Check Out This Stitching Pony I Made

[St8LineGunsmith]

Hey guys

I finally made a stitching clamp and it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself Much better than anything you can get from tandy fer sher it is a floor standing model with a foot control lever similar to a stitching horse lever

you can comfortably sit at your kitchen chair and stitch up your leather working projects.

I learned a lot when I made this one so I am going to make several revisions to the next one like making the clamp jaws and base out of 2"X6" and add a stash drawer for stitching tools and thread ect and I am going to add a shelf to hold tools when you need to put them down but still have them right handy when you need them again.

I think I can offer the deluxe model for $65.00 Shipped i figured by the time I buy materials and shipping I might make $12.00

which works out to around a buck fiddy an hour

Fellas if you don't mind give me a little feed back about what you think.

would this be something that anyone might be interested in purchasing and would it be worth my time and finances to build a few to put up for sale?

BTW I will sell this one for $40.00 shipped to anywhere in the lower 48

Alright No wise cracks about my old white nasty looking crippled up legs £bigeye£

[immiketoo]

Looks really good. I hate the one I made and I think a floor model is a better idea from the get go, but I didn't even know they existed when I made mine. As it is, I hate using it, mostly because I can't see that close anymore.

[Horrrk]

Hey guys

I finally made a stitching clamp and it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself Much better than anything you can get from tandy fer sher it is a floor standing model with a foot control lever similar to a stitching horse lever

you can comfortably sit at your kitchen chair and stitch up your leather working projects.

I learned a lot when I made this one so I am going to make several revisions to the next one like making the clamp jaws and base out of 2"X6" and add a stash drawer for stitching tools and thread ect and I am going to add a shelf to hold tools when you need to put them down but still have them right handy when you need them again.

I think I can offer the deluxe model for $65.00 Shipped i figured by the time I buy materials and shipping I might make $12.00

which works out to around a buck fiddy an hour

Fellas if you don't mind give me a little feed back about what you think.

would this be something that anyone might be interested in purchasing and would it be worth my time and finances to build a few to put up for sale?

Hi St8..

Not too bad on the design of it..lools like it'll clamp the thinnest material with no bother..

I've seen the tread clamp design before and had one thought..the pressure needs to be held, in case of doorbell, toilet, telephone order of your clamp or belly rumblings type emergency..and once you remove the pressure of your foot, for whatever reason, the piece can drop or move..

Love the idea of the simple clamping it offers, but couldn't work with it.. Just my opinion though..

On your idea of adding a drawer and/or a shelf.. Fantastic idea, but perhaps be careful of adding something which can snag the user's thread as it hangs down..

Oh and add some leather over the vice jaws to help stop marks in the project..

Here's a link to a thread that Mike and I posted on..have a read, it may give you some pointers for your revisions

http://leatherworker...topic=42815&hl=

I'm sorry I've gone on..it looks like i'm ripping at your clamp, but honestly, I'm not..

Just feedback and food for your thoughts..but its looking a lot better than some of what I've seen out there..

Hope people tear them from your hands as they come off've the workbench..

Regards

Phil

Looks really good. I hate the one I made and I think a floor model is a better idea from the get go, but I didn't even know they existed when I made mine. As it is, I hate using it, mostly because I can't see that close anymore.

Hi Mike..I know it's hard to scale things in a pic, but I thought yours was a floor mount one..

I shoulda looked more carefully..lol

Take care guys..

Regards

Phil

Edited October 16, 2012 by Horrrk

[immiketoo]

It's way too tall, that's for sure. Or not tall enough if you look at it the other way round...

[Horrrk]

It's way too tall, that's for sure. Or not tall enough if you look at it the other way round...

lol.. I think you mean..it's a learning experience.. Haha!

When I get to making one, it'll be high enough to sit on my setee (sofa) have it around mid- chest height and stitch..

[immiketoo]

True. I have enough wood to make another one tall enough to be a floor model. Back to the drawing board!

[St8LineGunsmith]

Horrik

I cant claim credit for the design although I did make a couple of changes.

actually the clamp does hold enough pressure to hold an item if you have to remove your foot. you cant stitch with your foot removed

but it will hold the project without foot pressure it would not be very hard to add a bar hooklike a stitching horse has to hold continious pressure i jusd didnt find it necessiary

i am actually going to put leather on the jaw just don't have anything suitable for that purpose at the moment. everything i have is 9 to 10 OZ and I need some 4 oz so it is not too thick on the jaws.

I do actually wish my jaws were a little taller on my model because i sit in a wheel chair that is about 5 inches taller than the average chair but it is just right for a kitchen table chair the next one i make I am also going to use 2"X6" so I can have a wider jaw width.

the drawer will be down at the foot and the tool ledge would be down low so not to snag thread.

I did actually think about that because that is the most aggravating thing when it happens to me

.you always think of improvements after you have already finished.

I don't think your comments are hacking at my little clamp because I did ask for opinions

and all your points were legit concerns about the design

I actually liked this design better than anything else I have seen and because of the foot lever to quickly release pressure to move the project to another position appealed to me since i am used to using a stitching horse i thought this model would fit somewhere in between a horse and a pony.

I guess you could call this design a stitching mule

[Horrrk]

I actually liked this design better than anything else I have seen and because of the foot lever to quickly release pressure to move the project to another position appealed to me since i am used to using a stitching horse i thought this model would fit somewhere in between a horse and a pony.

I guess you could call this design a stitching mule

Hi St8..

I know what you mean about being able to move a piece along quickly..I'm sure some of the bolt clamp type will require a spanner or rachet and that's the bug bear bit for those I guess..which is why I thought about using the quick release clamp when I get to making one..

If yours keeps enough pressure on, to hold the pieces whilst you're off, tending to nature's needs (coffee) then all good and well mate..lol

Keep posting piccies for when you add your drawer, shelf and leather trim (perhaps a cup holder on there somewhere??) because I've never seen a mule being born..

Regards

Phil

Edited October 16, 2012 by Horrrk

[St8LineGunsmith]

LOL I keep drinks open containers and other liquids way far away from my projects Found that out the hard way.

too much sloshing around for a cup holder on a stitching clamp might spill on my foot

I will show off the next one I build however I did give this one a try this morning and it works really good I am happy with how the design works however the use of wider jaw would be an improvement just because you would have more clamping area that will hold the project to be stitched ot laced to have a longer span of rigidity and don't have to reposition as often when stitching.

I guess the reason i want a wider jaw is the stitching horse I used when I was making saddles has a 6" wide jaw

I might fool around with a bar that holds the jaw clamped tightwhich would be a really easy solution but really how the design is made your feet are always sitting on the base which i really dont see much benefit to a tension bar unless I put a spring between the jaws to open them when the tension is let off.

another aspect I like about the foot lever it facilitates hands free operation of opening the jaws to move the work piece which is a big plus for me another plus is having both feet on the base you can move the clamp around to where the jaws are at the desired angle and insures that the clamp is not going to move except if you want it to

Edited October 16, 2012 by St8LineGunsmith

[Northmount]

What about using a spring to keep the jaws clamped together, and a foot release to counter the spring pressure while you reposition the work piece?

Tom

Edited October 16, 2012 by northmount

[Horrrk]

LOL I keep drinks open containers and other liquids way far away from my projects Found that out the hard way.

too much sloshing around for a cup holder on a stitching clamp might spill on my foot

I might fool around with a bar that holds the jaw clamped tightwhich would be a really easy solution but really how the design is made your feet are always sitting on the base which i really dont see much benefit to a tension bar unless I put a spring between the jaws to open them when the tension is let off.

another aspect I like about the foot lever it facilitates hands free operation of opening the jaws to move the work piece which is a big plus for me another plus is having both feet on the base you can move the clamp around to where the jaws are at the desired angle and insures that the clamp is not going to move except if you want it to

Okay, we'll maybe leave the coffee holder, down to safety reasons..lol

Perhaps you could have a pin insert thru the triangulation ply, in order to lock the pedal for time away at the kettle? Just a little pressure would be adequate..

I can see your point about moving the work along with both hands free to do so..something which hadn't crossed my mind, but worth noting..lol

Its all good stuff this.. Ha!

Ooo.. I see Tom's just been in..

What about using a spring to keep the jaws calmped together, and a foot release to counter the spring pressure while you reposition the work piece?

Tom

Nice idea that one Tom.! Coming in at a different angle there.. That'd work too..I like it..

I hope Mike is reading this before he starts on his next pony..

Regards

Phil

[lwm803]

I like the idea of the floor model and agree that some way of locking the jaws mechanically (preferably foot operated) would likely be a good idea. I get the idea the the jaws are already self closing due to the weight of the foot pedal and that might eliminate any need for a spring to accomplish the same goal. The one that I built is self holding due to the natural spring in the jaw arms as there is no hinge, I have to use a spreader block to open the jaws to insert leather but still need to tighten the clamping bolt a bit to hold everything good and tight for sewing. If I ever build another I will carefully consider a floor model. One other thing I would like to do is to tilt the jaws to one side, more like a full blown stitching horse.

[St8LineGunsmith]

What about using a spring to keep the jaws clamped together, and a foot release to counter the spring pressure while you reposition the work piece?

Tom

it would take a tremendous amount of spring pressure to hold the jaws tight enough to keep the work from moving around while you are stitching and I like to keep my work from moving around while I am stitching. I

f I were to incorporate a spring I would use a spring between the jaws to apply reverse pressure to open the jaws.

the simplest solution for keeping constant heavy pressure on the jaws without using your leg weight would be to make a tension bar like a stitching horse has since

the lever on this model I built works exactly like a lever on a stitching horse does minus the tension bar.

However as I mentioned earlier there is already enough tension on the jaws without putting pressure on the project to hold it in the jaws while away.

I think the biggest improvement to this clamp would to make wider clamp jaws... YMMV

it would be much comfortable to keep your feet on the base while stitching rather than trying to straddle your legs over the base or trying to tuck them in front of the base plus using your feet gives you total control of the angle of the clamp when you are stitching and holds the clamp steady and if you need more pressure just press the lever to the desired tension so why try to reinvent something that is working exactly as it was intended to be used already?

it is basically a stitching horse minus the seat which makes it a lot easier to store in the corner than a stitching horse while not in use

Not to mention stitching horses tend to be a bit uncomfortable after some time at sitting on one.

don't ask me how I know this

.

in all I think this model works ideally for me other than I need one just a bit taller for using it when I am in my wheelchair and I want wider jaws

I can put this one in the house that way i can use it in the dining room or while sitting at the foot of my bed

[St8LineGunsmith]

Hey Guys here is a sketch of the new clamp I am making

it uses 2X6 for a wider clamp area.

[LeatherSmith68]

Just my thoughts as I am a total newbie to the leather wold. I think the first one you made looks great and would work very well. If you do decide to start make these and selling them, send me a message. I just might be interested in one or two of them. Keep up the great work.

[Horrrk]

Hey Guys here is a sketch of the new clamp I am making

it uses 2X6 for a wider clamp area.

Can't wait to see it St8..looks sturdy enough and should give you a bit more to stitch before shuffling everything along..

Regards

Phil

[St8LineGunsmith]

Ok here is the revised design of my stitching mule LOL.

and while i was piling up wood chips around my drill press and sincei really need a stamp caddy but refuse to pay 40 bucks for a block of

wood with a bunch of holes drilled into it I went ahead and drilleda bunch of holes into a block of wood i had laying around that cost

me a whopping fiddy cents.and heres what I wound up with.Ya it is crude and not as pretty as the store bought one but

works just as good.

i said I was going to put in a drawer on the next one i made but i didnt make a drawer.

Instead I made a flip top lid. All i did was drilled out the 2X6 with a forstner bit then

did the same thing on the lid. turned out to be just the right size little cubby hole

for a few stitching tools.

I did install a shelf, i think it is low enough not to snag thread seeing since where

the shelf is located would be lower than most table top models.

I made it where it would hold 2 spools of thread 1 white and 1 black spool

I also drilled a hole for a pair of needle nose piers and holes to hold needles

should be handy.

I zam not quite finished I did not have enough nylon strap so I have to round up

a piece and I am also going to install a bar to keep jaw pressure on the jaws without

having to hold constant foot pressure on the lever.however i did make this clamp

several inches taller, so now this one is just the right height. still need to get some

thin leather to cover the jaws. I am going to tandy in the morning for leatherworking

class so i will get that tomorrow.

hey it is kind of crude looking with all the knotted pine but it should serve its purpose well.

[LeatherSmith68]

Great work Str8. Both look very nice and very useful

[Horrrk]

Very nice St8.!

I had the same idea today about the block for my stamps and dragged out some of the hardwood I made a tiki statue from this summer..it'll hold a few stamps. I also found it's good for burnishing with.! lol

As far as your mule goes, you've certainly advanced the design a fair bit and I think you're on with a winner. The constant tension thing will be a boon, since you've decided you're not going with the coffee cup holder..

Love the cubby hole idea and also the shelf too..it's all personal stitching style with regards to if you're gonna get caught up on it, but overall I think its handy to have all your sundries to hand..

Personally, I'd have gone with a magnet on a helium balloon for holding my spare needles, but the shelf is good too..

Go steady rounding up the nylon strap too..when you think you've got it cornered, keep an eye open for it's mate, poised to pounce on your back and shred ya.. Always out of direct sight and always above you..be warned my friend..its a jungle out there..

Take care..

Regards

Phil