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Post by badgirlpinto on Jan 2, 2011 19:47:55 GMT -5
I once was making numerous back rests and finally decided to try to make it easier. This does save time. We, Joe Dinsmore and I, made both willow back rests, and willow beds. We sold them, assembled only, and our buyer finished them with his work in beads or quills. From what I can remember, and its been a while, some of our back rests are in a museum in ND. Its pretty cool to know people are looking it at. I did drill the holes with a modern drill. I suppose the most primitive way would be with an awl ? Unfortunately the drill I had was no doubt a 50s model and weighed a lot. the frame below measures one foot at the top and two at the bottom. Is long enough to make a back rests whose seat extends to below the mid thighs. Its made from 2x4s. On the right hand side of the frame, on the outside of the 2x4 is a ridge that you butt cut willow up against and cut the opposite end. I like the ends of my willows be not perfectly flat and I like them with some color on them. When peeling the bark, the more inner bark you leave on, the more rich redish brown color you have on the sticks when they dry. If Im not mistaken most old examples are nearly white. With holes drilled two inches from the sides, and with the support down the middle and holes drilled down the middle, we laced them together with thongs of very thick mule deer. Anyway, they help speed production of numerous back rests. Of course no need for a frame for the beds, just a guide stick the length you want. It took about 200 willows for a nice long back rest. bgp Hello to any new folks too. Lots of knowledge on this site and friendly people.
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Post by ThunderMoon on Jan 2, 2011 21:09:31 GMT -5
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Post by joanne2 on Jan 3, 2011 5:58:28 GMT -5
I need to find a bunch more willow and build a frame! I think these willow can be easily steamed and straightened over our woodstove..just another JOB that needs time and labor intensive love.. will have to look for more this spring.. Kids took a lot of the ones I had for marshmallow sticks! The NERVE Think I could use a few more hands.. to collect rods and soften hides..etc. You know other tree sprouts can be used as well. Good idea on leaving some of the inner bark on BGP. There's been a lot of clear cutting of lumber around here and lots of places where the counties cut regularly in the ditches. I use a bypass pruner to cut them but have yet to manage to get ANY 'rests made! Be nice to have both the lodge and the rests at the same time. One of these days. You'd think with the NUMBER of kids around here I'd have all kinds of help .. Probably would if I bribed them with $$ or video games.. candy even, lol. ;D Could use some of your organizational skills there, BGP! Nice. That's a fine lookin' rest there TM.. is that your friend with the lodge's? Did he make it himself. Looks real inviting, doesn't it? All he needs is a nice fire with some soup or coffee or something cooking.. course then again he does have a place to sack out too, I see.. a nap anyone? BGP..I'll bet that is a great feeling to know that some of yours and Joe's rests are being seen regularly in a museum! Yes those old drills sure are heavy, we have one around here somewhere that my dad gave us.. Think that it's still running.. They lasted forever. I've got a dremel and really like it. A fellow Mike Searl told me about a plywood frame an also a method of using thin boards to clamp the rods in place and also to use a long doll making needle about 7" long or so to use to thread them together with artificial sinew.. He's made lots of them that way, too. Wish I had his smaller lodge really quite impressive..rosettes going up both sides of his lacing pins to the flaps. and totally decked out inside too. He placed third or something in some national event in OH, I think it was.. Might be afraid to USE a lodge like that one however.. One might need TWO lodges.. a fancy one and an everyday one! Like Sunday clothes!
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Post by badgirlpinto on Jan 3, 2011 9:58:43 GMT -5
We use to collect the willows, bundle them in like lengths and then let them dry before we made the back rests. Last time I was in Montana I brought a bunch of willow home for Pinto to make a back rest and I found that doing them before they dried worked even better. By lacing them together, it straightened them. He kept the frame outside where the daily rain kept the willow nice and supple. So If I were going to make another one, Id give a try with them still wet rather than "seasoning" them. I also used a large eyed darning needle to lace them. Real nice back rest TM. !!! I miss my lodges.
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Post by ThunderMoon on Jan 6, 2011 0:59:34 GMT -5
I can't believe how comfy they can be,that's my buddies lodge and he made the willow seats,he is like you guys,makes all kinds of stuff.I need to call him,haven't been over for awhile.My duaghter just made me a grandfather yesterday..
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Post by joanne2 on Jan 6, 2011 10:03:34 GMT -5
You're not supposed to slip these kinds of posts in like this dang it! Congratulations. Nice beautiful healthy new screaming head off bouncing bundle of joy, huh? Sweet. I love babies!
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Post by ThunderMoon on Jan 7, 2011 22:56:07 GMT -5
OOPS,i got excited..
Whitedove,on that frame you have do you just lay the branches in there?It's the shape of the seat right?I'm slow but i'm gettin there.. ;D
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Post by whitedove on Jan 8, 2011 10:59:26 GMT -5
Hello ThunderMoon, Perhaps,it's my mistake but I don't think you intended to say my name.It's badgirlpinto,who had posted the (willow back rest frame)My apologies,with the post there,my name was there abouts. By the way,badgirlpinto those willow backrest looks great!!! WhiteDove
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Post by ThunderMoon on Jan 8, 2011 17:32:16 GMT -5
Yep,the old eyesight is goin fast..I just need to learn to slow down a bit.I can see how that frame works now,pretty cool..
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Post by badgirlpinto on Jan 11, 2011 14:17:06 GMT -5
Hi All, yes Tm you just lay the willows across the frame, I always start and end my back rests with two sticks that are about half again as big as the rest of them. Just lay them across, butt them up against the other side where it is raised, and snip off at the edge nearest you. I see on you back rests you have two middle lacings. If you were going to make a frame like this to use I would recommend having two supports in the center. the supports support the willows as your drilling them. Unfortunately each willow has to be drilled and laced as you go. I think they are time consuming to make no matter which way you make them. I like to use a large darning needle with dull point that slides through the holes easily. the willows we used were about ring finger tip diameter. If they are too small, then it is difficult to get the hole centered and not too close to the edge of the willow stick,
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