Any tips on how to manage the thickness problems when making flemish strings. Brighter colors are usually thicker. I have made plenty of strings. It seems like I am getting worse at having one bundle bo too long when it is time to finish.
When making a string the darker bundle gets shorter than the bright bundle. By the time I am finished the dark bundle has too much slack. Sometimes if I stretch it when almost unwound I can get both bundles pretty close.
I have started making the dark bundle longer. Doesn't seem right. But it works for me.
What is the best way to fix this?
Ted, I use only B-50 and have never noticed a thickness difference in different colors. Don't know about other string materials.
To help solve the color bleeding problem BCY uses a coating rather than a dye, and it does make some colors a tiny bit thicker--especially the brighter colors. White will always be the thinnest, as it has no color added at all.
One solution is as you said--and if it works for you, nothing wrong with it.
Another is to use one strand less in the bundle with the thicker strands. Won't hurt a thing.
Finally, you can adjust the twist in the bundle with slack in it--add a little extra as you go to keep the bundle tension even.
Chad
I either use one strand less of the colored material, i.e., 5 of white and six of black in the bundles. Or I use more black in the padding, for example, three or four black strands vs 2 white, for a 11-12 strand D-97 string padded to 17-18 strands in the loops.
I went to three bundle strings, 15 strands of D97
This is one of the areas the smaller strand materials like 8190 and BCY-X have an advantage as well.