String making ?

[Orion]

I've been making my own flemish strings for a lot of years.  Usually, I make them all one color, black, but occasionally I like to do some candy stripes.  It seems to me that the colored thread is thicker than the black.  This makes for a less than perfect string.  Even when I twist the colored (red) string tighter than the black, the braids don't come out even, often appearing as though more of the black is being wound around the red rather than them being wound/braided around each other equally.  Using D-97, but I've experienced the same thing with B-50.  The strings hold together fine, they just don't look as good as I would like. Suppose I could make the strings with one less strand of the colored thread.  Anyone else have this problem?  If so what do you do about it.  Thanks.    

[Al Dean]

I find the same thing between  the brown and red 450 plus.  I wonder if maybe it is the red that is thicker as opposed to the black or brown being thinner.  When I am doing the two together I cut the strings even before I make the second loop.  Usually works out.

[CG]

I've also found differences between the colors.  It must be the dying process and the wax that is added to the colors. In fact, I've even noticed it with the same color from one spool to the next.  You can remove a strand or so to even it out.  What I probably prefer to do, though, is to add another strand just in the flemish section(same process as used when padding the loops).  Another thing that helps is to put the finished string under a lot of tension (100# or so), and rub it briskly with a clean rag.  Once the wax "melts in", then the difference is usually negligible (thus why I think it is the wax content and the stiffness of the strands due to the dye rather than actually being a different diameter).

[Eugene Slagle]

With B50 I've noticed the Red as well a little thicker but manageable.

CG;
Once I'm finished making my loops I'll hang it from the ceiling hook & place 192Lbs on mine to pre stretch it, tomorow it may be 194Lbs depending on what I had for dinner.  

[PEARL DRUMS]

I to have been making my own B-50's for years. I never could tell a differenece in the thread size. I did notice that some spools are heavily waxed while others are very dry. Maybe that contributes to the thread size feeling differently? I almost always make two bundle strings of two colors, rarely do I make solid colrs strings, no reason.

[Orion]

Thanks, fellas.  Glad to learn it isn't my imagination.  

Al, I have done something similar to what you do.  I don't cut off the extra red before starting the second loop, but have stopped twisting when I "run out" of the black and trim the excess red at that point.

CG, I'm not sure I can attribute it to the wax.  Both my red and black thread seems to be equally waxed.  Something in the color could add to the string dimension though.  Adding an extra strand of black in the loop is an excellent idea.  Why didn't I think of that?      

Eugene:  Yep, I stretch mine as well, even between making the first and second loop, though not as much there.  

Pearl D:  The difference doesn't seem to be as great with B-50, and I've found that it wasn't consistent across colors.  For example, the difference between red and black seemed greatest; yellow was pretty close to red.  White, brown and tan were about identical to black.  Of course, these differences are very minute.