The rattan was soaked for only about 12 hour as by then no more bubbles were being emitted from the cane. Taking the rattan out of the water, I then pulled it a few times through 600 grit W&D to remove any protruding cane hairs. Following the de-hairing, the rattan was pulled a few time through a clean towel to remove any excess water and loose particles.
IMPORTANT! Don't forget to tape the blade's edge for your protection before you start wrapping. Don't ask how I was reminded.
The wrapping of the rattan around the gara then commenced, starting near the pinch area and working my way towards the tail. It took me three attempts but I finally got a result that I was reasonably happy with (for a first attempt). The first attempt was not good enough as I did not pay enough attention to getting the rattan close enough to each wrap. I also had problems fining the wrapping off at the tail. The second attempt produced a good wrapping but still had a problem finishing off at the tail.
Now using my second piece of rattan, again sanding and drying, I remembered what I learnt in the RAN in whipping rope and how I would finish that off. I applied this method at the tail and all worked well. This was my finished result:
A few loose hairs developed while wrapping the rattan but nothing that was trouble to cut off with a Gem type razor blade at the finish.
The rattan was now allowed to dry for about a day and a half before applying clear gloss enamel. It even spent about an hour in the oven set at 120°C. Here it is all trimmed, dry and ready for enamelling.
I have learnt from previous experience that the slower drying time clear enamels produce a tougher finish. I got my clear gloss enamel with a 16 hour drying time between coats from the Reject Shop. Two coats were applied using a 6mm flat artist's brush. The enamel is applied in the direction of the rattan wrap, not lengthways along the gara. Two normal coats is better than one thicker coat. Here is the finished product.
Here are the details at the finish of the start and the end of the wrap.
This kamisori rattan wrapping project has been kept simple for beginners. There are may variations that you can do to get different effects.
Now for a summary of all of the above.
EQUIPMENT I USED:
Kamisori
Insulation tape or lots of band-aids
About 1m of 4mm wide rattan cane (on eBay)
Small tin of clear gloss enamel paint
Some heat-shrink tubing (colour of your choice) to suit the size of the gara
Bic type cigarette lighter
Stanley (box-cutter) knife
Gem type razor blade
6mm flat artist's brush
Sheet of 600 grit wet & dry sandpaper
Bottle of mineral turpentine
Cleaning rag
Small clean towel
Container of cold water
MY PROCEDURE:
IMPORTANT! Tape the blade's edge with insulation tape (two layers preferred).
Using W&D, sand the gara to remove and loose particles of oxide and wipe dry.
Clean the gara with turps and allow to dry.
Apply two coats of clear gloss enamel paint to the gara steel and allow to dry.
Apply heat-shrink tubing (preferably twice) to the gara in way of where the rattan will be applied. The Bic lighter can be used to shrink the tubing.
Apply two more coats of clear gloss enamel to the heat-shrink tubing on the gara and allow to dry. The reason for all this enamel and tubing is to protect the gara steel from moisture and rusting under the rattan wrap.
Using the Stanley knife, split the 4mm wide rattan lengthways into two pieces each about 2mm wide.
Soak the rattan in cold water for about 12 hours.
Remove the rattan from the water and pull it through some folded W&D a few times to remove and loose hairs.
Pull the rattan through a folded towel to remove any excess water.
Wrap the rattan around the gara such that each wrap is up against the preceding wrap.
Use the razor blade to trim any hairs and any start/end overhangs.
Allow the wrapped rattan to dry for at least 48 hours.
Apply two more coats of clear gloss enamel the dry wrapped rattan and allow to dry.
Remove the insulation tape, clean off any residue and refresh the blade's edge.
Shave and enjoy.
Next week I will try and post here some photos of the method I used to start and finish the rattan wrap.
