Bead stringin'

[Mr Bo Jangles]

Well, I'm trying to string some rather heavy metal beads into what will eventually be some bandoliers. I've posed this question before, got some good ideas, some bad ones.....some I've already tried and abandoned.

Anyhoo. I'm trying to assemble some beads into a strand of all metal beads, you're atypical gourd bandolier looking thing, strung alongside some mescals.

Anyhoo.

I strung some up, and after I was done, stringing them on two strands of tiger tail. I stood up, to even out the beads before I put the finishing touches on things, when POP, the darn wire went and failed. So, figuring it'd be REALLY stupid of me to be picking up beads all afternoon at a dance, I figured I'd ask and see if anyone had any new ideas on what to use.

I've tried multiple strands of tiger tail coupled with imitations sinew, thick strands of sinew, leather cord, greek thongs (sounds sick!! LMAO!!).

Pretty much anything short of using bailing wire from bales of hay!!! LMAO!!

The problem is, the beads are the hollow type, but, they rub up and fray anything they come into contact with. So, eventually, somethings coming loose, and I'm losing a crap load of either metal or glass AB finish beads. Anyway you cut it.........it ain't gonna be pretty or cheap!!!

Glass beads pretty much are a cinch to string and easy to care for etc. The metal ones are a bit of a stinker though. Plus, it gets worse when I mix the metal with the glass.

Anyhoo.....what could I use?

I need something durable, resilient, somewhat "giving", but, not like that "memory cord"......that stuff that reminds me of the plastic stuff I put in my string fed week whacker!! LMAO!

OR......should i just go with some cheap plated plastic stuff?

[sookout sh'nob]

Heh... an elder back home swears by a low gauge (mm) weed eater line. He uses it for stringing the outer row of spacers on bustles quite a bit. I can think of one really positive thing about that stuff: your sweat isn't going to cause it to rot or weaken like a bilogically derived alternative (sinew, cord, leather strips).

It also melts really well - if you do try it,there is a neat way to "tie" off the ends. Heat the end with a lighter or other small flame until the weed eater line starts to shrink back. When it shrinks back, push it down into somthing hard. this will make a small cap (thtink of a nail head) at the end of the line and voila. This is how that old guy ties off the ends when he puts bustles together and none of them have come apart yet (the oldest of the bustles is several years old).

so, maybe it ain't such a bad idea after all chief.

[WocusWoman]

I use sinew on my breastplates; but my brass beads are solid, not hollow. I've never had the problem of the beads cutting into the sinew. Sookout sh'nob might just have a good idea.

[Mr Bo Jangles]

I went with hollow in the interest of weight issues....dang, maybe I can find me some Atkins Friendly Beads!!! aye!

Anyhoo...

I've used the weed line stuff on bustles as well....works good. I was thinking of trying some, but, figured it'd be too thick and stiff to do anything like stringing bandoliers. I'll look into it, thanks!!

I'll also just bite the big one and look into SOLID metal beads as opposed to hollow ones. I mean, they're heavy as it is....might as well go all out and use the solid stuff.

I've had some success with leather strips, they seem to hold up pretty good, and it's more or less a "traditional" stringing material when you examine older pieces from the last century or prior.

Any other ideas? How's that new "memory" wire stuff from Missouri River Traders work? It looks to be a stretchy, vinyl material, similar to the weed trimmer line.

I saw that Larry McCurtain was using some of that flat plastic stuff you can get at Wal-mart for next to nothing. I dunno what it's called, but, you do like braiding and stuff with it. He's strung his beads up on that stuff, but, then again....it looked like he had plastic beads, no glass or metal.

....my search continues.

Any other info ya'll might have is helpful....and thanks a bunch for the responses thus far.

[Blackbear]

it's expensive.. but it worked for us for the same reason... it's a tigertail wire that is plastic coated called Soft Flex.

http://www.softflexcompany.com/

we tried everything too... including this fishing line that you can't cut with a pair of scissors and yet them damn beads cut right through the stuff... but this worked and has held up for 3 years now.