Tool bag for woodworking hand tools

[TraditionalTools]

I'm thinking about making a toolbag, that would be the size of a toolbox. In fact, what I have in mind is more like a leather toolbox for the most part. A couple small hand planes, a couple handsaws for cutting joinery, some chisels, marking/measuring tools, a couple rasps, a spokeshave, etc...you get the idea, a small set of tools for working wood..

Well, come to think of it, I have another need for a leather case for my leather tools also, which are aquiring. This is all an endless pit I 'spose...:-/

There was a funky tool case in first volume of the Stohlman book on cases/sheaths/etc...but I didn't care for it that well.

Suggestions and esepcially pics of bags that any of you have made would be very much appreciated. I know there's a lot of talented people here, not sure what I'm doing here quite yet... <_<

[BillB]

Have you looked at Volumes 2 (#61941-02) and 3 (#61941-03). There are more cases in there. There is one that looks like a old style doctor's bag, one for cameras and one as a flight bag. There are times that I have found it helps to start with one design, figure out how I would change it to meet my needs, then using it as a starting pattern, draw a new pattern.

[TraditionalTools]

Have you looked at Volumes 2 (#61941-02) and 3 (#61941-03). There are more cases in there. There is one that looks like a old style doctor's bag, one for cameras and one as a flight bag. There are times that I have found it helps to start with one design, figure out how I would change it to meet my needs, then using it as a starting pattern, draw a new pattern.

To be honest, I haven't looked through them too much, I think you're talking about the Stohlman books voumes 2 and 3, right? I will try to get back up to Tandy and look through them.

I bought volume 1 thinking it would be helpful for the saw sheath/case I was wanting to make, and as it turned out, I just winged it by looking at another example of a readily available case from a Lie-Nielsen Toolworks. Some of the stuff is kinda funny in the Stohlman book, like the camera flash cube holder, or the instamatic cartridge case...there was reference in the volume 1 that implied larger cases were covered in volume 2.

The other Stohlman book on stitching was very helpful, "The Art of Hand Stitching Leather", I did my first piece exactly how he suggests, needles between the first and second fingers, awl in the right hand, punch from the right, and feed the first side the opposite, pull both threads an arm length at a time...that really worked well for me. I had first got the book in a kit, which came with a craftool 4-in-1 awl, but on suggestion of a person who worked leather, I got an Osborne, and it works much better. It just seems to pierce the leather better. Maybe I need to sharpen the craftool, I'm not sure, but would have thought they would have come sharp new out of the box.

I found that after I put the first needle through, and pull it past the loop, it was helpful for me to pull the needle and opposite site on that thread to the side, to leave the most room for the second needle, if that makes sense. Kinda like pulling the first thread to the side of the hole, so the 2nd needle could get through without piercing the first thread. I don't think I pierced any threads, so it kinda worked or seemed to...I only have a small handsaw case under my belt (hey, a leather pun there...;-), so trying to figure some of this stuff out still.

[BillB]

yes, they are Al Stohlman's books.

Sounds like you are doing well with your hand stitching and the two needle method. I prefer using two needles instead of one.

I have stitched some items where I purposely went though the thread of the first with the second to try and "lock" the stitch in place so that slack would not go backwards into the previous stitch. I only use this technique when I want the pieces of leather to be as tightly bound together as I can get. This does work best on heavier leather that does not bunch up under tension. wearing light biker gloves while stitching also helped reduce the times when the waxed thread cut into the joints on my hand.

[TraditionalTools]

yes, they are Al Stohlman's books.

Sounds like you are doing well with your hand stitching and the two needle method. I prefer using two needles instead of one.

I have stitched some items where I purposely went though the thread of the first with the second to try and "lock" the stitch in place so that slack would not go backwards into the previous stitch. I only use this technique when I want the pieces of leather to be as tightly bound together as I can get. This does work best on heavier leather that does not bunch up under tension. wearing light biker gloves while stitching also helped reduce the times when the waxed thread cut into the joints on my hand.

BillB,

Funny you mention intentionally going through the thread to try and "lock" the stitch in place.

I have been thinking about the backstitch, and when you backstitch you can do this, as long as you punch through the thread and the needles go through, it will essentially lock it in. What you mention is exactly what I had been thinking about, but you need to lock it in with no slack I guess, in order for it to work. IOW, if you puncture through a thread with a needle, no matter which one, it would most likely cause a big tangled mess if one did try to pull it through.

This reminds me of a Q you might be able to answer, or someone else. I seem to pull the needles off the thread often, and haven't figured exactly why, not an outrageous amount of the time, but some. Maybe every 10 or so stitches I pull a needle off, but that seems like a lot to me as I am constantly re-threading the needles. Actually have never fully pulled the needle off, but in pulling the thread through I seem to pull the end off the thread loop, if that makes sense. I used Fiebings white saddle soap when I thread the needles, it seems to work ok, but I do have beeswax also, would that be better to use?

When I start to get into rhythm, I can most along ok with the 2 needle approach, although it still feels ackward in holding the needles between my first/second fingers while moving the awl around, punching, and such...and I will admit that I have tended to drop the needles more times than I would like to admit.

The Stohlman approach just seems to be worked out over time and hard to improve on, for effeciency, unless one was using a machine. NOT!

[BillB]

You might want to try this:

After threading the needle, pull two needle lengths of thread thru the eye. Then lay that length of thread along side the needle and then push the point thru the middle of the thread. Carefully push that on down to and over the eye, thus forming a closed loop that now hold the needle. I usually then twist the remaining amount back along the sewing portion of the thread to further lock the needle in and to compact it down in diameter. I don't have a picture of this, but will try and take some tomorrow night if you need some visual aids.

Also, I tend to hold the needles in my lips, that way I have both hands free. It's an old habit I picked up when working with wood and nails. I don't know which is worst, a mouth full of nails or lips with two needles (No I am not into S&M).

[TraditionalTools]

You might want to try this:

After threading the needle, pull two needle lengths of thread thru the eye. Then lay that length of thread along side the needle and then push the point thru the middle of the thread. Carefully push that on down to and over the eye, thus forming a closed loop that now hold the needle. I usually then twist the remaining amount back along the sewing portion of the thread to further lock the needle in and to compact it down in diameter. I don't have a picture of this, but will try and take some tomorrow night if you need some visual aids.

Also, I tend to hold the needles in my lips, that way I have both hands free. It's an old habit I picked up when working with wood and nails. I don't know which is worst, a mouth full of nails or lips with two needles (No I am not into S&M).

BillB,

I have been doing similar, and that seems how Stohlman depicts it in his stitching book. I found if I didn't have enough thread, it would pull off, but even with more thread, I tend to somehow pull it off eventually. I haven't had too much time to examine what I've been doing, just that I was re-threading the needle more than should be expected, IMO.

Any pics would be appreciated.

[BillB]

Sorry for not sending these sooner. I use simulate sinew for all of my hand stitching. This sequence of pictures shows how I:

1. loop the sinew back over the tip of the needle;

2. Move that back across the needle and eye to form a closed loop;

3. The last thing I do is to hold both runs of sinew while rotating the needle to twist the loose end around the sewing length to help lock the needle in place.

I hoe this helps.

[TraditionalTools]

Sorry for not sending these sooner. I use simulate sinew for all of my hand stitching. This sequence of pictures shows how I:

1. loop the sinew back over the tip of the needle;

2. Move that back across the needle and eye to form a closed loop;

3. The last thing I do is to hold both runs of sinew while rotating the needle to twist the loose end around the sewing length to help lock the needle in place.

I hoe this helps.

Bill,

Yes, actually that helps a lot. In the 4th pic on the top row, you show the loop being pulled small, this is my problem, I left the loop big and that must be why it was pulling off. I suspect this is my problem, most certainly. Thank you very much for posting these pics, it helps quite a bit actually.

[MUKE]

VERY NICE