squirrelslinger wrote on Nov 22
nd, 2013 at 10:39pm:
I respectfully disagree with you. What braid are you using...
Flat braids, around 9 to 11 strands.
Quote:and are there different varieties of raffia? if so, what species?
I have no idea
I buy it, I don't plant it.
Ask me about flax. There I would know it
.
Quote:how long are you soaking them, and with what temp water?
The minimum time I tried was maybe around 2 to 5 min. I have not taken the time. Longer times produce the same effect but more pronounced. Water temperature was maybe around 10 to 15 C.
Quote:I usually use a 5 strand braid... extremely high tension. So high that I frequently break the fibers if I try to braid them dry.
Try to grip the fibers shorter, e.g. only pull the part that you are working with. Pull with a turning motion around the standing parts you are not manipulating at the moment. Increase the pull steadily and not instantly (don't yank). Pull in a straight line e.g. pinch the fibers between your fingers and don't wrap them around your fingers. Increase the amount of material per strand. Look that all fibers have the same length when you pull. You can do this by "sliding" with your pinched fingers for one or two milimeters while increasing tension. Remove damaged fibers before braiding, e.g. by running the strands through your hands. All this helps to minimize breakage.
I know, dry fibers are prone to breaking, but you are braiding with bunches of fibers and not single fibers per strand. Calculate for breakage and frequently add fibers. You can also split the fibers so that a single ripped fiber does not matter that much. And now I have told you nearly all of my secrets regarding working with raffia
.
Possible explanations for the different achieved results:
- Braid diameter: You are maybe making much thinner braids as I do. I would guess you have diameters around 2 to 4 mm. My braids are usually broader than 5 mm. Less material makes the swelling effect less pronounced.
- Braiding technique: You manipulate the fibers in a different way as I do. E.g. create tension with a different method and therefore a different amount of tension. The resulting braid is the same, but the way of achieving it may be not.
- Completely different type and/or quality of raffia.
Squirrelslinger: What do you think of this explanations? Do you have another one? Do you do something in a significantly other way as I do, save braiding wet? Can you compress your braid lengthwise or sidewise.
Could you also answer me the remaining questions of my previous post?
They were:
- Why does the sling last half as long when you braid it dry? What does break first? Due to abrasion, unraveling, ...? (This questions gives me a hint of the properties of your braids. Just describe what you see.)
- How does the sling I sent you perform compared to your slings? (Direct comparisons are usually the best way to compare something
.)
- Have you tried the ways of softening the fibers I described above?
I'm looking forward for your reply! Take your time to write it down. I don't mind waiting and I also don't mind long replies as others can tell you
. And thank you for the discussion.