMarieMandolin]

I'm happy with this strap I made. The chainmail pattern takes a while to do though I happened to have some pieces of it left over from a watch chain I had made for my husband. He liked it but was always catching it on things and breaking it in the middle! I could find the online tutorial for the pattern I used if anyone's interested. The watch chain in this pattern was the first chainmail I ever tried. It's a craft that's more time-consuming than difficult and you only really need the jump rings and two pairs of pliers to open and close them. The pattern is based a bit on Celtic knotwork, so I thought it's appropriate for my mandolin strap as I want to try out plenty of Irish folk music. To finish the edges of the paracord, I held a lighter to them for a few seconds to melt the ends together.

I'm excited to try out more DIY mandolin equipment crafts. I want to try making a fancier strap out of braided leather. I made a few picks, like one from an expired ID card, though I haven't used picks much yet, I'm more into just using my fingers/fingernails.

Who else "gets crafty"? I'd love to see pictures of other DIY straps, picks, etc.!

[MediumMando5722]

My first homemade strap was paracord. After that I did one with leather laces. I still go back to my plain flat leather strap. It's far more comfortable than the skinny round straps, but obviously doesn't look as cool.

[JeffD]

There is a certain sameness to the commercial guitar and mandolin strap options. I always look forward to new ideas.

I change straps often it seems, well if I use them at all. The strap is kind of like the tie in a man's wardrobe, its that little bit of color, that bit of individual flash, that a guy can do comfortably.

I play sitting down so much that I often don't need or use a strap.

[George R. Lane]

I applaud your creative approach, but I myself would not use anything metal. The chainmail could cause major scratches to the finish. Unlike JeffD, I have one mando (a Weber Yellowstone) and use the same cheap Levy's strap for several years, which I use even when sitting. My wardrobe is pretty vanilla, at 67 I am not out to impress anyone.

[pops1]

I have always made my own straps and have one that must be 35 years old at least. Like George I don't want any metal on my strap, usually leather. Unlike Jeff I don't change straps once they are on the mandolin, but I do always use it sitting or standing, then my mandolin is always in the same position.

[MollyMarieMandolin]

The metal, which is only aluminum, hangs where my shoulder is while the strap is used, not too close to where it could be rubbing up against much/scratching anything. I made the strap before I actually picked up the mandolin intending to see how it went and make adjustments if necessary. It would take a long time to make a strap completely out of a complex chainmail pattern anyway. I had some of the pattern unused and lying around so I added some for a little visual interest. If you guys wouldn't use metal absolutely anywhere on a strap of yours, different straps for different folks.

Good to see someone else started with a paracord strap! I want to try other materials, the paracord was again something I happened to have lying around already (made some bracelets with it recently), though lots of colors of paracord can be bought cheaply. I'm keeping used strings to make jewelry out of. I still have a bracelet I made from a used guitar string years ago. It's held up fine though I didn't add an end cap at the time and will definitely take that step with any further attempts, since the end is a little sharp.

[Denny Gies]

I bought a book on weaving, or something, some leather strips {thin} and braided a strap with two colors. I like it.

[mandroid]

A belt loom is pretty easy to make .. a frame to support a comb and 2 spools.. separated by a couple feet.

I have a cotton belt strap made on one..

I also made a simple cord strap, added a spring toggle in the middle, the loop thru the toggle lets me quickly change the length.


[ FWIW, as the loops of chain mail rely on just a bit of work hardening from the act of bending,
unless the end is fused (soldered/welded) a weight applied can exert enough force to open them up again]

[sblock]

Well, the metal you used for your strap may not come into contact with your mandolin while the strap is in use, but it sure is likely to once you take the mandolin off, and try to store it back inside its case! Most of us leave the strap tied to the mandolin at all times, including during case storage. Once inside the case, the metal can rub against the finish and scratch the instrument.

It's a bad idea to make a strap out of any materials that have the potential to scratch the finish, or any that might react with it chemically (vinyl plastic is very bad, for example, because the plasticizers in it react with nitrocellulose lacquer). Many (but not all) types of soft, tanned leather will work nicely, and so do woven and spun materials made from nylon (e.g., paracord), rayon, silk, linen, or cotton. But I, for one, would never, ever put metal of any type in a mandolin strap!! In my opinion, it's a recipe for disaster. YMMV.

[MikeZito]

I simply use an old leather belt from the thrift store - put a hole on one side for the end-pin, and loop through a leather shoelace on the other side to tie up the neck or the scroll. . .

[Cecily_Mandoliner]

Clever idea. For me, I don't like metal on me or near my lovelies. Lately, I've been using a variety of leather straps (one made by Dom Orrico), but one of my favorite DIY straps is one that I wove on an inkle loom. I made the strap out of 3/2 perle cotton yarn, and then finished the ends with recycled strap pieces and a slide buckle. I'll post a photo later. Currently, it's on my Ibanez tenor guitar - a perfect fit for it. I plan on weaving more of them, now that I have a new, improved loom (some assembly required).
https://www.ashford.co.nz/inkle-loom (link to the wholesaler) NFI

[Cary Fagan]

I always go to the thrift store and look for a thin leather belt to make into a strap. It's easy to do.

[Willie Poole]

I look for a leather dog leash at WalMart and they already have a loop in them if you are using an F model mandolin . just have to make a hole in the other end for the end pin...Might cost as much a 4 bucks

[MikeEdgerton]

Paracord is also the choice of folks that want to avoid leather.

https://www.google.com/#q=paracord+s...ndolincafe.com

[MollyMarieMandolin]

Well, the metal you used for your strap may not come into contact with your mandolin while the strap is in use, but it sure is likely to once you take the mandolin off, and try to store it back inside its case! Most of us leave the strap tied to the mandolin at all times, including during case storage. Once inside the case, the metal can rub against the finish and scratch the instrument.

It's a bad idea to make a strap out of any materials that have the potential to scratch the finish, or any that might react with it chemically (vinyl plastic is very bad, for example, because the plasticizers in it react with nitrocellulose lacquer). Many (but not all) types of soft, tanned leather will work nicely, and so do woven and spun materials made from nylon (e.g., paracord), rayon, silk, linen, or cotton. But I, for one, would never, ever put metal of any type in a mandolin strap!! In my opinion, it's a recipe for disaster. YMMV.

That's a good point. I could solve the metal scratching the mandolin though by either taking the strap off while the mandolin's in a case, or I could probably cover the metal with cloth during storage, something like that. I do like the look of the strap. Good advice here though on materials for DIY straps.

[MollyMarieMandolin]

[ FWIW, as the loops of chain mail rely on just a bit of work hardening from the act of bending,
unless the end is fused (soldered/welded) a weight applied can exert enough force to open them up again]

I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the tip. My husband happens to have a soldering kit he hasn't had much practice with yet, maybe I could give him a job for it lol (though maybe he'd break a chainmail watch chain less often if the ends were soldered!). Where all would the ends of the jump rings need to be fused? Just where they're attached to the cord, or anywhere else too? And since it's because of work hardening, which I have heard of in a book on chain mail jewelry making, would it help at all if I worked the ends extra?

[JeffD]

When I first read the title of this thread I thought of a paracord guitar strap I saw once. It was a weave, about an inch wide. I don't know off hand the length of paracord required.

[Ron McMillan]

My first attempts at mandolin straps had metal buttons in them. I very quickly got out of that habit when people pointed out that no metal should exist anywhere on a strap, because if it can damage an instrument, a situation will arise where it does just that.

I've made dozens of straps using different gauges of synthetic paracord and flat braided strap, with leather end pieces for strap button holes and for F-style scroll loops. Now I make only leather ones, mostly four-braid round cord (there is a very good YouTube clip on how to do this here).

The photo with many straps is from a few years ago.

[mandroid]

I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the tip. My husband happens to have a soldering kit he hasn't had much practice with yet, maybe I could give him a job for it lol (though maybe he'd break a chainmail watch chain less often if the ends were soldered!). Where all would the ends of the jump rings need to be fused? Just where they're attached to the cord, or anywhere else too? And since it's because of work hardening, which I have heard of in a book on chain mail jewelry making, would it help at all if I worked the ends extra?

Not sure about soldering Aluminum.. (to close the loop at the butt joint)

Maybe the work shown, is better suited to neck wear use,
Then maybe Macrame' some nylon builder's snap line, It is cheap and easy to find.
a thinner version of Willy Nelson's guitar strap.

[stratman62]

Paracord is very forgiving, I have made several straps for various instruments!

[George R. Lane]

You can silver solder aluminum, but it is tricky. A regular solder iron won't work.

[mandroid]

Very thin range between the silver solder's melting point and that melting of the aluminum, particularly such thin wire..

would be better if using stainless steel wire..

[CharRD]

I found the perfect strap for my A-style in an old woven leather belt from my local thrift shop. The weave fits over the button and I tied some matching leather lacing to the headstock end. I really like the dog leash idea, though!

[MollyMarieMandolin]

Very thin range between the silver solder's melting point and that melting of the aluminum, particularly such thin wire..

would be better if using stainless steel wire..

I'll probably add another length of paracord or some braided leather where the chainmail is so the chainmail is still ornamentation but not actually bearing any weight. I just found a big spool of leather lace in the craft drawer and forgot it was in there lol, so my trying out braided leather strap making will begin sooner than anticipated!

[Perry]

rawhide with a hangman's noose...cheap adjustable and looks cool