Sewing Rounded Corners. Help!

[austinb]

So Ive looked through the forums and can't quite find the answer I'm looking for.

I just recently got a tandy corner punch (https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/3780-00.aspx) and am trying to get some things worked out.

I will cut out the pieces from my template (for a passport wallet), and they all match up well. I then once the pieces have been glued together, I go to punch the corners. They come out better than trying to cut the corners by hand, but still not perfect. Any tips on this?

Also, when stitching this Im also having trouble. I originally would mark my stitching line with wing dividers, then go over the line with an overstitch wheel to mark the stitches. I then would punch the holes with a 4 prong diamond chisel (https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/88045-04.aspx).

After doing some research I realized I was sort of combining methods. The overstitch wheel should be used with an awl and a stitching groover.

Seeing as how I want to use the 4 prong chisel for more time efficiency, I needed to stick with the wing dividers.

However, when marking the line on the leather with the dividers, any time I would get to a rounded corner it would look terrible. The line wouldn't be consistently round and the consistency of spacing would be off.

I want to get perfectly rounded corners, and perfect stitching that matches the corners.

ANY help at all would be great, and pleas be as detailed as possible! Thanks!

[Matt T]

I think those tandy prongs are for lacing, or really thick thread. The dividers with regular pricking irons would work just fine, but you need to have more than one iron; one that has many teeth for the straight runs, and one that has two teeth for the corners and bends.

[austinb]

I had watched an Ian Atkinson video in which he explains those chisels are good for punching through leather for stitching. I have a 4 tooth chisel, and a single chisel, and planning on getting one with two teeth.

Any suggestions on getting better rounded corners, and getting the line from the wing dividers perfectly rounded on the corners?

[OurJud]

Maybe leather shears/scissors are the answer? I think once you get the corner cut perfectly, your wing dividers will follow the contour properly and give you the stitching line you desire.

[austinb]

I think with the corner round punch I should be able to get them. One of the things I was thinking about is that my template has round corners on it, so I tried punch the corners then cutting the rest of the leather out. It may be good I'm thinking to get everything out square, then punch the corners so its more consistent.

Either way, I seem to be having trouble with my wing dividers getting them to stay consistent around the corners

[Nuttish]

I would get your pieces mostly dimensioned except what you'll sand or pare off after you've finished stitching, if you even do that. Then mark your stitch lines with wing dividers. Not sure what kind of leather and what style of passport wallet you're making, but know that stitch groovers are not necessarily appropriate for all work. You'll never see one used on high end European leather goods.

In any event, those chisels aren't for what you're trying to do.

Nigel Armitage has a Youtube tutorial on using wider pricking irons to mark curves. His strategy works quite well. If I recall correctly, he also gives a demonstration of using an overstitch wheel to mark curves. He's exceptionally good at holding his diamond stitching awl at the proper angle, so him using an overstitch wheel, which does not make a diagonal mark, is ok for him. I can't get such consistently good results even though the diagonal mark is really only a reminder that the the flat side of the awl tells you whether your angle is correct.

There's obviously no problem if you're using a round awl.

If you are using a diamond awl and you don't feel comfortable using a pricking iron, your next best bet is an old pricking wheel. Nobody makes them anymore, but you can get a reasonably priced one from Bruce Johnson. Pricking wheels make marks as you roll them over your piece, but they are a small diamond shape that presents the same angle you'd hold your awl at using a pricking iron rather than a rounded depression from an overstitch wheel that tells you nothing about what angle you should be opening your holes at.

Re: wing dividers around corners, I feel your pain. Even if you're finishing your edges, you still need to get fairly good smooth ones so your wing dividers make consistently parallel marks. With practice, corners aren't any different than straight lines. It helps to rotate your piece as you go around so that you're not suddenly holding your tool at a wonky angle.

Re: order of operations, I'd make whatever pieces I need to be perfectly square and then punch off my corners. I frankly think corner punches such and that Nigel Armitage is entirely correct that a coin or washer and a sharp knife nibbling off tiny tangent (seriously, that's what the geometry is) slices is quicker and works better. It allows you to take a straight edge to align your circular template to each side of the corner - you can't do that with a punch since it's already on the outside of the curve you want, where the circular template is on the inside.

Man I just wrote a lot.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Nuttish

[austinb]

Gotcha. So I need to abandon the chisel and use an awl. Anyone have any links to a good one? I have a wholesale account at Tandy so preferably one I could get from there that would do the job. Also where could I get pricking irons from thats not going to break my wallet? Down the line I will be investing in the best tools I can get, however Im not trying to break the bank with money I don't have!

Also just for reference, Im not using a groover as Im using Horween Chromexcel for this wallet.

Nuttish can you post a link to that Nigel Armitage video? Thanks!

Edited March 4, 2014 by austinb

[OurJud]

I think if I was marking the stitch line on a corner, I'd just do it free hand with a scratch awl. It can't be that difficult to trace a parallel line around a corner, can it?

Edited March 4, 2014 by OurJud