John in AR, a question

[RIKA]

You do really nice leatherwork so I have a question. How do you hold your project when you're stitching it? I tried a stitching pony (the kind that fits between the legs) and it was too wobbly so now I just hold it against a board in my lap with the edge sticking out and stitch that way. Gotta be careful cuz I've stabbed myself that way a couple of times. I'm bettin' that you have a clever way to secure your work. :) Anyone else please contribute too.

Thanks

RIKA

[John in AR]

I tried a stitching pony (the kind that fits between the legs)
So many images... ;)


...I've stabbed myself that way a couple of times. I'm bettin' that you have a clever way to secure your work. :) Anyone else please contribute too.

Thanks

RIKA
Nothing particularly clever; I always pre-punch the holes one of two ways. I know a lot of folks don't like to pre-punch the holes because it's a pain (and it is), but I prefer it.

Usually, I’ll pre-punch them with a tool which I honestly don’t know the name of. It looks like a miniature pitchfork, around three inches tall. Have one with three tines and one with four, with slight differences in tine size and spacing. Used with a wooden mallet to pre-punch the line of stitching holes.

Other way is to pre-punch them with a rotary punch, usually on the smallest setting. This lends itself best to stitching with lacing rather than thread, but it’s the approach I took with the Marbles sheath as well, even though I was using waxed thread. Reason was that I wanted multiple passes (since the knife blade is so close to the stitching on the inside), so I used the rotary punch tool on the smallest setting and stitched the seam three or four full passes. Doesn't look like it, but there's about eleven feet of thread in that sheath seam.

Either way I do it, I work standing at a flat workbench with a thick masonite top. (Usually the workbench shown in the ‘power-box’ pics.) Good leverage & control and no lap-piercings this way... ;)

I punch the leather dry, but almost always stitch (and always emboss) wet. It makes it a lot easier to shape & hold in place; you just have to be very, VERY careful with it, because whatever you do to it wet, it remembers when it dries. I.E., if you stick your thumbnail into it when wet, the imprint will still be there when the leather dries, and I don’t know of any way to ‘un-do’ it; that thumbnail-print is there until the rapture.

A very important thing (IMO) is that I first make a paper template of whatever I’m making, out of grocery-bag paper. Cut it oversize initially and trim it to fit, and then scotch-tape small paper pieces in place for odd-ball things like straps, loops, etc into place so it all ends up one piece. Then when the template’s done, you can unfold it & tape it in place on the leather itself, outline with marker (do this on the hidden side of the leather, obviously ;) ), and then you can cut the whole thing from one piece of leather, rather than piecing & stitching lots of small things together. That Marbles sheath is one piece of leather, including the safety strap and belt loop. Only stitching is where you see it on the edge, and where the belt loop is folded back & stitched to the back of the sheath; no small pieces stitched or riveted on. Not always important, but I prefer to do it that way when possible.

FWIW, I learned one (late) lesson when making that particular sheath. I’ve always bought pieces, parts & supplies at either Tandy Leather or hobby-lobby type places. When doing this one, I found I was out of large brass snaps (had small brass, and small & large nickel, but I wanted to use large brass; I’m anal that way). Tandy in Little Rock is now gone, and hobby lobby didn’t have them that would fit on this thick a leather, so it forced me to think a little harder and it paid off. I found them at an upholstery-supply shop, and at about one-fourth of what I’ve been paying at Tandy all this time. For snaps, needles, thread, etc, they’re my new main source. Only problem with them is that they’re uncomfortably near the “Clinton library and massage parlor”, so I always have this urge to de-louse when I get back home... :)

[RIKA]

Sincere thanks for your thoughts and help John. I owe ya.

RIKA :)

[andy]

Tandy leather is treated, so it makes soft, poor grade holster. Arganbright always used Braur Bros, in St Louis, for real rawhide leather, to make his holsters. Stiff as a board, and after they were shaped, they HELD that shape.