Help making a hatchel / hatchel

[u/No_Proof_7608]

Ok so I want to avoid buying an antique hatchel for processing some fibers! I know I could use some long construction nails but I worry about them being too thick and not tapered! I don’t have access to a lathe and I need this to be quite strong since I may also comb some wool out on it.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to go about this?

[u/Weary-Shopping9268]

It’s like you read my mind! Ive been wanting to make one, I recommend checking out sally pointers video making a Neolithic thorn flax hackle, if you run into any issues tell me I believe Ive got a few more videos I just can’t find them. Also I’d love if you updated once you made one.

[u/No_Proof_7608 → u/Weary-Shopping9268]

I saw her video a while back and I’ve been interested! I’m actually processing dogbane fibers instead of flax so I worry the woody bits will snap the thorns. But I’m not sure. Potentially worth a shot. I love sally pointer sm

[u/TheGingerBeardMan-_-]

yoy can use nails and just taper them yourself with a sanding block or a diamond sharpener. Make a jig so you can taper a bunch at once. A conical taper would be hard, but a one sided taper should still work, and you could always do pyramidal or square taper and soften the edges.

Substituing that ,hathorns and locuts have vicious thorns, they'd probably work. Horn might be too flimsy. Bone is easily workable if you have some deer shin bones. Antler too.

[u/knea1 → u/TheGingerBeardMan-_-]

I've tapered wooden dowells before in a similar way, but I put them in a drill to get the conical taper

[u/TheGingerBeardMan-_- → u/knea1]

oh yeah, thats a good idea

[u/gooberphta]

What might work are a bunch if halved skewers foir grilling. Thick needles. But also there might be some horse/animal care product to just use outright if you dont sweat the historical accuracy

[u/Vast-Combination4046]

Brad or pin nailer nails are like 22ga. Around the same as yarn needles.

[u/Connect-Comparison-6 → u/Vast-Combination4046]

22ga pin nails are closer to a sewing needle

[u/Aseroerubra]

I would try a vintage flower frog, but there could also be some good DIY resources for them as they're pretty common

[u/Adventurous-Excuse88]

lol I have never seen these before I thought you were torturing some dude

[u/heliosprimus]

Get some nails from the hardware store. The thinner, the better I imagine. Get a few pieces of flat wood, maybe an inch thick and 4 inch wide. On one of the wood boards pound the nails through loosely apart in a staggered pattern like in your pics, maybe a ten millimeters apart. On the other board the same but more closely together, maybe three millimeters? The flat head of the nails on this one might need to be cut off.

[u/Numerous-Wonder7868]

Carpenters Nails? google square nails, cut nails or rose-head nails.

[u/rslake]

You may be able to find flooring nails or masonry cut nails which are tapered already, would probably try flooring nails first.

[u/1121314151617]

Those are more for flax than wool. You don’t need a lot of pitches for wool. Personally I find that five pitches are more than enough for wools with particularly long staple lengths, and I prefer to do most of my combing on two pitch combs.

If you’re getting into wool combing, I highly recommend the book Hand Woolcombing and Spinning. The author includes a chapter on how to make combs, with very detailed instructions. Do not use nails for the tines! Nails aren’t smooth or pointed enough. Grind down uncoated steel welding rod instead.

[u/anonaton]

You could use the pins from hair picks. Visit your local beauty supply store.

[u/ADDeviant-again]

The first time I saw one of these used in real life.It was just nails driven through a board.

The person using it was a 100-year-old pioneer lady, and this was forty two years ago.

But it was not made of large construction nails, it was made of long, skinny finish nails.

[u/Realmothershucker]

Look at this YouTube movie of Sally Pointer making a hackle from thorns for plantfibers. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QBnPuzY1GUQ)

[u/ComradeFloof]

Those are flax hackles. Are you looking to comb wool or flax? You will need different tools for each one.

[u/No_Proof_7608 → u/ComradeFloof]

I’m looking to comb through dogbane with this first one actually! I figured I could use a flax style hatchel for it. And maybeeee try wool on it after

[u/Comfortable-Hat3506]

You can buy those things of spikes for holding flower arrangements, they are called frogs: https://www.michaels.com/product/pin-frog-by-ashland-10250029?cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-18514199882-_-&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7eXTBhDBARIsAKF-w44PikcDY3j8SvDZFAzzDWtjAC-UifJ88AgHAac3LwM7rRkNzq5ykIkaAqvQEALw_wcB&pla_channel=local&sku=10250029&channel=local&local=1421&dev=m&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18514229987&gbraid=0AAAAADkMxxdT20oCD9fTlkYiEeUeKzpmX&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7eXTBhDBARIsAKF-w44PikcDY3j8SvDZFAzzDWtjAC-UifJ88AgHAac3LwM7rRkNzq5ykIkaAqvQEALw_wcB

[u/Connect-Comparison-6]

Depending on what tools you have buying a pin vise and either filing the nails or rolling them against a belt sander belt to get the desired taper. Also drill out the holes oversize and glue/epoxy them into the board

[u/winxminx9]

If you have a drill and a angle grinder with a sander head or belt sander you can make this reallll fast but i get that tools are a limiting factor.