making nalbinding needles?

Kevin Olson wrote: First up is a knitting board, so I can make a pair of fully fashioned long handled woolies (thermal underwear), and maybe eventually a sweater...So many projects...

Yes, I have too many projects for this time of year and really, the answer to this question can be delayed until about October, when I will actually use it but I wanted to ask it now while I read your post.

Could you post some more about the knitting board? A photo or link to one and how it is made and used?  With my arthritis, hand knitting is difficult to manage.  This sounds like something that may make it more doable for me! And you mention using it for the same things I want to make too!!!
Thanks.

Freyda Black wrote: With my arthritis, hand knitting is difficult to manage.  

Did you see the thread about knitting sticks? I'm wondering if those help with arthritis issues rather than just helping with speed and efficiency? I can look up the link if you're interested, but later...

Freyda Black wrote:I have been planning to make a nalbinding needle out of bone but, for me as well, outdoor projects like planting native shrubs and cutting invasives, have taken precedence.
I just wanted to tell you that I really appreciate the sharing of personal details related to the tools.  I too have severe arthritis and need tools that I can maneuver more in consonance with my limitations.  Your specific information about length and smoothness is fantastic! It is a time-consuming effort to make a needle out of bone and I appreciate knowing what I'm aiming for before I begin.  You have given us the benefit of your experience.

Can you recommend a video on making a needle from bone? There are literally scores of them on Youtube and I have watched many. I am sure you have experience with which method of cutting and shaping, and what tools to do that with, that will help me accomplish it with the minimum of pain! Or just share what tools you prefer for cutting and shaping.

Thank you again for your helpful posts.

Thank you for your kind words, Freyda! Sadly, while I've a good start on a collection of bones to choose from, I'm otherwise in the same boat, with you. No experience, and So. Very. Many videos to choose from! This time of year is insanely busy, around here, with preparations for goats to kid, beginning almost daily goat grazing rotations, keeping up with egg production and trying to figure out whether any of these silly hens (&/or which ones) are starting to feel broody and sitting a nest I need to leave alone, getting the bees settled into their new hive & more wildflowers planted for them, plus getting my garden beds cleaned up, prepped & planted, my fiber arts guild's community pr activities are ramping up, and so is our church... And, I still have to fix our tractor & start cutting wood, for summer cookouts & next fall - ugh. So, I'd only just begun trying to sort through those videos & clean up the bones. I do know I'll be more likely to go with using my dremmel, than strictly by hand, though. Those same troubles with my hands that cause problems with my needle crafts will likely tax my hands too much to even want to try doing it purely by hand.

Gee Carla, it seems that in these threads I have trouble figuring out or quoting the right person for my question!  I thought you were the one who was commenting on the size/material/smoothness of someone's needle and making suggestions.  If so, I guess I assumed you had experience making them. If not, I had better go back and figure out who was the experienced needle maker!

Nope - it was me. The conversation was just about the needles, and I was comparing my wooden, bone, and horn ones, and I mentioned somewhere about being interested in making my own. But, I can easily understand how it would be confusing, lol.

The two permies who've admitted to making their own, to my recollection (and I've had the odd seniors moment today... need some lemon balm tea!)
are Inge, who made hers years ago, and myself who faked it recently, used it and it worked. I used a hand saw and a rotary tool (dremel like) and sand paper.

Thanks so much for this thread guys, it has given me the incentive to get off my patooty and check my numerous boxes of scrap wood, that I could not discard or burn.  I found some good needle material, along with a few antlers (white tail deer).

It's free, for the asking, just send me a message if you're interested.

Also found the prototype of a Niddy Noddy, from the 1980's, turned from mahogany, also free to a good home.


Peace

Looks like I missed some updates on this thread!

Jay Angler wrote:The two permies who've admitted to making their own, to my recollection ... are Inge, who made hers years ago, and myself who faked it recently, used it and it worked.

I've made nalbinding needles, too! I posted few pictures of ones I've made on the first page of this thread, but I've made at least a dozen (possibly two dozen) each of bone and wooden ones. In terms of time, I find the wood ones to actually take longer to make, because finishing them takes longer than bone. My partner does the nalbinding, and has shown 10+ people how to do it themselves. For a new needle, bone is easier to nalbind with than wood for the first few hours, but once the wood is burnished sufficiently with use and lanolin, they're equivalent, provided you've used a high-quality wood. The issue I've had with maybe 5 wooden needles is that if I've carved them too thin, and chosen poorly for material, tugging on them in use causes the eye to tear out, destroying the needle.

The best wood needle I ever made was from ivy heartwood. It's difficult to work, but the tight, wavy, interlacing grain means that it creates a strong, sturdy finished product. I would avoid softwoods, and have personally had bad luck with cherry sapwood, oak, and scotch broom, which had their eyes rip out on me.

Freyda Black wrote:Can you recommend a video on making a needle from bone? There are literally scores of them on Youtube and I have watched many. I am sure you have experience with which method of cutting and shaping, and what tools to do that with, that will help me accomplish it with the minimum of pain! Or just share what tools you prefer for cutting and shaping.

Thank you again for your helpful posts.

For bone needles, starting from long leg bones makes the job easier. You can boil the bone just long enough to get the meat off it, but don’t use it for stock or put it in the slow-cooker, as this will weaken its structural integrity. Once cleaned of meat, put it in a vice and cut the caps off with a saw and push the marrow out with a rod. The caps and marrow make good stock.

Once you have that sorted, you can split the bone lengthwise with a wedge and hammer if you're really keen, or use a rotary tool to do all the subsequent cutting. Using saws, files, and hand tools means you’re not generating fine dust which is dangerous to inhale. If you do use a rotary tool, you’ll want a good, tight-fitting mask to protect your lungs from the bone dust. I usually cut out a rectangle first of the approximate dimensions I want my needle to be. Whether you're working with bone or wood, make sure to cut the needle blank out along the grain. If the bone is really thick (e.g. a cow femur can be more than double the thickness of my ideal nalbinding needle), I will then use a rotary tool to carefully cut the piece in half lengthwise and make two needle blanks. I then drill out the hole first before shaping the rest of the needle. This can be done with a barrel drum on a rotary tool, files, or 80 grit sandpaper.

Once you’ve got it to the shape you want, rounded off all the edges, and smoothed out the interior of the eye, go up a couple finenesses of metal file, sharpening stone or sandpaper until you’ve got the finish you’re happy with. I usually quit at 240 grit and let the use burnish the tool to a high gloss. Here’s a photo of my current stock. The five on the right are the ones that I use for darning and my partner uses for nalbinding. The six on the left are new ones for giving to people just learning how to nalbind.