Started build of my first stitching pony

[toxo]

44 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

LOl I sure cant do "it" in the garage its to full. I am blessed to have what I have for sure my friend. Also a basement for my leather, guns and bows wine making and a dozen other hobbies. 

I'm not complaining. Had the good stuff, 4 bed house in London. Horses in the garden. Acorse that went to the ex wife and kids. Happy enough now with the little bungalow and small garden for me and the three dogs. Have a massive park and woods fifty yards away. Have a library/media center 70yds away, a great shop 100 yds away for groceries. A nice drinking club 2 mins in the car or a longish walk. All I'm missing is a good woman to put me in my place now and then. 

[chuck123wapati]

2 minutes ago, toxo said:

 All I'm missing is a good woman to put me in my place now and then. 

lol I have one, my place is the garage or the basement.

[TomWilson]

I have to sand a bit to smooth edges, make a few adjustments, and then connect (glue and nail gun some 16ga finishing nails) the two outer boards to the inner swivel block. Then cover the clamps with veg tan. Between the cam clamp mechanism and the knob, I can easily work with anything up to about two inches thick. I can open wider if I replace the carriage bolt with a longer one. 

 

Edited May 1 by TomWilson

[TomWilson]

The pony’s all done! Time to stitch! For versatility,  I think I’ll make a second base with the mounting hole near one end rather than the center.
 

If anyone is interested in the source file, message me, I think there’s a free SketchUp viewer you can download. All the pieces can be cut from a 1”x4”x8’ length of wood.

[MarshalWill]

Looks mighty usable. Nice job.

[chuck123wapati]

she's a keeper for sure!!! very nice

 

[dikman]

Looks much better than my effort! I would have put the clamp screw a bit higher, to exert more pressure when it's operated and put a spring around the screw between the uprights, then when you release the clamp it pushes the jaws apart. At least, that's what I did on mine.

[Doc Reaper]

Where do ya find the tightening hardware????

[TomWilson]

19 hours ago, MarshalWill said:

Looks mighty usable. Nice job.

Thank you, Marshal.

7 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

she's a keeper for sure!!! very nice

Thanks, Chuck.

7 hours ago, dikman said:

Looks much better than my effort! I would have put the clamp screw a bit higher, to exert more pressure when it's operated and put a spring around the screw between the uprights, then when you release the clamp it pushes the jaws apart. At least, that's what I did on mine.

Thank you, dikman. I like your idea of adding a compression spring on the center bolt between the vertical clamp arms. I'll add a spring to my pony! Here's a link to Home Depot's selection of compression springs.
 

3 hours ago, Doc Reaper said:

Where do ya find the tightening hardware????

Hi Doc,

Search for cam clamping levers on Google to explore multiple suppliers. I bought mine from Lee Valley Hardware near Vancouver, BC. The knob that fits the 1/4"-20 carriage bolt is available at Home Depot (with link to their knobs). For the clamping mechanism, I used a 6" carriage bolt, which I trimmed to the needed length. The bolt's rounded end should be positioned at the knob side of the pony. Typically, the knob is adjusted on the carriage bolt so that the rounded end protrudes slightly from the back of the knob, but not so much that it could snag your thread. To adjust the clamp for the leatherwork I am stitching, I begin with the cam clamp in the closed position. I then rotate the knob clockwise or counterclockwise to open or close the jaws of the pony, allowing me to insert the leather. After placing the leather pieces, I tighten the knob to secure them. To reposition the leather for more stitching, I use the cam clamp to open the jaws by about 1/4", move the leather as needed, and then close the cam clamp again. I plan to buy some blue Loctite thread locker to secure the bolt end that threads into the cam lock, preventing it from moving too far into the cam lock thread, which would limit the lever's movement.

[TomWilson]

I've been reflecting on the design of stitching ponies and what an ideal design might entail. While searching for "leather stitching pony" on Google, I noticed that most have large, substantial jaws, some with a surface area measuring 4" x 4" or more. I also came across a model with a bench vice-like handle to tighten the clamp on the leather being stitched. These observations have led me to question my own design, where the clamp jaws are rounded like fingertips and offer a much smaller surface area to hold the pieces you're stitching. My design is inspired by the sleek, minimalistic style of this Saddler's Clam and is intended to allow maximum distance between the jaws and the center bolt for stitching larger designs. However, I'm wondering if this is the right approach.

Additionally, I'm curious about the amount of clamping pressure needed to securely hold leather pieces for stitching. Is it necessary to use substantial jaws that apply significant pressure, as seen in most designs? This exploration is quite new to me since I've only made two wallets and a messenger bag so far.

What are your thoughts on the ideal stitching pony, considering there may not be one perfect design for all types of leather crafting?

On a personal note, I enjoy my retirement as it gives me the freedom to devote time to family, community, and projects like this. My background in woodworking has been helpful, and now I have the opportunity to engage in more precise work and experiment with my ideas.

[dikman]

I doubt if there's an "ideal" design for a stitching pony, like many things they can be made to suit specific needs. As a general purpose one I think yours looks about right, with the design of the jaws allowing for holding different shapes. Mine is roughly the size of yours and I've made several western-style holsters on it (they can be tricky to clamp) and associated gunbelts. For the gunbelts longer jaws would have been nice but then they might have been a nuisance on other projects. 

As for clamping pressure, that will vary depending on the project, which is why the adjustable locking lever is good, just tighten or loosen as required. And when stitching long runs the thread WILL get caught on the locking lever!!!!

[TomWilson]

16 hours ago, dikman said:

And when stitching long runs the thread WILL get caught on the locking lever!!!!

Ah, yes! This has already happened. This stitching pony I found on Etsy very cleverly avoids protrusions that will catch your thread. Looks like it is made by a seasoned wood/leather worker. I think I should have started this topic in the Leather Tools forum. 

[Northmount]

On 5/4/2024 at 1:42 PM, TomWilson said:

Search for cam clamping levers on Google to explore multiple suppliers. I bought mine from Lee Valley Hardware near Vancouver, BC.

Canadian page,  Lee Valley US, also has an international page.

[Klara]

You can put a piece of leather over the parts where the thread catches to deflect it (guess how I know).

Huge jaws are definitely not necessary (unless you are working huge pieces) but looking at your design I wonder how far the jaws actually open?  You may not always sew two flat pieces together. 

But the great thing about having made it yourself is that you can change it, or build another one, if you think of improvements. 

[Basically Bob]

Looks good … congrats!  If the upright pieces, rather than being straight, went up at a slight angle, like a V, you could make a leather loop to fit over the jaws and uprights.  It would slide up and down … slide it up to tighten the jaws and down to loosen them.  I have used this method on my stitching clam for years and it works great.

[CJJ]

this is cool, nice job

 

[dikman]

Bob, that is a very intriguing idea, it won't work on mine (straight sides) but if I ever make another one.......

[TomWilson]

On 5/5/2024 at 11:42 PM, Klara said:

Huge jaws are definitely not necessary (unless you are working huge pieces) but looking at your design I wonder how far the jaws actually open?  You may not always sew two flat pieces together

Thank’s Klara! I have the head of the carriage bolt on the outer side of the knob, and when the knobs rotated against the bolt head, the bolt’s long enough to let the jaws open up to a little over 1” wide. I then use cam clamp to tighten the jaws. I used blue thread lock on the other end of the bolt where it goes into the cam lever threaded insert.

Edited May 21 by TomWilson

[TomWilson]

On 5/8/2024 at 6:07 AM, Basically Bob said:

Looks good … congrats!  If the upright pieces, rather than being straight, went up at a slight angle, like a V, you could make a leather loop to fit over the jaws and uprights.

Thanks, Bob! Great idea! I’ll do this on my next pony. 

On 5/8/2024 at 7:16 AM, CJJ said:

this is cool, nice job

Thank you, CJJ!

[Brokenolmarine]

Great Job on the build.  I believe I posted my pony on the forum a year or so ago, but here is a look.  I too put magnets on mine and had intended to mount them flush on either side, but decided that would make it hard to retrieve the needles when the time came, so I mounted them proud.  It works great.  I didn't have an actual knob on hand when I built mine, so I made a knob to open and close the jaws by gluing the nut into the wooden oval formed by the bandsaw and the benchtop sander.  Looks cool and easy to manipulate.  (Cheap too, came from the scrap bin.)

 

 

I recently mounted the pony on a base so that it doesn't have to be clamped on the bench or trapped under my thighs in a chair.  Much easier to use.

I need to take a pic of that.  I can rotate the pony for a better angle, but I don't loosen and tighten that base bolt, it's snug but not VERY tight.  It's stable enough.

[MarshalWill]

Looks good. The magnet on it could also be used to hold your awl.