In the last of this tutorial series on loops comes everything else I've used to make a loop. The reasons vary from it was part of the design to experimenting with something I had on hand.
Webbing
Webbing is an interesting material to use because of it's flexibility and the weatherproof nature of the material.
Rainbow loom loop
Something fun to try and after I saw one of my Scouts with one of these I had to try it
What strings, cords and shoelaces as loops? Sure why not! Using these can be simply functional or decorative depending on what suits you.
In the Bowie Knife slide, the cord loops I used are simply functional so I wasn't taking away from the knife and sheath. It was also simple to attach.
In the case of the Shovel and Pick side, I wanted a loop that would add something extra. In this case I used mason's line to fashion a Solomon's ladder woven loop.
I call "thru loops" any slide that either naturally has a hole in it or a slide that I have drilled or carved a hole through. There are quite a few Whittlin Jim and others who had designs in the round that encompassed a 180 to 360 degrees which required having a hole down the middle of the slide.
Natural hole loops
Metal loops take on so many different forms depending on your needs and imagination
Metal Strip
Metal strips can be made from just about anything from aluminum flashing to and old tin can. The tools I've used to make the cut range from tin snips to a sturdy scissors.
Wire is great because it has so much flexibility (pun intended? you be the judge). No really, I can shape it any way I want and can attach various ways.
As a part of the slide
The first of these have extra length "ears" that form the slide.
Leather loops are used in about 3% of my slides and the kind of leather I use varies based on what I have on hand. The other factor that plays into what I use is how it is going to be used. That being said on to how I use leather in slide loops...
A simple loop
I cut a 3 to 3.5 inch long x 1 inch wide piece leather and then I stitch the ends together. If the leather is thin, like from a golf glove, leather sample. or from a old wallet/handbag, I can simple sew the ends together. If the leather is thicker, like from belt, dog collar or other scrap, I'll punch holes into the leather before stitching it into a loop.
Loop Attachments:
The first kind is as a part of a leather slide. In the example below, the leather slide had ears cut into the design to form the loop.
Glued loops to slide:
Half leather loop
A half loop sewn into the slide is another method I use.
Leather Lacing
The last kind of leather I use (so far) is leather lacing. The lacing is not only the loop but a part of the slide. For example, the pine cone slide has leather lacing threaded through the pine cone forming the loop in the back and decorative pieces in the front. I can adjust the loop in the back by simply pulling the lacing in the front which tightens the loop in the back.
Ode to the coat hanger. A staple in homes when I was growing up to hang clothes, to reach for that thing behind the couch, a toy fishing pole, large bubble wand and the ever popular "Oh crap, I locked my keys in the car. Now a days they are harder to find as the most folks have plastic coat hangers or really nice wooden ones. But all is not lost, look in the back of your closet for something you had dry cleaned or perhaps at your grandparents house. (Worst comes to worst, you can buy stiff wire from a home improvement store.)
When making Whittlin' Jim's slides, sometimes the slide called for a loop made from a coat hanger and I found these loops make a great alternative in places when the wooden loops just didn't work. Currently, wire loops make up about 10% of my slides but on with the tutorial...
Using a pair of needle nose pliers I carefully unwind the coat hanger and cut a length for the loop. Then, using the pliers again, I can shape any style loop I want.
One thing to notice is how I finish the loops with a couple of ears at the end. These ears will fit into a couple of holes I drill into the slide I'm working on.
Bonus Tip: I've have a few kinds of accelerant from spray kinds to baking soda. The spray ones are great to flow into areas I cant reach. The down side is they can be pricey and the smell can be a bit offensive if you use a lot of it. Baking soda is cheap and gives the glue a bit more strength. It can sanded and it will even hole a screw. Best of all, no additional smell! Down side is if you put the baking soda in the area you want to fill first, the glue must fully penetrate it before hardens else you will have a cavity of dry material.
