How to make deer antler chip beads

Chips beads are probably some of the easiest and simplest beads there are
to make. They can be made with only a small number of tools and some basic
knowledge.

Tools:
A vise - A small table vise will be something you might want to hold the
antler while cutting and drilling the antler.
A small fine toothed saw - such as a coping saw.
A drill - an electric drill will be faster but a simple hand powered drill will
work just fine.
A means of sanding - A belt sander or disc sander are ideal but plain
old fashioned sandpaper and a flat surface will do.

And we begin...

Select smaller antlers about 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter for your beads. The length
isn't really as important as the diameter. Clamp the antler securely in your vise
using some kind of padding to prevent the vise from marring the surface of the
antler; Myself, I use a small piece of old leather as a pad.


A length of antler clamped in the vise

Now using your saw cut thin slices from the antler, about 1/8" to 3/16" thick.
Don't worry if the chips aren't a perfectly even thickness they can be leveled
out to some degree by sanding later.


Fifty freshly cut chip beads


This one is a little thicker than most

After you have cut out as many beads as you want you'll be ready to drill
them. How I do it is to clamp each individual bead in my vise and drill my hole.
I would recommend a 1/16" or 1/8" drill bit for the holes depending on what
material you plan to string them onto. 1/16" for plain string or 1/8" for heavier
leather lacing or cord. Try to keep your holes as close to the approximate center
of the bead as possible.


Freshly drilled and ready for sanding


Drilled and ready for sanding

After all the beads have been drilled they will be ready for sanding. This serves
two purposes, to remove unwanted tool marks from the saw and to help even
out their thickness somewhat. If using a power sander there is a little trick you
will want to use, wrap your thumb with masking tape and then over wrap that
with two sided tape to hold the bead during sanding. You will need to replace
the two sided tape from time to time since it will lose it's stickiness as you work.
Warning: The antler beads will get hot if you hold them on the
sanding surface too long, so be careful not to blister your thumb! Once you have
sanded them down enough to remove the tool marks you will still likely have to
do some light hand sanding to remove any burrs from the edges of the beads.
This will only take a moment of time and small piece of 100 grit or finer sandpaper.


That big sander for that little bead?!?


It takes a little practice to get the feel of sanding like this

If you opt to use sandpaper instead of a powered sander try to be patient as it
will take a bit longer.I would recommend at least 100 grit sandpaper but finer
grits will produce a smoother finish; though they will take a little longer. Just
remember to sand the beads in one direction to ensure an even finish. As a rule
I find that a circular motion provides the best results when working on something
like chip beads. Additionally, doing it by hand will eliminate the need to remove any
burrs since you will have an easier time controlling the bead on the sanding media.


Please note the circular area on the sandpaper

And now you are ready to either string them or make different variations on the
beads such as dying them different colors. (but that is another article. )


Sanded and ready for stringing or dying

~Fin~

How to regrind a damaged knife

A couple of months ago a regular customer asked me to try to repair a damaged
Buck sheath knife. I decided it would be an excellent opportunity to do a basic how
to on regrinding a damaged blade.


Here we start with the damaged knife. Please note that huge chip that had
been knocked out of the blade.



The first step is to mark out a rough area to allow for correcting the damage
by changing the blade pattern slightly. In this case, turning a damaged straight
point in a recurve pattern. A Sharpie works just fine since it is will stand up to
grinding and water.



There are several ways you can remove excess steel from a tempered knife blade.
If you have the time and patience you could use a half round file, I prefer something
a little faster though. In this case a bench grinder with a medium grit stone for
course stock removal and a belt sander for fine tuning. The key to a regrind is to
keep the blade as cool as possible during the regrinding process to avoid burning
the temper out of the blade. This can be easily done by frequently dipping the
blade in water during grinding and using light pressure on the grind stone and belt
sander, you want to let them slowly remove material not see how many sparks
you can produce.



Now the blade's new pattern is more well defined but it still needs a bit more
fine tuning to get it right. From the picture below you can see darker patches
from stains on the blade. These were removed using a loose soft buff and red
rouge polishing compound to avoid losing too much of the blade's original
factory finish.



Now the regrinding is complete all there is left is to do the final clean up and
sharpen the blade. Cleaning it up is just a matter of washing it in warn soapy
water to remove the last of polishing compound and any left over fine grinder
grit on the handle. If the blade is carbon steel make sure that it is completely
dried and lightly oiled to prevent rusting.



Finally, the finished knife and it's new custom made sheath. The sheath was
a special request for this project since the knife came into my customer's possession
minus it's original sheath.



~Fin~

Making and using natural black dye

This is something I originally found at Primitive Ways.

Primitive Ways black dye link for reference.

Their's is a great source for the basic method of making this
natural black dye but I wanted to share my experience with
making and using it...

This will dye pretty much any natural material a very deep
black and from my experience with it sometimes will dye
certian synthetics like nylon temporarily.


We start out with the basic ingredients of the dye...

Iron salts solution

I made mine by using a what I had on hand to work with, in
this case, steel wool and a few rusty nails..





Just drop them into a large (clean) peanut butter jar.



Then I added 1 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of lemon juice.



Opps, not quite enough...



So I added an additional cup of vinegar and an addition 1/2 cup of
lemon juice.



As you can see, the steel wool was still above the line of the
liquid but after twenty-four hours it had dissolved enough to allow
it to be pushed down using a chop stick.





Those fine particles in the liquid are partly from the steel wool
being dissolved and partly from where it had stripped the rust from
the nails.

Important note: This stuff is way nasty smelling Don't leave
it open longer than you need to.

Next we move on to the tannic acid solution...

Tannic Acid Solution

The name makes it sound like something you would find in a mad
scientist's laboratory but it just a simple solution, in this
case made from water and finely ground acorns.

I started out with 25 acorns..



Then dropped them into an electric coffee grinder.



Now this is where I should add a note that might or might not make a
difference. The article at Primitive Ways says to husk (shell) the
acorns. The first batch I made last year I did this but I wanted to
see if it would make any difference in how the dye worked so this time
I just ground them shells and all.

And here we have a finely ground acorn powder.


And then dump it into another large peanut butter jar.



While it was never stated in their article, I decided to treat it the
same way I would if I was making tea to antique something and used
two cups of very hot water, not boiling just hot enough to steam.


Looks nasty doesn't it? Actually it had a surprisingly pleasant
sweet nutty smell. (No, I didn't taste it! :P )

After twenty-four hours this was the final solution.





Ok, So now what?

Now we test it to see if it will work as expected.

We start out with one deer antler bead I had made a few days before.


I suspended the bead from a length of nylon twine in the tannic acid
solution.


After twenty-four hours of soaking.


The drop it into the iron salts for twenty-four hours.


Doesn't look too black yet does it?


So it went back into the tannic acid for another twenty-four hours.


Voila! One black dyed bead.


I'll admit that I had briefly considered dropping back into the iron
salts for another day but it occurred to me, How black can you make
anything?? lol

So next I let it hang for a good day before checking it again.
After which I gave it a gently buff with extra fine steel wool
to bring it's shine back and this is the end result.



As a few final notes, the dye can be reused quite a few times
before it loses it's potency and it can be freshened up by
adding a little more acorn powder in the tannic acid and
a little more vinegar and steel wool in the iron salts.

However, I would suggest dumping it after six to nine months
and making a fresh batch. The tannic acid will grow mold but
that can be removed easily with a fork and disposed of.


~Fin~

How to make a simple leather pouch

Ever seen one of those really cool looking leather pouches
and want to make one for yourself? Well here's your chance
to see how easy it is.

Depending on your level of skills and how busy things are
around you, it will take about an hour and a half to two
hours to make a pouch like this.

The Basics

What you'll need is...

Leather (Duh!) A soft sueded leather in the one to four ounce
range is about right. This leather will be about 1/16 of an
inch thick give or take a few fractions.

Lacing 1/8" Sueded leather lace will work for most pouches but
you can use most any cordage you want to use.

Tools

A sharp knife or shears or scissors to cut with. If you use a
knife, make sure it will easily shave hair from your arm so it
will cut the leather easily.

A straight edge (ruler) to act as both a measuring tool and as a straight
edge to guide your knife in a straight line.

A punch or Awl to make holes with.

Needle and Thread. Ideally you should use a thick sturdy needle with a
blunt point. If you can't find regular leather working needles you can
use Large Embroidery/Creweling needles. The thread should be a sturdy
waxed twine. You buy waxed thread made for leather working or make it
yourself. Or in a pinch you can use waxed dental floss.
(Just don't use the flavored kind or you may find the dog gnawing your pouch! LMAO)

A small block of wax. This is used to act as a lubricant for
both your needle and awl. Bee's wax is the best but you can
use a plain candle if you don't want to hunt down bee's wax.

A small pair of pliers. These will come in handy pulling your
needle through tight spots.


The basic tools, a knife, a stainless steel scale (ruler), an old ice
pick turned into an awl, a block of bee's wax, and a threaded needle.


The awl and two different punches. The punch in the Leatherman Supertool
was used for part of this.


And we begin...

You can buy you leather in larger rolls or smaller sections sold in
crafts stores. You'll need a piece that is a little bigger than the
outside dimensions of the pouch.

eg. If you want a pouch that is 4 inches tall and two inches wide
you will need a piece of leather about five inches square.

This was the first cutting for this project and the edges are
a little rough so I had to square the edges a bit...


This is where the straight edge comes in handy to make sure my edges
are smooth.


And here we are with one squared up piece of leather ready to have it's
first holes punched


Fold the piece in half lengthwise and punch three holes through
both thicknesses of the leather. Those three holes will result
in six holes that are matched up as the corners.


Now for the long part of the work, punching your holes for stitching
the pouch together. Use you straight edge as a guide and line it up
on two of your corners and punch the holes about 1/4" apart.


After all of the holes have been punched use your awl to expand the holes
a little to make it easier to push your needle through.
Note: Wax the tip of the awl every third or fourth
hole to make it work more smoothly.


Remember, you only need to punch holes in three sides since one side
will be the mouth of the pouch.


Now fold the piece lengthwise using the corner holes as guides to line
the other holes up.


Important
How much thread is needed here?
As a rule of thumb, Start at the top corner using a doubled length of
thread and measure out enough to go all the way to the farthest corner.
Make sure you add at least an extra three to five inches to cover any
knots you use. The more the better.


And we start our first stitch...
Make sure you go around the first two holes to create a secure point at
the top corner.


After the top corner you can use a simple stitch all the way around.
Or if you want to create a stronger seam, you can use more thread and
use what is called a whip stitch. This is simply going in a circle from
hole to hole to provide a more secure seam.

Note: I'll add updated pictures later to illustrate
what a whip stitch looks like.


Tie the thread off by passing the needle through the final
stitch several time to create a simple knot and the use a
lighter or match to sear the end to prevent unraveling.
Note: This should be done to the knot at
the top corner as well.


And now it is time turn the bag inside out...


And here we have the pouch turned inside out.

This makes it look easy. I can assure you that it takes a little
work to get it done.


Next up, punching holes for the draw string...

As a rule you will probably want at least eight holes to make it easier
to close the pouch. Make sure you wax the tip of your awl for each hole
so the awl will pass through easier.
Note: The holes at the edges will need to be punched
individually. The two in the center area can be punched at the same time.


This is where I used the punch in the Leatherman Supertool to square
the holes to make it easier to pass the lacing through.


How much lacing do you use?

It depends on how you want to use the pouch. If you plan to carry it in
a pocket, use enough to wrap around the mouth of the pouch to secure it.
If you plan to wear it around your neck us at least thirty inches or more.


Start lacing it at the outer most holes and work your way toward the seam.



A close up of the lacing completed.


Now just tie a simple knot on the end and your pouch is finished.



A few final notes...

This is just a very basic and simple pouch. You can do quite a few things
to customize your pouch(es). Adding an extra piece at the seam to add
a fancy fringe, dyeing parts of it, adding fancy stitching...

The only limits are your skills, materials, and imagination.

I'll add an update later to show a few customizations that can be
done.

~Fin~