Hand-stitching holes, the easy way.

[Rayban]

There's nothing new here, but someone mentioned on another thread, how hard it is to hand stitch thru multiple layers of leather, and keep things straight.( I didn't want to hijack that thread so here I am)....here's something I just did for the first time...think Ak Stohlman may be frowning down on me???....anyway. I prepared the leather same way for hand-stitching, using a #6 wheel ( 6 threads per inch) then went to my drill press, inserted a 1/16" bit, and drilled all the holes. It helps to glue parts together if you can so they will all stay aligned while drilling. Then hand-stitched as I normally would.

Much easier, and faster...for hand-stitching.....

[whinewine]

There's nothing new here, but someone mentioned on another thread, how hard it is to hand stitch thru multiple layers of leather, and keep things straight.( I didn't want to hijack that thread so here I am)....here's something I just did for the first time...think Ak Stohlman may be frowning down on me???....anyway. I prepared the leather same way for hand-stitching, using a #6 wheel ( 6 threads per inch) then went to my drill press, inserted a 1/16" bit, and drilled all the holes. It helps to glue parts together if you can so they will all stay aligned while drilling. Then hand-stitched as I normally would.

Much easier, and faster...for hand-stitching.....

I did that years ago when I used to make Revolutionary War replica items for a concern in Valley Forge, except I used a dremel in a dremel drill press, rather than a real drill press. I haven't gone back to production work since I returned to leatherworking, but now I have a real drill press if I need it. BTW, Rayban, that is a very nice sheath!

[Luke Hatley]

Rayban, as long as the holes are straight and even, one will do

what one has to do........ sometimes I will use a razor knife to cut leather..

[superchute]

I use a dremal to for the holes but is use a #56 drill bit that is about 3/4 of the size of a 1/16 and the hole is fillled better and if you use a single speed dremal you can but a sewing machine foot controle to help you line up on the holes. Some times we drill it on a 45% to sew in the bottom or top in things

Russ

[Don101]

its all ok using drills but you cant controll the back holes like using a awl and for me the way the back looks is just as important as the front, drills dremmels been there done it but you end up with round holes and dont get that neat saddler look as with using an awl, just my opinion so if you are getting good results and happy with the look you are getting carry on by all means, im not trying to knock it i just prefere an awl, Don

[JRLeather2]

let me see the back of it......that will tell the tale.........

[Rawhide]

If your awl is sharp and polished, it should be fairly effortless to stab your holes.

Marlon

[Rayban]

If your awl is sharp and polished, it should be fairly effortless to stab your holes.

Marlon

Must be me then...because to stab an awl thru 6 layers of 8-10oz.(top of the sheath) took a fair amount of effort for me. And the back holes were all over the place.

I always use an awl to stab my holes,,,this was my first go-round with the drill press....it worked very well for this particular project.

Edited March 6, 2008 by Rayban

[Rawhide]

Understood. That is quite a bit of leather to stab holes through. You have to kind of get the hang of it to guarantee they will all line up on the backside. If I don't have a grooved channel on the back side, I punch the first hole, and the last hole on one side then connect them with a light scribe line. Then I'll punch in between them using the scribe line to line up the exit point. Works pretty good for me. (I have used a dremel by the way to do a briefcase, it was much faster, but control is the issue for me).

Have a good one!

[whinewine]

(I have used a dremel by the way to do a briefcase, it was much faster, but control is the issue for me).

Marlon, you're right about the dremel. This is why, if you're going to use one, it needs to be in a dremel drill press or in some sort of jig that keeps the the drill bit (&, of course, the holes, by extension,) straight & aligned.

russ

[TwinOaks]

Marlon, you're right about the dremel. This is why, if you're going to use one, it needs to be in a dremel drill press or in some sort of jig that keeps the the drill bit (&, of course, the holes, by extension,) straight & aligned.

russ

Gee, is that why the stitching holes I make with a cordless drill are all over the place?????

[DCKNIVES]

Here's how I do mine. Instead of drilling, I sharpen the shank end of the drill bit and punch it while the press is running. The hole is much cleaner and it burnishes the hole.After stitching the holes will close up on the thread much better.I also made a seperate table(covered with UHMW for easy sliding) for my drill press and use notched boards ( for the belt loop on sheaths) to keep the leather flat. Works great for me and its fast.Dave

[Billsotx]

You're giving away the secrets. Why not put a nice sharp and stropped awl blade in the drill press, set it at the correct angle to the stitch line and end up with nice holes that look like they were hand punched with an awl? SSShhhhhhhhh.... don't give up the secrets ....

[DCKNIVES]

That works too. Dave :D

[howardb]

Rayban,

Nice sheath man! I love it. Suits the knife well too.

I think we should use what works for us, and if that works - cool! I've tried multiprong punches, diamond awl, etc. and unless it's going straight up & down, it looks bad on the back with all of them. I wonder if I can adapt the stamping press thingy to hold the punch somehow. A talented engineer like me (snicker) should be able to figure something out! No drill press available or I'd be all over that!

Anyway my question of the day for you is... (drumroll please) Do you have trouble with the stitches wanting to pull through the leather? I've got a practice piece and with an Osborn D0249 (a 5 prong punch), it doesn't take much pull at all to cut right through the leather. A similar tool with a slightly wider spacing didn't seem to have the tendancy to cut so deep and easy.

This could VERY well be old dried out leather and that's the problem; but I figured I'd ask since you have fairly dense stitching and small thread, and beautiful results. Could it be machine vs hand?

Thanks,

Brent

[Rawhide]

Has anyone thought to chuck an awl blade in the drill press and use scrap leather on the bottom. (Don't turn the drill on of course) but this way you could get straight holes.

Just an idea.

Hey Bill I just read your post. How great minds think alike.

Edited March 7, 2008 by Rawhide

[DCKNIVES]

The only problem I can see using the drill press with the awl is keeping it aligned because the chuck would rotate too easily. I think a modified arbor press might work better. They can be had pretty cheap and the mods aren't that difficult.Dave

here's one I modified for my makers stamp

[Romey]

On my sheaths i chuck up a awl or somtimes a needle in press and do the FRONT side and welt of the sheath then glue it and use hand awl to find the back side. If i use the needle i turn the press on it seems to burnish the hole a bit if i use awl i just press through. Anyway thats how i keep the holes straight.

[Rayban]

let me see the back of it......that will tell the tale.........

I had to deliver the sheath before I could take the picture of it's back-side. Guess, you'll have to take my word for it...it looked pretty much like the front.

Again, going through 6 layers of leather, the drill press beats the heck out of the awl, in my opinion.

AND....the customer loved it, and has ordered another one.

[Rayban]

Rayban,

Nice sheath man! I love it. Suits the knife well too.

I think we should use what works for us, and if that works - cool! I've tried multiprong punches, diamond awl, etc. and unless it's going straight up & down, it looks bad on the back with all of them. I wonder if I can adapt the stamping press thingy to hold the punch somehow. A talented engineer like me (snicker) should be able to figure something out! No drill press available or I'd be all over that!

Anyway my question of the day for you is... (drumroll please) Do you have trouble with the stitches wanting to pull through the leather? I've got a practice piece and with an Osborn D0249 (a 5 prong punch), it doesn't take much pull at all to cut right through the leather. A similar tool with a slightly wider spacing didn't seem to have the tendancy to cut so deep and easy.

This could VERY well be old dried out leather and that's the problem; but I figured I'd ask since you have fairly dense stitching and small thread, and beautiful results. Could it be machine vs hand?

Thanks,

Brent

Brent, the thread pulling thru has not been a problem with my hand-stitching. I wonder if you have a machine tension thingy issue?? I supposs I could use a #5 instead of a #6 wheel in those really thick 6 layer areas....

BTW, I mostly use artificial sinew with the sheaths I make.

Thanks for your kind, and understanding words.

R

P.S. I found my table top model drill press in Craig's List for $30.

[Rawhide]

another thought would be to chuck it in a leather sewing machine then just rotate the wheel by hand.

Marlon

[howardb]

Brent, the thread pulling thru has not been a problem with my hand-stitching. I wonder if you have a machine tension thingy issue?? I supposs I could use a #5 instead of a #6 wheel in those really thick 6 layer areas....

BTW, I mostly use artificial sinew with the sheaths I make.

Thanks for your kind, and understanding words.

R

P.S. I found my table top model drill press in Craig's List for $30.

OH I'm a dummy sometimes. No, I'm hand stitching too, and while typing somehow in my head made yours machine stitched. Hence my mistaken part of the question. After reviewing both the leather and some othe pieces I had done, I think the issue IS my leather. It's got a rot-spot on it or something because I can pull hard in some areas, but not in others.

Thanks for the suggestion on the drill press. For me it's more of a space issue than cost. My friend has all my woodworking tools, including two drill presses, in his garage about 40 miles away. I just don't feel like putting on pants, driving 40 miles, just to punch holes! I'll try to make this tandy arbor-like thing work. It may not be perfect, but it should be repeatable.

Brent

[Rayban]

OH I'm a dummy sometimes. No, I'm hand stitching too, and while typing somehow in my head made yours machine stitched. Hence my mistaken part of the question. After reviewing both the leather and some othe pieces I had done, I think the issue IS my leather. It's got a rot-spot on it or something because I can pull hard in some areas, but not in others.

Thanks for the suggestion on the drill press. For me it's more of a space issue than cost. My friend has all my woodworking tools, including two drill presses, in his garage about 40 miles away. I just don't feel like putting on pants, driving 40 miles, just to punch holes! I'll try to make this tandy arbor-like thing work. It may not be perfect, but it should be repeatable.

Brent

Let me get this straight...you mistook my hand-stitching for machine stitching??!! WOW....now THAT'S a complemrnt!!!

I know what you mean man, I don't like to put my pants on if I don't really have to, until the last possible moment.

R

[electrathon]

I don't like to put my pants on if I don't really have to, until the last possible moment.

R

There was a Sinefeld show about that a few years back...

[Rayban]

There was a Sinefeld show about that a few years back...

I remember that one..they were shooting pool and stuff?? Not the "shrinkage" one, right?