Hand Sewing - Where's The Thread ?

[Mack]

Hey guys, may seem a little picky, but it's been under my skin for a while and maybe you have found a solution to this. What I've noticed multiples of times, on the occasion that I've sprung for a "kit" from Tandy that included linen thread, it always contains this thoroughly saturated, pliable and frankly, quite lovely thread in the package. However, when I buy spools (really from anybody) it has what appears to be the same thread but woefully underwaxed and so I spend a portion of my time pulling my piece of thread through one of my small blocks of bees wax. While it ends up being adequate, I would love to be able to produce whatever it is they do that produces the effect of the thread I find in their kits. Has anybody run across anything along this line ? Just took a shot here that maybe somebody has figured out how to do something like this. Thanks in advance.

[Ferg]

Actually I don't care for the waxed thread you buy in the small spools from Tandy and many other sources. When I hand sew I wax my own much the same way you are doing it. Never occurred to me that it was such a hassle.

ferg

Hey guys, may seem a little picky, but it's been under my skin for a while and maybe you have found a solution to this. What I've noticed multiples of times, on the occasion that I've sprung for a "kit" from Tandy that included linen thread, it always contains this thoroughly saturated, pliable and frankly, quite lovely thread in the package. However, when I buy spools (really from anybody) it has what appears to be the same thread but woefully underwaxed and so I spend a portion of my time pulling my piece of thread through one of my small blocks of bees wax. While it ends up being adequate, I would love to be able to produce whatever it is they do that produces the effect of the thread I find in their kits. Has anybody run across anything along this line ? Just took a shot here that maybe somebody has figured out how to do something like this. Thanks in advance.

[katsass]

Hey guys, may seem a little picky, but it's been under my skin for a while and maybe you have found a solution to this. What I've noticed multiples of times, on the occasion that I've sprung for a "kit" from Tandy that included linen thread, it always contains this thoroughly saturated, pliable and frankly, quite lovely thread in the package. However, when I buy spools (really from anybody) it has what appears to be the same thread but woefully underwaxed and so I spend a portion of my time pulling my piece of thread through one of my small blocks of bees wax. While it ends up being adequate, I would love to be able to produce whatever it is they do that produces the effect of the thread I find in their kits. Has anybody run across anything along this line ? Just took a shot here that maybe somebody has figured out how to do something like this. Thanks in advance.

Good morning Mack. Much as 50 Years does, so I do. I have always found it necessary to wax and often re-wax any thread I use when stitching. Maybe it is that both of us have some years on you (Ferg has a couple on me...but not many) and we expect to do things in a more leisurely manner, but waxing and re-waxing thread just seems to come with the territory when stitching leather. Mike

Edited June 17, 2011 by katsass

[Mack]

Actually I don't care for the waxed thread you buy in the small spools from Tandy and many other sources. When I hand sew I wax my own much the same way you are doing it. Never occurred to me that it was such a hassle.

ferg

Well, I'm all of us can speak to the 'quality' of a lot things that Tandy has put out of late. What gets me is that the thread they include in their kits (however the heck they do it) is really nicely penetrated. I can't help but wonder if it isn't some combination of something like beeswas and neatsfoot oil ? it's well penetrated and handles really well (so kudos to them for that) and if it's included in the kit, I NEVER have to rewax the stuff. Thanks for responding....but my search continues ={;-)) Hey, when you get a second, can you share where you get your preferred linen thread ? Thanks !

Edited June 17, 2011 by Mack

[Ferg]

Mack,

Are you pulling the thread through a piece of brown wrapping paper, paper grocery sack same thing? After you apply the wax? This creates heat on the thread and melts the wax into it. You can actually feel the heat between your fingers.

I assume the thread we buy pre-waxed is run through a wax pot such as the larger sewing machines use. You could buy some of the wax and a pot from one of the sewing machine folks on here to pull the thread through. That would likely give you the heavy coating you desire. Try Bob Kovar at Toledo Industrial, I bet he has a pot to sell.

Buy a pound cone of the thread you like, mount it on a pedestal, run it through the wax pot and onto a hand winder on the other side or use a fractional gear motor connected to a shaft with a large spool.

That just might work for you.

ferg

By the way I believe I bought the linen thread from the Thread Exchange at : http://www.thethreadexchange.com/

Well, I'm all of us can speak to the 'quality' of a lot things that Tandy has put out of late. What gets me is that the thread they include in their kits (however the heck they do it) is really nicely penetrated. I can't help but wonder if it isn't some combination of something like beeswas and neatsfoot oil ? it's well penetrated and handles really well (so kudos to them for that) and if it's included in the kit, I NEVER have to rewax the stuff. Thanks for responding....but my search continues ={;-)) Hey, when you get a second, can you share where you get your preferred linen thread ? Thanks !

Edited June 17, 2011 by 50 years leather