amadou

[thecalbanner]

i need some advice.
i found a reall nice bracket fungus the other day and decided i'd try harvest and process the amadou. i cut off the tough exterior and the spore tubes (gills whatever) now i have the light brown spongy stuff. i want to work it into a bendy piece like a shammy leather but i just keep breakin it up.
any help??
ta:sadwavey:

 

[JonathanD]

You need to let it dry out a bit. Or it may be that it was dead and rotting.

 

[gregorach]

I've never quite managed the chamois leather texture, but giving it a good boil with wood ash and then pounding it out makes a big difference.

 

[Toddy]

What Gregorach said I do find though that the pounding is the important bit. I do it with a stick on a stump. If you use anything metal it's inclined to cut it to bits. A well rounded hand sized stone works well too.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[g4ghb]

......... and pound 'light and long' rather than hard and quick

Take your time and enjoy the process - it will be worth it in the end ;-)

 

[Toddy]

Yeah, I agree
I get a rhythm going where the stick is almost really just bounced off the amadou working backwards and forwards over it. I find it's better done slightly damp but not sploongin wet. A rounded stone can be kind of rolled over it like making a ball of plasticine.
A good activity to do sitting round the fire blethering at night The hitting it with a stick isn't, the noise drives folks nuts

Lots of different ways to do it though.

cheers,
M

 

[thecalbanner]

ok i'll give it a go thanks.