Extract hemp fibre from plant
Has just put some bird seeds in soil now, the plant is going to be a hemp plant.
Now i could read that the strongest fibres is not in the heartwood of the plant, but in the sapwood.
Hartwood fibres is used for clothes and textiles and sapwood is used for rope.
Im trying to find what kind of teknology i have to use to extract those fibres.
One thing i find out is that the plant need to grow very close together to get long enough, the longer they get the better, i think, 3-5 meters.
And also the plant need to bee harvest before bloom.
Now i could read that the strongest fibres is not in the heartwood of the plant, but in the sapwood.
Hartwood fibres is used for clothes and textiles and sapwood is used for rope.
Im trying to find what kind of teknology i have to use to extract those fibres.
One thing i find out is that the plant need to grow very close together to get long enough, the longer they get the better, i think, 3-5 meters.
And also the plant need to bee harvest before bloom.
Khan; In America they burn the leaves to get rid of them. We do not use the stems. :wink:
I was planing to burn both the stems and the leaves and only use the stalk for fibre.
It dont look like there is any easy way to separate the sapwood from the hartwood fibres other than somehow split the stalk in two with a knife and try to cut out the heartwood fibre.
This is ofqourse illegal in my country, and i dont think my country is a free country (Sweden)
But thats a other question and i think it?s the same for many others too.
It dont look like there is any easy way to separate the sapwood from the hartwood fibres other than somehow split the stalk in two with a knife and try to cut out the heartwood fibre.
This is ofqourse illegal in my country, and i dont think my country is a free country (Sweden)
But thats a other question and i think it?s the same for many others too.
Khan; I bought 100g of hemp string made in Hungary for $1 retail. (at the discount store)
Nice price :o
But it?s not so much about money, as it is about to build somthing without buying anything att all, and whats possible and whats not.
If i could i would ofcourse try to build it of a handful of earth, if you see what i mean. :wink:
Like doing somthing out of nothing.
But it?s not so much about money, as it is about to build somthing without buying anything att all, and whats possible and whats not.
If i could i would ofcourse try to build it of a handful of earth, if you see what i mean. :wink:
Like doing somthing out of nothing.
Wrong post
(cant delete)
(cant delete)
Mongol, I,m not sure but I heard that they soak the stems for some time to soften them and the fibres come apart easily, dont know how they would seperate the outer fibres though, could only be by eye and being careful?. I know for certain that there are many types of hemp varieties that make differennt qualities of thread
The hemp has begun to grow now :D
Yes, they make the hemp rot by let it lay down outside in rain and sun.
But i has also heard that the longer the hemp rot, the weaker the fibre get, but it?s easier to extract.
Less time outside gives stronger fibres, but are harder to extract.
Heard of a hemp type called futura, it?s for strong fibres, but common bird seeds are also the fibre type hemp.
All fibre hemp is sativa, thats for sure i think.
There is the other hemp called indica, and it?s the wrong type.
Yes, they make the hemp rot by let it lay down outside in rain and sun.
But i has also heard that the longer the hemp rot, the weaker the fibre get, but it?s easier to extract.
Less time outside gives stronger fibres, but are harder to extract.
Heard of a hemp type called futura, it?s for strong fibres, but common bird seeds are also the fibre type hemp.
All fibre hemp is sativa, thats for sure i think.
There is the other hemp called indica, and it?s the wrong type.
There are also lots of other quality fiber plants; nettle, dogbane, milkweed, yucca. Why choose the one which is not permitted?
I was once at a rope making factory near Merida, Mexico. The thick yucca leaves are run through rollers and the fiber, of which the leaf is almost entirely composed, is extracted and used fresh. In the days of rigging sailing ships, Merida was a very wealthy area. Yucca rope is called sisal after the port.
I use this sometimes for NA self bow string, is not affected by rain.
I was once at a rope making factory near Merida, Mexico. The thick yucca leaves are run through rollers and the fiber, of which the leaf is almost entirely composed, is extracted and used fresh. In the days of rigging sailing ships, Merida was a very wealthy area. Yucca rope is called sisal after the port.
I use this sometimes for NA self bow string, is not affected by rain.
I going to use hemp fibre just as the mongols do, so the bow will be a replica.
I can read everywhere that the hemp fibre is the strongest plant fibre, and sisal is number two in strengt, but not sensitive to water.
Yes and so there was manilla fibre, so there is three very strong fibres if i understand it right.
Seems like linen fibre is not bad.
3-5 meter hemp plant would give you a very long fibre to work with.
Very interesting with all those fibre plants, the climate is cold where i am, so many of them will not grow here.
I can read everywhere that the hemp fibre is the strongest plant fibre, and sisal is number two in strengt, but not sensitive to water.
Yes and so there was manilla fibre, so there is three very strong fibres if i understand it right.
Seems like linen fibre is not bad.
3-5 meter hemp plant would give you a very long fibre to work with.
Very interesting with all those fibre plants, the climate is cold where i am, so many of them will not grow here.
I am curious that you write that you want to "use hemp fibre just as the mongols do" when most surviving old Mongol strings are gut, rawhide or sinew, which were much more available to Mongols on the steppe than hemp.
Making thread from hemp is a parallel process to making it from linen. In the second Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Tim Baker reports that hemp has to be retted in the same way as linen. For information on this process, you can look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retting. The great advantage of hemp is the length of the fibres. Sometimes they are are 4 to 5 metres long in the stalks. The idea is that you grow the plant until it is mature, cut it down and ret the stalks until the fibres can be easily extracted. One suggestion is to leave the stalks underwater for 14 to 18 days. You can find information on preparing linen which will be useful for you working with hemp.
Making thread from hemp is a parallel process to making it from linen. In the second Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Tim Baker reports that hemp has to be retted in the same way as linen. For information on this process, you can look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retting. The great advantage of hemp is the length of the fibres. Sometimes they are are 4 to 5 metres long in the stalks. The idea is that you grow the plant until it is mature, cut it down and ret the stalks until the fibres can be easily extracted. One suggestion is to leave the stalks underwater for 14 to 18 days. You can find information on preparing linen which will be useful for you working with hemp.
Thanks for the information on retting hemp :D
I think you talking about the mongol horsebow, i was talking about the 2,5 meters long, nadam bow.
Sorry i did not mentioned this earlier.
I think you talking about the mongol horsebow, i was talking about the 2,5 meters long, nadam bow.
Sorry i did not mentioned this earlier.
You can try using nettles, very small percentage of fiber, but if you find a strong fibre-yelding variety of plant then it's worthy to have a go. Nettles were used for textiles in the past in Europe, if you live in Sweden you can probably find some useful info on processing nettle fibers in Astrid ?sg?rdh's books on nettles.
However, I very much suspect, that for a good quality bowstring, fibers from unretted plant would be used.
However, I very much suspect, that for a good quality bowstring, fibers from unretted plant would be used.
I suspect that to, and i have some info that hemp fibres is good to back the bow with to.
Thanks for the book. :D
Thanks for the book. :D