MarcL
Well-Known Member
Cigar short filler bunching with a mat.
Cigar bunching with a mat.
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Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
That is an interesting video. For a long time, I've thought that a bamboo sushi rolling mat (makisu) would do the job.
I notice that, in the video, the far end of the mat is anchored to the table.
Bob
That is an interesting video. For a long time, I've thought that a bamboo sushi rolling mat (makisu) would do the job.
I notice that, in the video, the far end of the mat is anchored to the table.
Bob
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
That's a neat idea. Thanks for posting.
That big mat could furnish the corners for your box press mold.
That's a neat idea. Thanks for posting.
That big mat could furnish the corners for your box press mold.
MarcL
Well-Known Member
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
My first time seeing cigars rolled the gentlemen had one of these. ... There are few videos using one of these. but, you will see them in videos mounted to the tables under their cutting boards.
My first time seeing cigars rolled the gentlemen had one of these. ... There are few videos using one of these. but, you will see them in videos mounted to the tables under their cutting boards.
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
If you have an empty poly-nylon bag from WLT...it's a rolling mat.
Bob
If you have an empty poly-nylon bag from WLT...it's a rolling mat.
Bob
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Short Filler Cigar using WLT Poly-Nylon Rolling Mat
Using an empty WLT poly-nylon leaf bag for a rolling mat makes rolling a cut filler cigar--very short filler--a little bit easier than doing it all by hand.
I tucked the far end of the "mat" beneath the far end of the cutting board, laid a FL Sumatra binder so that its veins were horizontal to me (aligned to the axis of the proposed cigar), piled a fist-full of short filler across the width of the mat, then rolled the bunch in the manner shown in the video. I found it difficult to draw the mat tight enough, without it slipping from beneath the cutting board. So, I ended up with a loose, puffy bunch that held together fairly well. Moving the mat aside, I hand applied a FL Sumatra wrapper as snugly as the tensile strength of the wrapper leaf would bear. This reduced the diameter of the loose bunch by half, and made a very solid cigar.
With cut filler, I find it nearly impossible to roll a cigar that is too tight to draw, so tighter is better. No glue was used on either the binder or wrapper.
I am unable to get a rolling mat or even a thumb roller or Lieberman to apply a wrapper in a tidy fashion, since I don't have adequate control of the outer edge of the wrapper in those devices. So, at least for me, applying the wrapper has to be performed by hand.
The entire trick to rolling a cut filler cigar is to somehow acquire a bunch that can hold all the loose bits and pieces of filler in the same Zipcode long enough to allow you to apply a wrapper. A Lieberman device, a thumb roller or a rolling mat (if firmly attached to the table at one end) can accomplish that. Then you apply a wrapper as snugly as possible.
Bob
EDIT: Late thought. If I tape the far end of the mat to the counter top (beneath the cutting board), then drape it over the far end of the cutting board, it should be able to endure greater traction, and permit the bunch to come out tighter.
Short Filler Cigar using WLT Poly-Nylon Rolling Mat
Using an empty WLT poly-nylon leaf bag for a rolling mat makes rolling a cut filler cigar--very short filler--a little bit easier than doing it all by hand.
I tucked the far end of the "mat" beneath the far end of the cutting board, laid a FL Sumatra binder so that its veins were horizontal to me (aligned to the axis of the proposed cigar), piled a fist-full of short filler across the width of the mat, then rolled the bunch in the manner shown in the video. I found it difficult to draw the mat tight enough, without it slipping from beneath the cutting board. So, I ended up with a loose, puffy bunch that held together fairly well. Moving the mat aside, I hand applied a FL Sumatra wrapper as snugly as the tensile strength of the wrapper leaf would bear. This reduced the diameter of the loose bunch by half, and made a very solid cigar.
With cut filler, I find it nearly impossible to roll a cigar that is too tight to draw, so tighter is better. No glue was used on either the binder or wrapper.
I am unable to get a rolling mat or even a thumb roller or Lieberman to apply a wrapper in a tidy fashion, since I don't have adequate control of the outer edge of the wrapper in those devices. So, at least for me, applying the wrapper has to be performed by hand.
The entire trick to rolling a cut filler cigar is to somehow acquire a bunch that can hold all the loose bits and pieces of filler in the same Zipcode long enough to allow you to apply a wrapper. A Lieberman device, a thumb roller or a rolling mat (if firmly attached to the table at one end) can accomplish that. Then you apply a wrapper as snugly as possible.
Bob
EDIT: Late thought. If I tape the far end of the mat to the counter top (beneath the cutting board), then drape it over the far end of the cutting board, it should be able to endure greater traction, and permit the bunch to come out tighter.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Do you think they will be doing a regular diagonally rolled wrapper leaf after?
Do you think they will be doing a regular diagonally rolled wrapper leaf after?
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Bob, that cigar looks great.
Do you recommend prepping the scrap in any way?
Short Filler Cigar using WLT Poly-Nylon Rolling Mat
Using an empty WLT poly-nylon leaf bag for a rolling mat makes rolling a cut filler cigar--very short filler--a little bit easier than doing it all by hand.
I tucked the far end of the "mat" beneath the far end of the cutting board, laid a FL Sumatra binder so that its veins were horizontal to me (aligned to the axis of the proposed cigar), piled a fist-full of short filler across the width of the mat, then rolled the bunch in the manner shown in the video. I found it difficult to draw the mat tight enough, without it slipping from beneath the cutting board. So, I ended up with a loose, puffy bunch that held together fairly well. Moving the mat aside, I hand applied a FL Sumatra wrapper as snugly as the tensile strength of the wrapper leaf would bear. This reduced the diameter of the loose bunch by half, and made a very solid cigar.
With cut filler, I find it nearly impossible to roll a cigar that is too tight to draw, so tighter is better. No glue was used on either the binder or wrapper.
I am unable to get a rolling mat or even a thumb roller or Lieberman to apply a wrapper in a tidy fashion, since I don't have adequate control of the outer edge of the wrapper in those devices. So, at least for me, applying the wrapper has to be performed by hand.
The entire trick to rolling a cut filler cigar is to somehow acquire a bunch that can hold all the loose bits and pieces of filler in the same Zipcode long enough to allow you to apply a wrapper. A Lieberman device, a thumb roller or a rolling mat (if firmly attached to the table at one end) can accomplish that. Then you apply a wrapper as snugly as possible.
Bob
EDIT: Late thought. If I tape the far end of the mat to the counter top (beneath the cutting board), then drape it over the far end of the cutting board, it should be able to endure greater traction, and permit the bunch to come out tighter.
Bob, that cigar looks great.
Do you recommend prepping the scrap in any way?
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Cigar Scrap
I usually roll fairly large cigars, so my wrapper scraps are seldom useful for further wrapping--sometimes maybe for reinforcing the head of a hinky cigar. Wrapper trim scraps go into one pile, as "long scraps."
Because I tear the filler to the length of the cigar, the only filler scraps are from cutting the tuck and the head. These are dumped into an ordinary gallon Freezer Ziplock, and left out on the counter. Any longer strips from cutting the tuck or head are separated, and added to the long scraps.
So...I have short scrap that is mostly filler, and long scrap that is almost entirely wrapper. The short scrap always makes a tastier, better balanced scrap cigar, since it is a random mixture of all my filler types. When I roll a cigar of long scrap, I usually add a strip of dark tobacco to the filler to balance it.
The scrap size you see below is just how it lies on the cutting board, before it is brushed off into the bag.
Special preparation: none. With the closed gallon bag always sitting on the counter, the case of the scrap is pretty much the long-term average humidity of my kitchen. Ziplock bags are not vapor proof. So long as the scrap is not so dry that it crumbles to dust when crushed, it works well in a cigar.
Short scrap cigars will burn hot, if the filler is too loose. As stated in a previous post, I crank them as tight as the wrapper will bear, still get excellent draw, and a cool smoke. If, as happens on rare occasions, the bag of short scrap is indeed too dry, I just lightly mist the contents with water, then wait a couple of days to use it.
Bob
Cigar Scrap
I usually roll fairly large cigars, so my wrapper scraps are seldom useful for further wrapping--sometimes maybe for reinforcing the head of a hinky cigar. Wrapper trim scraps go into one pile, as "long scraps."
Because I tear the filler to the length of the cigar, the only filler scraps are from cutting the tuck and the head. These are dumped into an ordinary gallon Freezer Ziplock, and left out on the counter. Any longer strips from cutting the tuck or head are separated, and added to the long scraps.
So...I have short scrap that is mostly filler, and long scrap that is almost entirely wrapper. The short scrap always makes a tastier, better balanced scrap cigar, since it is a random mixture of all my filler types. When I roll a cigar of long scrap, I usually add a strip of dark tobacco to the filler to balance it.
The scrap size you see below is just how it lies on the cutting board, before it is brushed off into the bag.
Special preparation: none. With the closed gallon bag always sitting on the counter, the case of the scrap is pretty much the long-term average humidity of my kitchen. Ziplock bags are not vapor proof. So long as the scrap is not so dry that it crumbles to dust when crushed, it works well in a cigar.
Short scrap cigars will burn hot, if the filler is too loose. As stated in a previous post, I crank them as tight as the wrapper will bear, still get excellent draw, and a cool smoke. If, as happens on rare occasions, the bag of short scrap is indeed too dry, I just lightly mist the contents with water, then wait a couple of days to use it.
Bob
MarcL
Well-Known Member
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Well done Bob!
Well done Bob!
MarcL
Well-Known Member
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
This is a 6 minute video of my use of a WLT poly-nylon leaf bag as a bunching mat for rolling short scrap into a cigar.
Bob
This is a 6 minute video of my use of a WLT poly-nylon leaf bag as a bunching mat for rolling short scrap into a cigar.
Bob
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Great job with the video. I think even I could manage to do that without catastrophic failure. The price is hard to beat also.
Next experiment: whole leaf bunching.
Great job with the video. I think even I could manage to do that without catastrophic failure. The price is hard to beat also.
Next experiment: whole leaf bunching.
MarcL
Well-Known Member
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Very nice! I like the dowel for uniform pressure. Is that 2 plies of bag?
Very nice! I like the dowel for uniform pressure. Is that 2 plies of bag?
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Short scrap cigars really can be excellent. The energy barrier to rolling them is the messy process of initially bunching the small pieces. So the rolling mat is a clever psychological aid.
Bob
The leaf bag is intact, with one end opened (the end toward my body). So it's two layers of poly-nylon material--one whole bag--being used as a mat. The video is of my second trial of using that technique. Though not a demonstration of expertise, it does prove the concept.
Short scrap cigars really can be excellent. The energy barrier to rolling them is the messy process of initially bunching the small pieces. So the rolling mat is a clever psychological aid.
Bob
MarcL
Well-Known Member
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Nice! classic DIY. A1+
A mat or lieberman bunching machine is almost essential to short filler assembly.
Nice! classic DIY. A1+
A mat or lieberman bunching machine is almost essential to short filler assembly.
JOE1977
Well-Known Member
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Awesome video and op!
Awesome video and op!
charlie G.
Well-Known Member
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Great video Bob. You are the MacGyver of home rolling, using a clothes pin as a clamp.
Thanks for doing the video and posting it.
Great video Bob. You are the MacGyver of home rolling, using a clothes pin as a clamp.
Thanks for doing the video and posting it.
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
The entirely manual approach is no slower or faster than the mat method, but it takes practice to avoid the dreaded "exploding bunch balloon," before you get the wrapper applied. It's similar to learning to hand roll a cigarette.
Bob
I know you've seen this thread (posted ~2 years ago) on rolling scrap without a bunching aid: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/3385-Rolling-a-Nice-Cigar-from-Short-Scrap
The entirely manual approach is no slower or faster than the mat method, but it takes practice to avoid the dreaded "exploding bunch balloon," before you get the wrapper applied. It's similar to learning to hand roll a cigarette.
Bob
Smokin Harley
Well-Known Member
Re: Cigar buching with a mat.
Well done ...I also enjoyed your 2015 backyard garden tour . Nice place you have .
Well done ...I also enjoyed your 2015 backyard garden tour . Nice place you have .
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