I am trying to make my own weave pattern of the IAFF sticker. After watching Kerry Hansen I believe I can do the weave but I can not figure out how to get the proportion correct. For examle if I put my pattern on graph paper how do I know how big it will ne on my rod. Is there a rule of thumb like so many threads per inch and that will translate into lines on hte graph paper if you use a certain size graph paper? Any help is very much appreciated.
Chris Porter

I think that Clemens said that size A thread works out to be 4.5 threads per mm. When weaving its likely that the threads will be a bit more spread out than that. I'm working on small blanks and try to keep my thread numbers to about 35. Some recent test weaves have also show, in my hands at least, that wrapping thread one size larger helps the pattern proportions. I'm very new to this so hopefully some of the weaving gurus will chime in. Happy weaving,

Peter

Hi Chris - unfortunately the only thing about thread is that it is inconsistant. Plus you have to take into consideration how tight you wrap the thread. I wrap so tight that the thread sings to me when I hit it. Most people have trouble with that type of pressure. It makes tightening things a little tough but works for me. As to measurements with different size threads like I said it is a crap shoot. I have a little cheat sheet that is ok for spitballing the length but is usually a little long. If you are interested in it drop m an email and I will send you a copy. As far as proportions I have found if the design looks proportionate on the graph then I get my best look by using a wrap thread that is one size larger than the threads used in the design. I have found that USUALLY the longer skinnier pattern is better accepted than the shorter fatter pattern. Feel free to email me for any othe questions you thing I may be of value. All this is in MHO.

Sorry Peter I see you already said that. Must be an echo echo echo.

I do almost all of my weave in all A thread using Gudebrod nylon Black A for the turning thread. I've found that if I divide the number of weave steps by 4.75, I get the weave length in mm within 1mm +-
When I used to use C thread I used 3.5 to divide.

Thats alright Doc, I learned almost everything I know about weaving from you. You da man!

Peter



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2005 05:18PM by Peter Merritt.

Chris

I find that by using "A" thread for my design threads and "B" for my wrap thread the weave will come out proportionate for me. You can judge from looking at my weaves. The tension on the wrap thread will cause it to be close to the design threads (that was a question I asked the attendees to the presentations I gave at the last Pacific Northwest Custom Rod Builders get together). If you can't find a table for thread diameters which aren't always going to match the threads exactly, you can wrap a band of 10 threads keeping in mind that the wrap thread be kept close to the tension you are going to use when you weave, measure the width of the band, divide that measurement by 10 which will give you the thread diameter. Now that you have the thread diameter and you know how many wraps your pattern has, you will now multiply the number of wraps by the thread diameter for the length of the pattern (along the axis of the rod). Now this will only be close because you must remember that you have design threads that come up between the wrap threads which will have a tendacy to want to make your pattern a little longer. Because these threads come up between the wrap threads you will have to pack the threads in the weave area much more (another question I asked the attendees at the seminar presentation) like Doc says than on the opposite side of the rod. If you didn't pack the threads in the weave area more than other areas you would soon have you wrap thread traversing around the rod in an elipse where the wrap thread in the area of the weave would be much farther down the blank than on the other side of the blank.

Kerry