Bag making helper

[Ohio Rusty]

I finished my new shooting bag today. It's been a couple of months off and on doing it a little at a time. Today I had to finish putting the leather edging around the hair-on flap. Holding the leather edging in place as you sew each stitch is easier when you use a spring steel paper clip. I have them in large, medium and tiny. They are the handiest things when you have to clap leather together or hold something in place while sewing. I've included a photo (not a great photo, cheap camera) but a photo nonetheless to show how handy these spring steel clips are.
The url is: [url] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/OhioRusty/Clippic.jpg[/url]

When I get my good digital camera back from the repair shop, I'll post a good pic of the finished bag.
Ohio Rusty

 

[Homesteader]

Hey, that's a great idea. I'll remember it. I notice you've got a bit of beeswax in the background. Is that to use on the needles to make them easier to pass through the leather? I find I always ruin a needle or two (and often a finger or two!) sewing leather or buckskin. If that's what you're using it for, you've given me two good tips I'll remember.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I use the beeswax to lubricate the thread and to keep it from fraying. The whole bag was hand sewn with 4 ply linen thread, and the thread sews better when coated with beeswax. The needles probably pick up wax lubrication from the waxed thread as you sew.
Ohio Rusty

 

:winking: Go to a pharmacy supply or know a doctor and get a nedle puller hemostat. easy on the fingers... Bob

 

[Bob Riegl]

:v If you go into Cabela's catalog under fly fishing you can find hemostats---also big end sporting goods stores---Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, ****'s will carry these in fishing departments. :hatsoff:

 

[Black Hand]

I prefer the round-nosed jewelry pliers from Sears. I find that the teeth on other pliers/hemostats score the needles making them prone to breakage. See the site below for example.

[url] http://www.dickblick.com/zz330/55[/url]/

 

[LRB]

Assuming your holes are pre-punched, it is much easier to sew the edgeing on oversized, stretching it as you run a sharp needle through it. You can feel the holes via the needle point. After it is sewn, trim the excess with a sharp exacto blade staying about 1/64" to 1/32" from the stitch. This gives a much nicer finished product.

 

[PaulN/KS]

I'll have to agree that those spring clips are just the thing for holding leather for sewing.I keep a bunch of the small ones at my work table.The larger ones are handy for light clamping at the woodworking bench as well.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

:v If you go into Cabela's catalog under fly fishing you can find hemostats---also big end sporting goods stores---Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, ****'s will carry these in fishing departments. :hatsoff:

You'd be better off getting the forceps. They are also called needle drivers in hospitals. Hemostats are blood vessel clamps and have large serrations in the tip. Forceps have no or very small serrations in the tip. Forceps are much better for use with needles.

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Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:

 

[Bob Gular]

I've tried a few things to prevent sore fingers and have finally settled on a pair of small flat jawed pliers with leather pads hot glued in place.

 

[Norskie]

If you have to use pliers regularly, you probably need to make the holes bigger with your awl.

 

[Deerstalker]

You might want to consider getting a thonging chisel from Tandy Leather, and pre punching the holes with that. Sure makes stitching by hand a whole lot easier. If you use a saddle stitch, you are going to have a piece that will last quite a long time. The stitching awl they sell works OK, but stitching by hand after using the thonging chisel is the preferred method.
Thanks,
Bryan

 

Some leather stitching - saddle/harness stitching - help......[url] http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/tutorials/_leatherstitch.html[/url]

For help in pulling needles get some of those rubber fingers used by office folks - one on my forefinger is all I need, but one can go on your thumb as well - as noted if your're using a pair of pliers constantly then you need to make your holes larger and use the right size needle.......(As a full-time pro I sew a couple of hundred feet of leather at least every week - not counting beadwork that is....and sore fingers just don't cut it :nono: )........

Another couple aids to sewing -
1) Use a stitching pony/horse - how to make a simple and inexpensive one[url] http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/tutorials/_stitchpony.html[/url]
2) If the holes are pre-punched - tie the pieces together about every 8-10 stitches using the same thread - clip off after finished sewing - IME works better than clamps and no danger of marring the leather - plus it's PC......
3) Make an awl up using a harness (blunt end) needle one to two sizes larger than the sewing size - use it to ease the holes open if need be especially when back stitching......

hope this helps...........

Oh and yes keeping a ball of pure beeswax handy to wax your needle and your awl will help ease things........just stab the tip in the wax when things get "sticky" - I can hand awl up to six layers of 8/9 oz bark tan by waxing my awl - keeping your awl well polished helps immensely as well.

:v

 

[Bob Gular]

Small holes grip the cord tighter and make a stronger seam.

 

[Norskie]

If you use a stitching awl with a diamond shaped cross section, that has a very sharp tip and smooth, dull edges, you can make your holes large enough to stitch without pliers. The holes will then close on your cord and hold your stitches.
When I stitch, I coat my cord with traditional 'black wax', a 50/50 blend of beeswax and pine pitch. This stuff really hold your stitches.
When in doubt, do it the old way. The old fellers knew what they were doin'.
By the way, good stitching pliers? (we all need 'em once in a while) TOW's rifleman's pliers.

 

[Bob Gular]

I use a modified 4 prong stitching chisel that I have filed to needle points to perforate the leather. I use blunt nose, large eye tapestry needles pulling 5 cord beeswaxed linen at a rate of 8 stitches to the inch. My last year's entry at Dixon's Gunmakers Fair in the Hunting Pouch category took a judges choice ribbon. I've been doing this a while and know what works for me and I ain't about to change. What works for you is probably just as effective for you as what I do is for me and I wouldn't expect you to change your methods because somebody told you another way to do it. All that being said, thanks for your input. Bob Gular