johnv474
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Everything posted by johnv474
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How do I prevent fabric liners from bunching and wrinkling?
johnv474 replied to Airth's topic in How Do I Do That?
What happens if you just glue/stitch the edges of the liner, leaving the center loose? If the liner is not adhered it seems it would not be forced to bunch up. -
I have owned several chisels. The ones that created the best stitches were not always the ones that were the most durable. Of the less expensive ones, Tandy's Craftool have been the most durable. GoodsJapan were also durable but eventually I lost a few prongs from the smaller sizes (8 spi). The GoodsJapan definitely gave a nicer looking stitch.
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They are sheets of the material that contacts the ground to replace worn heels on shoes.
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Landwerlen Leather 317-636-8300. Goodyear 10.5 iron Neolite Toplifting strip 18" x18" in Neutral or Oak. $19.50/sheet. You pay (actual) shipping.
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Do you remember where you were buying from? If you buy from one of the shoe finder warehouses, these materials should be available at a wholesale type of price.
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If you have access to Master (or Barge) cement, you may be able to buy Master (or Barge) thinner. Usually it is sold by the quart for about 2/3 the price of the cement. It is useful for thinning cement that has become thicker from evaporation of the solvents in the container. In the case of harness, sand/scuff both edges to be cemented together, and then wipe a time or two with thinner. The thinner will help remove oils/waxes near the surface so the cement can soak in deeper. Then, thin out a small amount of cement and brush on a thin coat of cement. Let it dry entirely (longer than usual for cementing together). Then, apply a second coat of regular, undiluted cement (or, if it's all you have, a second and third coat of thinned cement). Let dry to the point of losing its initial gloss, about 5 minutes, and then put the two pieces together under pressure. Tap or pound if possible. Then leave them untouched for an hour for the cement to finish doing its magic. The first coat soaks in deeper, carrying the cement further in, and dries to a type of primer coat. Then the second coat can adhere to the primer even if it would have difficulty sticking directly to the oily, waxy harness leather.
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For small-ish patterns I transfer them to a single notebook dedicated to this purpose. The one I use is from the Scientific Notebook company. (This company sells notebooks so people can protect intellectual property). The notebook is about 9x11 and has 1/4" grid marks. In fact nearly all projects I do will have my drawings, sketches, and final versions entered into this notebook... sometimes stapled or taped. Large patterns can take more than one page so I use spots I can use to align them in case I have to reproduce a template. Having notes about the total dimensions for different pieces/panels acts as a check that I have aligned them correctly. Many patterns are symmetrical, so only keeping one half (up to the center line) is enough to reproduce a template if needed. An quick 'n' dirty approach for large patterns is to place them on a large cutting mat (the kind with a 1" grid), stand high on a chair, and take several photos with my phone, backed up online. Sometimes I take pictures of pages of the notebook for the same reason.
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Check your nearest army-navy surplus store for nano cord. Imagine paracord in tiny diameters, 1.2mm and 0.75mm. I bought a spool of it for about $6. It's braided polyester that I thought could compete with Tiger thread. It doesn''t really, but it is thin enough to sew with and is available in many colors including glow-in-the-dark. It is made by Atwood Rope Mfg.
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It's not likely to have gathered mildew because shearling contains some antimicrobial substances naturally. That said, I would use either woolite (it is wool, after all) or a gentle ckeaner like Lincoln EZ Cleaner. There are probably shearling-specific cleaners but I'm not aware of them.
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CS Osborne makes line 20 snaps in the USA in both brass and steel with different finishes.
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I am not an upholsterer but here is how I would approach it. You could take painters tape and some posterboard, and keep cutting and taping and cutting and taping until you have those pieces in the shape you want. Then, cut the posterboard with scissors as little as possible so that the posterbpard lies flat. Anywhere you cut to make it lie flat would be an area that you will have a seam (or you will have to stretch the leather there). In case of a seam there, cut your leather about 1/2" wider than where you cut the posterboard, so you can fold those edges back and make a French seam (see Youtube for that). You will probably either use spray adhesive like the 3M 303 (I think is the name) or a multi-purpose contact cement... Not an all-purpose contact cement, because those do not stick to vinyl. Renia Colle de Cologne is one brand. You may need to cement in a portion and then let it dry so that you can cement in the next portion while stretching.
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Help Applying Saddle Stitching to Tool Bag Design
johnv474 replied to OrthodoxMason's topic in How Do I Do That?
Once you have everything in place (holes made, needles threaded, leather in clam or stitching pony), and with some practice, it is possible to stitch 8 stitches per minute or so. If you are using 6spi chisels this works out to about 1.25 inches per minute. Certainly that is not the fastest out there, but it is certainly not the slowest (some people stitch 2 stitches per minute). In anything hand-sewn, the sewing portion will take the lions share of the project-making time, so careful planning and preparation--and plenty of time refining your sewing technique--will pay off big dividends in time savings. -
You're off to a good start. One thought that would not change much in materials or sewing is to make one large compartment and have the center two dividers sewn together with a gusset, but not sewn into the main bag. So your main bag would be 16.5 x 12.5 x 9, and you have a removable sleeve that could hold the laptop itself, as well as be situated further forward or back in the bag to create divisions based on the particular gear you are carrying.
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Look around for EVA crepe (foam), but ask for the lower density "cloud crepe", which is available in 1/8" thick sheets. Search your area for a shoe repair supply house (or ask your nearest cobbler where they buy supplies from). It is specifically made to be padding, is easy to glue and cut, is compatible with leather and leather adhesives, and is inexpensive. Around here, a 16x36 sheet costs about $9 or so. It is used, among other things, as padding in footwear. If it can last under your feet it can last under a laptop.
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For size, you could use 6 (4mm), 7 (3.5mm), or 8 (3mm) stitches per inch. Those metric conversions are not exact but close. For wallets, 7-8 works well but 6 can work. For journal covers, 6-7 works well, and for tool pouches, 6-7 works well. So, I'd pick either 6 or 7 spi, which you can use on many projects, even larger projects.
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Neoprene has already been mentioned, and that is a good and durable padding. Another option is wool fleece/shearling. I bought a military surplus blanket that is just under 1/4" thick, made of 90% wool 10% nylon. It cost me $30 or so for a good size blanket and have cut pieces from it to use as padding. Note: between the padding and leather you may not need 8 oz plus a liner, or it can get thicker than wanted/needed.
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Fraying of thread (and the need for a groove) is much less important on modern, small goods that don't get heavy use and are sewn with synthetic thread. Synthetic thread frays much less easily than linen thread. On a saddle that is sewn with linen thread, for example, fraying is much more of an issue. If I want to slightly recess my threads I use either scratch awl, wing dividers, or bone folder to press in a slight 'groove' or depression.
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Can you create your holes when the pieces are glued together? Then you will not have extra.
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You can put tape on the opposite side so the leather doesn't stretch while cutting the groove. You can use a ruler as a guide instead of using the edge of the leather, for your line to be very straight. Lastly, you can sharpen/replace the groover blade.
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This is a very old post but its suggestions are still good. Find yourself some Resolene, dilute it 50:50 with water, and apply according to the instructions on the bottle. Two diluted coats will work better and look nicer than one full strength coat.
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Apply the soda mixed with a bit of water to the leather after using the vinegaroon to your satisfaction. or just pour soda out on it evenly, then brush and wipe off with a damp rag or sponge. Here the idea was to remove odors but helping to cancek out the pH is an added benefit.
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Or, you can connect two shorter leads with a D-ring and a swiveling clip. Advantage: doesn't tangle as easily, you can have a shorter leash when you prefer that.
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This is not a perfect answer, but could you sew them and them and then wet form again? You may have to alter your original mold to accommodate a shim/spacer you insert after.
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Ohio Travel Bag has 1 inch strap loop in gold. You can find it by searching for strap loop. It is not antique but you could have it antiqued, if you don't find another source.
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You may want to check out those stores in the mall that sell baseball caps, which they embroider/customize for people.