I just posted this over on the swamp forum and thought I would share here too.
Make your self a tooth brush out of plant fibres
Materials
Plant fibres
Splinters (skewers)
Knife
About 30-60 minutes
First sort out your plant fibres into piles easy to pick strands out of.
Take out 14 strands (7 per ply in this case) Use more if a weaker material is used. Knot the top of each ply,
Reverse twist using your heels as a clamp and by twisting each ply clockwise and then rotating the plies anticlockwise after each double twist.
Once you have a small length you can use your toe and a hitch to secure the rope (this saves your legs from getting sore, just keep an eye on the colour of your toes)
Once you have made about 2 ft of twine tie of the ends.
Place the middle of the twine around the top of the 3 skewers and tie with an over hand knot at the back.
Gather a small number of fibres in six inch lengths.
Using a small lump at a time wrap from the back to the front and hold tightly, whilst your freee hand brings the twine around to the front.
If your twine comes from the left side it should pass over the right side of the lump of fibres and then back to the left side.
The right side twine also stays on the right side.
This enables the lump of fibres to be compressed as much as possible.
Tie an over hand knot at the rear each time a new lump is tied on.
Add more lumps until a desired length is achieved, I think I used four or five.
Take one more lump fibres and lay them out flat to take up the same distance as your total lumps so far, place this on, so that it covers all of the other lumps and wrap around as before.
Wrap around once more bringing you back to the handle side, tie an over hand knot at the back, and tighten, be carefull not to break the twine here.
You should have about 4 inches of twine left to wrap and tie of any way you like, I wrapped over my broken strand a few times then pulled it through the skewers and wrapped again.
Now you can trim your fibres to a good size, I recommend about a thumbs width or less from the twine. other wise it is too loose.
As long as the twine was finished of very tight your new tooth brush should last at least a month or so.
Which saves you having to chew twigs after each meal.
I think some hide glue at the back of the tooth brush would help a little too, firstly by shrinking the twine tighter and secondly just as a twine back up.
You can if you want also add a cord handle.
I am hoping to get a web host here to get some pics up of my new one, My old one is not only dead but wasn't tied as well.
Here is a picture story of the tooth brush.
Hope you enjoy it.
http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421492115/0.jpg
Make your self a tooth brush out of plant fibres
Materials
Plant fibres
Splinters (skewers)
Knife
About 30-60 minutes
First sort out your plant fibres into piles easy to pick strands out of.
Take out 14 strands (7 per ply in this case) Use more if a weaker material is used. Knot the top of each ply,
Reverse twist using your heels as a clamp and by twisting each ply clockwise and then rotating the plies anticlockwise after each double twist.
Once you have a small length you can use your toe and a hitch to secure the rope (this saves your legs from getting sore, just keep an eye on the colour of your toes)
Once you have made about 2 ft of twine tie of the ends.
Place the middle of the twine around the top of the 3 skewers and tie with an over hand knot at the back.
Gather a small number of fibres in six inch lengths.
Using a small lump at a time wrap from the back to the front and hold tightly, whilst your freee hand brings the twine around to the front.
If your twine comes from the left side it should pass over the right side of the lump of fibres and then back to the left side.
The right side twine also stays on the right side.
This enables the lump of fibres to be compressed as much as possible.
Tie an over hand knot at the rear each time a new lump is tied on.
Add more lumps until a desired length is achieved, I think I used four or five.
Take one more lump fibres and lay them out flat to take up the same distance as your total lumps so far, place this on, so that it covers all of the other lumps and wrap around as before.
Wrap around once more bringing you back to the handle side, tie an over hand knot at the back, and tighten, be carefull not to break the twine here.
You should have about 4 inches of twine left to wrap and tie of any way you like, I wrapped over my broken strand a few times then pulled it through the skewers and wrapped again.
Now you can trim your fibres to a good size, I recommend about a thumbs width or less from the twine. other wise it is too loose.
As long as the twine was finished of very tight your new tooth brush should last at least a month or so.
Which saves you having to chew twigs after each meal.
I think some hide glue at the back of the tooth brush would help a little too, firstly by shrinking the twine tighter and secondly just as a twine back up.
You can if you want also add a cord handle.
I am hoping to get a web host here to get some pics up of my new one, My old one is not only dead but wasn't tied as well.
Here is a picture story of the tooth brush.
Hope you enjoy it.
http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421492115/0.jpg
