Stitching Groove Placement

[drof99]

Looking for a little guidance here if you would please. How do you place your stitching groove lines when you cannot run along the edge of a piece? For instance right along a firearm or magazine. I do have a freehand groovier but I'm not coming up with nice clean lines. Thanks in advance for the help!

[King's X]

I will normally waiting until I cut the leather to final size before I place my groove in....at about 3/16" from the edge. I use a guided groover that just follows the edge while cutting the groove.

[St8LineGunsmith]

you might want to try a straight edge

or if you have a pair of wing dividers you can make a stitch line with the dividers then follow the line with the groover

you might want to invest in a groover that has a guide bar to follow the edge for a good straight channel.

[drof99]

Thanks gents. I do have a groover with a guide on it. I use this easily when the stitch groove is close to the edge. My issue is when the stitch are not close to an edge. As in a holster where the stitching is not close to edge, where it outlines the firearm itself. I also have a set of wing dividers. I never thought of that but it should work. I want to make sure my grooves line up front to back. The dividers should help me do this. Any other ideas? Hopefully I'm explaining this well enough.

[St8LineGunsmith]

as a good rule of thumb your groove channel should be the distance from the edge the same measurment as the thickness of the two pieces to be sewn together

so if the total thickness of the pieces of leather to be sewn is 1/4" then the center of the stitch groove should be 1/4" from the edge.

[St8LineGunsmith]

ya the wing dividers will help you get the groove straight or as I said you could use a straight edge and use the groover to follow the straight edge.

[St8LineGunsmith]

one other thing i can think of is if you have a pro groover you can make a guide bar as long as you need.

[IngleGunLeather]

I transfer my stitch line (the one closest to the frame and trigger guard) with an awl. I do this by laying my template over the piece of leather and gently poke through my template where i have my stitch line drawn. From there I use a free hand groover. Just take your time and follow your line slowly.

[D Fingers]

Layout the stitching lines on your template, then make a trace of your stitching layout with tracing paper, lay that on the leather then transfer that to leather with stylus.

[Josh Ashman]

I basically do the same as Country noted above, transfer the pattern to the leather for the stitch lines with an awl (the stitch lines away from the edge that you're asking about) but then I just roll it with an overstitch wheel. I like to have the leather cased enough that the wheel imprints pretty well then stitch while it still has a little moisture. I don't think the lack of a groove shows at all. That's how this crossdraw pancake was done.

Good luck,

Josh

[Ed in Tx]

This may sound dumb to some of the professionals but what I have done in an instance like you are describing is use my swivel knife to make a really light cut then I follow it with the free handed groover.

May sound amateur but it works for me, that is all I am concerned about.

Don't know if that helps you but I tried.

Ed