Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Craftsmanship => Clothing and Other Crafts => Topic started by: Smokey on October 16, 2021, 03:52:33 PM
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Help me get started with very basic starter kit. What do I NEED to begin doing some small leather projects?
I have some leather scraps that I am going to use for practice.
I'm buying, Needles. Linen thread. Beeswax and an awl.
Is there anything absolutely vital that I'm missing? Thanks.
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Pardon my naming of items, cannot recall the exact names of them.
I like to use a little gouge to cut out the line of the stitching. Works best on veg tanned leather. It's adjustable as to where the line is cut out in relation to the edge of the leather.
Then there is a device with a wheel that looks quite like a pair of spurs. You run that along the line you cut with the adjustable gouge with a bit of downward pressure. That gives you evenly spaced stitch marks.
You will want some sort of thimble to ease the pressure of the needle against your finger.
A pair of pliers helps somewhat in pulling the needle through the leather, especially if you have three or four layers of leather to go through.
I also like to use Barge Cement to glue pieces together before stitching. That really helps.
I also used to use a belt sander with about 40 or 60 grit paper on it to even out the edges. Then there is a tool called??? that will trim the edges after you sand them. Then a burnisher (looks like a small wooden pulley. Spin that on a drill press or a lathe and lube it with beeswax and that gives a very nice finished appearance. I have even taken a 3" long piece of dowel and cut a groove in it with a rat tail file. That works just as well.
All I can think of right off hand. All that stuff should be available from Leather Factory or Tandy or ????
Have fun,
John (Bigsmoke)
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Yep that all about sounds right.
If youre making small to medium sized projects and plan on hand stitching then a stitching pony is a nice thing .
Kind of a third hand, you can make one, I did, it buy them .
If you cant find the stitching wheel John spoke of , you can get pricking irons to lay out the stitch , Looks like a stubby fork .
I went a head and bought a Chinese hand crank cobbler sewing machine. Around a 100$ . use it all the time unless I need that hand stitch look.
Yes get a groover, makes for a nice stitch line.
Have fun. Kevin
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Most of my stitching is done using a "Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl" (https://www.amazon.com/Speedy-Stitcher-SEW110-BRK-Sewing-Awl/dp/B0049W6XRE/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=hand+sewing+awl&qid=1634498282&sr=8-3) which has the thread in the handle. I have also had one which had the thread spool between the handle and the needle (https://www.amazon.com/Awl-Inflatables-Leather-Upholstery-Stitching/dp/B07YYH33PQ/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=hand+sewing+awl&qid=1634498282&sr=8-2) and I think that may have been easier to use as the Speedy Stitcher sometimes gets thread jams in the spool. A leather punch (https://www.amazon.com/Puncher-Leather-Suitable-Cardboard-Posterboard/dp/B09BYWY1SK/ref=sr_1_27?dchild=1&hvadid=78134172369786&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=leather+hole+puncher&qid=1634498691&sr=8-27) is handy; I sometime use the smallest hole to punch out for the stitches in heavy leather. I still haven't gotten a stitching wheel, just eyeball how far apart the stitches are. A groover would be nice too....
~Kees~
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a Leather hole punch is also useful if you plan on doing any lacing.
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a Leather hole punch is also useful if you plan on doing any lacing.
From personal experience: One thing to always do is to push the leather out of the hole punch barrels when you are done with it. Otherwise, the leather will sit in there and absorb moisture from the air and pretty soon the cutting edges are rusted and won't cut worth a darn. A paper clip, nipple pick,even a toothpick will work well for this.
~Kees~
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a Leather hole punch is also useful if you plan on doing any lacing.
From personal experience: One thing to always do is to push the leather out of the hole punch barrels when you are done with it. Otherwise, the leather will sit in there and absorb moisture from the air and pretty soon the cutting edges are rusted and won't cut worth a darn. A paper clip, nipple pick,even a toothpick will work well for this.
~Kees~
Now that's a great tip Kees! never thought about that, see your never too old to learn new tricks! :hairy
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What Beaverthing said. :hairy