How Do I Make A Perfect Line Of Holes With My Awl?

[Rockworthy]

Hello again, I have another total noob question: I want to hand stitch a steering wheel cover onto my car. I have been researching how to do this for quite some time, but there is so many little details it's hard to get all the information in one place. So: Once I have my pattern for the leather I'm using and I cut out my piece of leather, I want to make holes with my awl along the seams before stitching. However, how do I make perfect holes the perfect distance apart, in a perfectly straight line? Is there some kind of tool that can mark the spots for the awl, so that I don't have to just "eyeball it"? This is all by hand, mind you, I don't have a machine.

[Tree Reaper]

If you don't have the tools you can mark the line by running a compass or divider along the edge putting a light scratch in the damp leather then use a ruler to mark the spacing along that edge for the stitching.

If you want to invest in the tools I can tell you what to buy.

Kevin.

[bex DK]

What you want is a wheel that looks like a rowel from a spur. It makes little marks at an even distance. You just roll it along where you want it.

But if your project is a one-off, it is probably cheapest to use a ruler and make marks along it with the same distance between.

[Dwight]

Another simple little trick for perfectly spaced anything: take a small, narrow piece of wood, . . . maybe 1/2 in by 1/2 in, . . . maybe 3 inches long.

Use a rule to mark your spacing, . . . cut the head off a #3 finish nail, . . . put it in your drill press, . . . drill straight through the piece of wood, . . . making a perfect line of holes.

Gently drive new #3 finish nails into the holes, . . . you then use the whole thing as a marking tool, . . .

Takes 15 minutes to make, . . . will save you hours in marking and poking.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Rockworthy]

What you want is a wheel that looks like a rowel from a spur. It makes little marks at an even distance. You just roll it along where you want it.

But if your project is a one-off, it is probably cheapest to use a ruler and make marks along it with the same distance between.

Do you know exactly what this crazy little spur thing is called? If I know what it's called I can go and search for it

[Rockworthy]

Another simple little trick for perfectly spaced anything: take a small, narrow piece of wood, . . . maybe 1/2 in by 1/2 in, . . . maybe 3 inches long.

Use a rule to mark your spacing, . . . cut the head off a #3 finish nail, . . . put it in your drill press, . . . drill straight through the piece of wood, . . . making a perfect line of holes.

Gently drive new #3 finish nails into the holes, . . . you then use the whole thing as a marking tool, . . .

Takes 15 minutes to make, . . . will save you hours in marking and poking.

May God bless,

Dwight

That's very interesting and I never thought of that. I don't have a drill press though, but I know someone who does... this technique brings a bunch of similar ideas to mind. Thanks man.

[Louro]

The tool is called a overstich wheel Like this one.

http://springfieldleather.com/store/product/3425/Overstitcher%2CSet%2CSz-5%2C6%2C7/

I hope this help

[Gawdzilla]

Another simple little trick for perfectly spaced anything: take a small, narrow piece of wood, . . . maybe 1/2 in by 1/2 in, . . . maybe 3 inches long.

Use a rule to mark your spacing, . . . cut the head off a #3 finish nail, . . . put it in your drill press, . . . drill straight through the piece of wood, . . . making a perfect line of holes.

Gently drive new #3 finish nails into the holes, . . . you then use the whole thing as a marking tool, . . .

Takes 15 minutes to make, . . . will save you hours in marking and poking.

May God bless,

Dwight

If you put two pieces of wood together and drive the nails into both, then separate them, you wouldn't have to drill the holes, correct?

[Tomcat1066]

If you put two pieces of wood together and drive the nails into both, then separate them, you wouldn't have to drill the holes, correct?

I'd think that by driving the nails, you could deform them in the process. The result would be a row of nails that aren't exactly straight.

With a drill press, you have a guide that maintains distance from certain points and makes it easy to put all the holes in a straight line, something that's not exactly easy doing by eye (which is something else that could throw off nails if you drive them in).

At least, that's what I would see as potential problems anyways.

[Gawdzilla]

I'd think that by driving the nails, you could deform them in the process. The result would be a row of nails that aren't exactly straight.

With a drill press, you have a guide that maintains distance from certain points and makes it easy to put all the holes in a straight line, something that's not exactly easy doing by eye (which is something else that could throw off nails if you drive them in).

At least, that's what I would see as potential problems anyways.

Drilling pilot holes in the wood would stop the formation I think, but that puts us back to the drill press, doesn't it? I need to talk to the local machine shop about grinding a wheel pizza cutter.

[Dwight]

Actually the drill press may be not needed if the worker is really good at using an electric hand drill. This is what I do. I also reverse the nails so that they exit on the marks, . . . and if one of the nails isn't quite perfectly straight, . . . a pair of long nose pliers can put him where he needs to be.

Cutting off the head of the nail, . . . gives one the EXACT "drill" to make perfect holes.

Holding the drill perfectly perpendicular is the key.

The perfect size holes made by the drill, allows the marker nails to be driven in without splitting the narrow piece of wood or dulling their points. I have some other uses for this concept too, . . . making perfectly matched patterns for cutting, . . . sewing, . . . carving, . . . etc. Once the pattern is made and adjusted to what the user wants, . . . it can be put in a drawer or hung up until needed again, . . . the "pattern" it produces will always be the same.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Tomcat1066]

Drilling pilot holes in the wood would stop the formation I think, but that puts us back to the drill press, doesn't it? I need to talk to the local machine shop about grinding a wheel pizza cutter.

FWIW, that's kind of how I envisioned the whole thing going in the first place. I'm not sure that that was what was intended though.

Actually the drill press may be not needed if the worker is really good at using an electric hand drill. This is what I do. I also reverse the nails so that they exit on the marks, . . . and if one of the nails isn't quite perfectly straight, . . . a pair of long nose pliers can put him where he needs to be.

Cutting off the head of the nail, . . . gives one the EXACT "drill" to make perfect holes.

Holding the drill perfectly perpendicular is the key.

Maybe it's just me, but that's still relying on a flawed human being (no offense intended, we're all imperfect creatures after all) to me nearly mechanical precision. A drill press can be set up to do that. A hand drill, not so much.

Of course, I may be being overly pessimistic here as well. After all, how precise does it really need to be? If it looks straight to you, it'll look straight on the leather I guess

Still, I figure it's worth pointing out

[Suze]

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp;jsessionid=C2ACF446F72C87F5BB7A8458BDBEE0D5.a5p2?CATID=cat403876&PRODID=prd10308

don't know how many "dots per inch" this would be but it is cheap?

and you could always skip or cut off every other tooth