Slinging.org Forum - Sling Braiding Questions

walter

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #45 - Jan 28^th, 2018 at 9:31pm

@ Morphy, tried round braiding hooked to a swivel today. I was braiding fast and a bit careless like maybe a novice would do. Got plenty of twist in just 12 inches Undecided

The swivel did not cause the twist; did not prevent it either.

To prevent twisted cords, I think consistent tension and overlapping exactly below the previous overlap is the answer. Practice and Developing a braiding pace and rhythm helps too.

In the pic you can see close to a quarter twist in 12".

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Morphy

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #46 - Jan 29^th, 2018 at 9:54am

walter wrote on Jan 28^th, 2018 at 9:31pm:

@ Morphy, tried round braiding hooked to a swivel today. I was braiding fast and a bit careless like maybe a novice would do. Got plenty of twist in just 12 inches Undecided

The swivel did not cause the twist; did not prevent it either.

To prevent twisted cords, I think consistent tension and overlapping exactly below the previous overlap is the answer. Practice and Developing a braiding pace and rhythm helps too.

In the pic you can see close to a quarter twist in 12".

Ahh I was hoping that would be an easy fix! Tongue

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Morphy

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #47 - Feb 5^th, 2018 at 10:26am

Right now I'm beginning the release cord on my current sling. It's a 12 strand spiral braid over a 6 strand core. When tapering is it possible to continue using the 12 strands and just taper the core? That seems like it would be a lot easier but I don't want to cut the core strands only to find out later it's not going to work. Anyone have experience with this?

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Teg

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #48 - Feb 5^th, 2018 at 5:07pm

Yes, in general this should work. I never had issues while braiding free handed, mostly 6 strand round or 8 strand square, but I have never done that on a marudai or with a card.

Hints:
- reduce the core as smoothly as you can. If using thick strings as the core, consider removing parts of the strings if possible or, with paracord, partial gutting.
- If you use thin strings in the core, instead of cutting directly you can also pull it out of the core, let it dangle loose and cut close to the braid when finished. There is a risk of having an irregularity where the core left the braid.
- For me, braiding while tapering is easier when I had a good amount of tension, i.e. the mantle is dense and not springy.

As always: when not sure, make a sample. It's time well invested Wink

.

Also consider: What is the function of the core and where does it come from? Does it carry any load or is it more a filler / hiding place for no longer used threads? If it's the second option, don't worry as long as you taper smoothly. If it's the first option, then I would not do it or at least make a sample, braid tight and dense and leave the core long enough in there for sure.

There is also a little bit of something here: http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1509416090/0

Good luck!

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Teg Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Posts: 1115 Central Europe Gender:	Re: Sling Braiding Questions Reply #49 - Feb 5^th, 2018 at 5:14pm With "carry any load" I also mean "keeps the mantle from stretching and showing gaps", i.e. a loose, and springy mantle.
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walter Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 2453	Re: Sling Braiding Questions Reply #50 - Feb 5^th, 2018 at 6:47pm I think you would have to cut core strings to cause taper. I slightly twist them, which keeps the core round. Cut an inner core string. Braid on and cut an inner core string, braid on etc.
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Morphy

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #51 - Feb 6^th, 2018 at 9:58am

Thanks guys. A lot of good info here.

@Walter- Yep, that's what I was thinking. It seems foolproof...but so did the last 7 failed slings! Grin

Hence my emerging braiding paranoia. Cutting strings is an awfully permanant step so I wanted to see what you guys came up with.

@Teg- Yes, thanks. Tons of things to think about in that post. I had not considered the mantle stretching but playing around with the finished portion of the sling cord I can definitely see how that can happen.

One thing I didn't think about was possibly soaking this hemp jewelers cordage before using it. It's quite stiff and isn't as tight a braid as I would like. I wish I had done that but it's a bit too late now. Oh well, I know next time. It still looks ok, and I have something to look forward to with the next sling.

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walter Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 2453	Re: Sling Braiding Questions Reply #52 - Feb 6^th, 2018 at 5:18pm If that is polished jewlers cord you can run it through a ring or over a hook, pull it back and forth until you feel it limber up and then stretch it. A little work, but now it is just right to braid
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Morphy

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #53 - Jun 5^th, 2018 at 9:10am

New question, and I promise it has nothing whatsoever to do with a possible new sling braiding project as I am totally not a sling braiding addict.

Would cotton crochet thread be suitable for braiding a sling? #10 crochet thread to be specific. It's quite cheap, comes in many colors and has a very thin diameter for large count braiding projects.

My one concern is that it's cotton and cotton stretches...like alot. Does anyone have anything good to say about cotton slings? Is it possible to induce a set into cotton to get rid of most of the stretch?

Thanks. (Asking for a friend.)

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Kick past-moderator Offline Posts: 4451 Finland	Re: Sling Braiding Questions Reply #54 - Jun 5^th, 2018 at 11:02am I've used cotton-based string a lot and they have basically no stretch. I have no idea of the processes used to make it but it's just twisted office string, absolutely nothing special.
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Morphy

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #55 - Jun 5^th, 2018 at 1:37pm

My only experience with cotton is looking at it's properties for bow string manufacturing. I know it's too elastic for that but a bow string is also under a great deal more tension that a sling.

You haven't noticed any stretch with yours KTO? Might be worth a try if that's the case. Have you tried wool? What are your thoughts on it as far as how much stretch is allowable and how suitable it is for a sling?

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Kick

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #56 - Jun 5^th, 2018 at 1:56pm

None at all for cotton but that is with cotton string. I don't know if other forms might stretch more. If you want I can send one over for you to take a look at and test out. They are so cheap and easy to make I have loads of spares Cheesy

With wool, it does have significant stretch. The one wool sling I made was basically elastic. I made that using a braiding wheel and really it's just decorative. I don't think I've ever actually used it but just putting a stone in the pouch increases it's length noticeably. Completely impractical to use.

The Tibetan slings I have have less stretch but they still have some. I might be imagining it but I think they've lost some of that stretch with use. It's also a little hard to tell because they're so darn long. Overall they are definitely usable but they aren't as... efficient (?) as a paracord sling.

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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923

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Teg

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Re: Sling Braiding Questions
Reply #57 - Jun 5^th, 2018 at 2:08pm

I often use cotton yarn, so called "Schulgarn", for trying out things. Also I made a couple necklaces and other braids out of it. Until now I never noticed any excessive stretch. It works well, but is a tiny bit more slippery than wool, meaning more difficult to tighten.
It is 50g/200m, needle 2-3 (no idea if this is the same labeling as in your part of the world), mercerized. It is also typically used for crochet, sometimes for knitting.
The only sling I made (partly) with this yarn is in Walters possession. So you have to ask him how it stands up to abrasion Roll Eyes

.

Points to consider for your friend:
- Thin threads make intricate braids and cause long working hours. Consider doubling or trippling your threads.
- When afraid of stretch, tension and tighten more while braiding. You can make braids that literally stand up straight (see pictures, made with the cotton yarn described above).

Looking forward to see your results! Sorry, your friends results of course Wink

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Morphy Slinging.org Moderator Offline Checkmate Posts: 8102	Re: Sling Braiding Questions Reply #58 - Jun 7^th, 2018 at 9:24am Wow ! That's impressive Teg. Are you using heavy tama to achieve that or just lots of tightening?
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Teg Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Posts: 1115 Central Europe Gender:	Re: Sling Braiding Questions Reply #59 - Jun 8^th, 2018 at 7:22am I don't use tama or a marudai. Everything is braided freehanded / in the fist. It's just heavy tensioning and tightening while braiding. Give every thread a good pull before you manipulate it, especially the lower ones before you pass them over. Be careful not to rip the thread (especially with wool).
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