I am planning to build the skin stretching machine shown in Kyle’s book or something similar based on different versions people have made.
Rope question- For the 13 feet of rope what type is best? Is it better to get rope that doesn’t stretch or is rope that slightly stretches better to keep a better tension as the skin stretches? How thick should the string be and what material is best? cotton, nylon or something else?
Has anyone used Wallpaper glue to attach their skin? Is it the same thing as noriko powder glue mentioned on page 70? How does it compare to hide glue?
Is there a consensus on what are the best clamps to use that won’t slip off so you can get a tight tension? Kisen like in the book or some of the other clips in this forum. Kyle you said in one of your posts that the Kisen slip off sometimes. Do the extra strips of 1 cm wide leather discussed on page 74 prevent that from happening? Thanks much for any advice. My damaged used Shamisen has shipped from Japan…Used Tsugaru from Etsy Needs Repair- Any Advice?
I am using plastic “crocodile” type clamps with thumb screw. They slip and break sometimes. In order to grab the skin better I use insulated 12 gauge single core wire (the one used in NMD90) to make a frame a little bigger than the shamisen frame, wrap the skin around the frame and clamp it so 2 layers clamped together and the wire stays inside the clamp. This helps to keep the skin from slipping out.
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