weekend willow

feeds@yuku.com (stikchik) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:10:22 GMT

So this weekend, we did quite a bit of wondering around but in particular, I gathered some willow. I got a couple different colors, not really sure the technical names of each, but they were beautiful. I have not been on here in quite a while but am excited as I read through older topics and through Jon R's tutorials on his web page to start making my own basket. I thought I would share some pics with you all. Happy Fall!

Soon to be cordage

feeds@yuku.com (madcrow6969) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:01:41 GMT

I went to my milkweed honeyhole from last year, hoping to get a few hundred stalks like I did last year. I found about three dozen total. What I found this time was dogbane. So I started cutting. Some of the stalks are alot smaller and shorter than I wanted, but I was not about to let the combine get it when they harvest the corn. All together, between what is shown in the chair and what I bundled a few days ago, I have 800 dogbane stalks. Looks like I will be doing alot of twisting...

another new pipe

feeds@yuku.com (Huey Tlatoani) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:51:02 GMT

This one is fired sand tempered clay, half in the coals, half below the coals-led to the strange some black/some brown effect. I don't really mind it. The stem is square in cross section, it's a section of cup plant stem I hollowed out. The feathers are a whole guinea hen wind I dried out.

Cordage first try.

feeds@yuku.com (gm69camaro) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:40:10 GMT

A few pics of some cordage I made from dried spider plant leaves. Maybe not the most traditional material but I just couldn't let it go to waste so I used it for practice before I tried milkweed. I used the reverse wrap method and the two lengths are 8' and 12'. Now I have to find a use for it... Enjoy.

Commercial clay yet primitive construction

feeds@yuku.com (Snowalker) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:11:42 GMT

As the weather is not holding out long enough for me to use my own dug up clay and deer season has put a halt to most everything I decided to use a air drying clay to keep up with the construction aspect of pottery and made these have a look, hope you like them although not fired, any feedback welcome as always.....

Hemp fiber

feeds@yuku.com (bighairyralph) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:07:35 GMT

I posted on the bow string area a few days ago, but it seems that not much is happening over there

Can any body tell me how to seperate the hemp fibers from the stalks? I'm pretty sure that they need to be ret, but, oddly enough, I've never ret anything ('cept some stuff in the back of the fridge). How long does one "ret"? Will I need to beat/pull/twist/ask nicely to get the fibers off?
...

Wood firing

feeds@yuku.com (Okwencha) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:31:33 GMT

I'm interested in learning to fire river clay in the traditional wood fire method. Any help here? Thanks.

Has anybody made cordage from cattail before?

feeds@yuku.com (RCSCC137) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:31:12 GMT

Yeah so I recently discovered that I could make cordage from cattail leaves. It is extremely easy to harvest and process as well as being plentiful. I was wondering if anybody else has made cordage from it before or heard of it?

Advice on cordage materials and drop spinning?

feeds@yuku.com (applateau) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:05:16 GMT

Hi, I'm new around here and just getting started with things Paleo. I am curious as to which materials make the best cordage (strongest, most adaptable, most sought after, finest, etc.). I am trying to figure out which ones I should go out and gather a nice supply of before our weather gets any colder and I lose the advantage of being able to id the plants by their leaves.

I am also curious about whether any solid documentation exists for drop spindle spinning as a...

Shell Gorgets?

feeds@yuku.com (svaldrin) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:31:35 GMT

Does any one know how to cut shell specifically fresh water clam shell? I want to make a Shell Gorget for an outfit I am putting together but so far don't know how to cut it and shape it????

profesional clay?

feeds@yuku.com (svaldrin) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:53:31 GMT

I bought some clay from the store and made a small pot out of it and let it dry completely and when I tried to fire it it always cracks, or blows up what is it that i am doing wrong? do I need to add temper to it? I have dug up clay and processed it, it works fine! hmmmmm I dont know?

Got clay, now what?

feeds@yuku.com (pdubya) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:02:36 GMT

I was looking at all the cool pots and people gathering clay so I went to a local river and got what seems to be good globby gray clay. I have a five gallon bucket full in the boat. I have been reading all I can here but are there any tutorials about "preparing" the clay. I guess you do not just make your bowl, container, etc. without pounding, kneeding, cleaning. I will be reading and looking but anybody have some tips.

Thanks

New Calumet - elbow type with round bowl

feeds@yuku.com (Huey Tlatoani) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:05:35 GMT

I've been on a pipe making kick lately, mostly platform pipes, but here's my first attempt at a round bowled elbow. The stem is rivercane with a smaller diameter cane mouthpiece, and everything is glued together with gelatin. This is the first time I actually got the clay to fire red rather than turning -I stood the pipes up inside the coals of the fire rather than building the fire...

First collared pot

feeds@yuku.com (Snowalker) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:49:33 GMT

Well I made a collared pot, it was my third firing again it survived but again had some hairline cracks at the top. This now leads me to believe I may have to add some more temper to my mix, anyway back to the drawing board and thanks for looking.......

coal burnt beer stine?

feeds@yuku.com (tylertait) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:34:08 GMT

i want to make a beer stine but am not sure if the coal burning method would work for such a tall and narrow vessel. has anyone tried this? any info or input on suggested wood type and weather to go with or across grain would be much appreciated.

thanks,
Tait

Could I use pottery clay to seal the joint between bowl and stem on a pipe?

feeds@yuku.com (Quest for fire) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:09:46 GMT

I am making a pipe out of a bird wing bone and wild boar bone.
The stem fits well into the bowl but is not perfectly air tight.
Someone mentioned to me there was a kind of clay used
to stop up any small leaks.

What I want to know is can I use pottery clay?
Does it need to be fired to harden?
Would a good hot smoke or two,
help to harden it?

Also someone mentioned useing pine pitch to do the same job.
Wouldn't pine pich turn liquid...

My Blue Willow Rod Backrest

feeds@yuku.com (DarthAries) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:23:07 GMT

I had a list of projects I set out to make this summer, and as the season is finally coming to a close,
a few of them have now finally been getting completed.
One of my favorites is something I have wanted to make since I was a kid; a willow rod backrest.
I made several attempts to construct one over the years, but it never panned out, mostly out of a lack of patience,
or a lack of materials, for the most difficult part is just getting enough willow shoots of appropriate...

Need a bit of info on linen thread

feeds@yuku.com (Quest for fire) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:45:39 GMT

I found some linen sewing thread.
I was thinking of braiding it into a bow string.

The only specs I have on it are below.

(Flax yarn lea 26/1 wet spun and pre-bleached.)

Is there any info on how strong the thread is in there?
(breaking strain)

Would a braided linen sewing thread bow string be stronger or weaker,
than a regular linen cordage bowstring of the same diameter?

Kevin

Gourd Reed basket

feeds@yuku.com (FAYME) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:43:04 GMT

I'm working on a combination gourd and basket. It's done in the twining technique out of some reed Tom Mills gave to me at the last Pasadena gathering (thanks Tom). The reed has to be wet to work with or it breaks easily. I'm not done with the details but I have all the reed twining done and just wanted to share some photos. Try not to laugh, I've never made a reed basket before.

Need info. Corn Husk Bags

feeds@yuku.com (smokjmpr1) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:25:13 GMT

Anyone got a source for information on making corn husk bags? I got an idea for construction, but I'd like to find something online, or even a book/video. Let me know.

Anyone know if the bags were made both sides at the same time, or just as a "sheet" folded in half and the sides sewn together.

Thanks,

Pottery, Basketry & Fiber-arts