Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:02 am Post subject: PK fobs and Christmas ornaments
Here are some pics of my PKs.
Rick
skyout
My first PK.
My carved St. Nick and a Christmas ornament.
More Christmas ornaments.
One more Christmas ornament in University of Florida colors. Go Gators!
A small key fob PK and 2 THs.
All together.
Thanks a lot, Dan. Great tutorial and here's my first PK tied on a mandrel instead of by the grid. I am getting a better understanding of the PK this way. Hope you like the results! _________________ Rick
Well, I'm starting to understand the "PK rules" a little more. I think after a few more I will have it down. Here's a few pics of my try at Dan's fine tutorial for the type 1 - 2 pass pineapple knot (from a 7x6 turk's head knot).
One more for my collection from Dan's fine tutorials. Thanks again, Dan!!!
~ ...type 1 - 3 pass (from a 7x6 turk's head)
~ ...3 color version of Grant's heel knot!
_________________ Rick
I've been working on some projects. Here's one inspired by Brian's fob he made not long ago and Hooey's trophy works (not that I'm comparing my work to their work by any means LOL).
A 4 strand sq braid, then a 5/16" rubber core w/2 pass PK from a 5x6 TH, then a 5/8" wooden core hand carved to accept the shark's tooth with a 2 pass PK from a 7x6 TH. The black and white cord in nylon is 1/16" and is really limp (hard to tie) from WalMart.
I learned a lot from this, especially that the end of the PK takes up more than one diameter of the line used. I lost about 3/16" of the shark tooth inside the knot. The next one will be adjusted accordingly.
An 8 strand square sennit to a 5/8" wooden core drilled in two places (out both sides) for the 16 strands of red and black 1/16" nylon line. I drilled 2 holes to accept both ends of the sq. sennit (they are not tied together at the base) so the constrictor knots holding them would not be seen.
I hand carved the core for the base of the shark's tooth and I also had to reshape the base of the tooth with a hand file before gluing it in. The base of the PK will actually hold the tooth in place once tightened. I used a 12part X 12bright, 2 pass, Type 1 pineapple knot for the covering.
Hope you guys like it!
My daughter took this pic for me in her own hand!
_________________ Rick
A 4 strand sennit secured into the 5/8" wooden ball with a 12part X 12bright, 2 pass, Type 1 pineapple knot.
I was asked several times how I secure the sennit to the core so I thought I'd share how I did it here: The wooden core came with a hole thru the center. I gathered the 8 strands together and put a constrictor knot at the base of the joined braid. I then was able to get the size (diameter) of the 8 strands together so I could redrill the hole to the correct size (just a little bigger). Don't try holding the wooden ball with your hand while drilling, use pliers or a vise for safety. Then push all 8 strands thru the top and out the bottom of the wooden core, making sure the constrictor knot is buried inside the hole and just out of view. I cut the strands coming out of the bottom off leaving about 1/4" sticking out. Grab the bic lighter and set it on fire. Turn the ball around and around so the strands all burn together evenly. Once it reaches the bottom of the hole I use the smooth surface of the lighter to blend it out smooth by pushing on the melting cord. With a little practice you kind of know when to start smoothing it out, it needs to cool down just a little bit after you blow it out. You want it to burn inside the hole a little and out bigger than the hole so it will hold good.Any big lumps get remelted and smoothed out again with the lighter. I have not tried it because remelting works good but I think you could use a hand file to smooth any lumps, too.
My second shark tooth trophy PK (the red and black one shown above) I had to drill two holes, one out each side because of the tooth in the bottom. It worked OK. I used the melted nylon cord to fill where the drill got too close to the surface and came out (ripped the ball) before the end of the hole.
Please see a safety concern from my good friend SS369:
Quote:
Good explanation of the securing of the braid.
If you were to take the next sized drill bit and enlarge just one end of the finished hole, you will have a counter bore for the melted blob to pull back up into and that might save your finger or keep you from possibly melting the plastic lighter.
Not sure what the safety rating of those throwaway lighters are but there has been some news of people doing weird things to their faces with a disposable lighter mishap.
I made this for a special friend last November. A week ago, I found out the TH came unraveled and fell off. Ouch. The ends were only tucked and hidden, not glued and due to the location at the bottom of the loop, it just stretched out over the 8 months and fell off. I'm surprised it lasted this long. So I now have my 1st repair job. LOL I decided to cover the seizing with a PK (and a spot of glue on each of the 4 ends before tucking). I also sewed the loop together at the top of the seizing. My friend loved it!
You know, I was really embarrassed when I realized that the TH fell off, even though I now know the movement at the bottom of the loop was the culprit. My friend has more class in her little finger than all my other coworkers have put together. She's really special and never said a word to me when it fell off but she kept it on her keyring and has an honest appreciation for my gift. She's the kind of person you just smile whenever you see her. I feel a lot better about it being repaired now, especially when she told me how much she loves it and was glad to get it back. I didn't know how to tie a PK back when I made the fob for her but am glad that I'm able to now, thanks to you, Dan, and some of the other great knotheads here and at KHWW.net. So you guys deserve a thanks as well, thanks!
One more for my friend's (mentioned above) daughter who keeps trying to take her mom's Monkey Fist that I just repaired not long ago.
16 part x 16 bright, 2 pass, Type 1 with a double colored 4 strand square braid with a 3/4" wooden core. Sorry, I don't know the cord size as Don B gave it to me. It's that venetian blind cord, possibly 1.4 mm.
The green bled into the white interweave which gives it an overall blended look.
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