C.s. Osborne Carriage Handle Pricking Wheels

[Macca]

Well, there are many ways around that

None of which would cost you money on tools you don't need

BTW, I take it you haven't tried a pricking wheel, they are not easy to use well, especially if you are looking for sub mm accuracy !

On thin leather, forget it, they are meant for thick, stuffed leather straps for harnesses etc

On thin leather you will get a lot of distortion/stretching of the leather as you have to apply significant pressure to get a decent mark.

With a little practice you should manage good straight lines with a pricking iron.

Couple of tips to get you going.

prick the layout on graph paper, get it perfect then use that as a template, this is also good for corners

when moving the pricking iron along the leather, overlay the previous strike by 3 marks (most people use 1), 3 will keep the line straighter.

Bit of practice is all you need, not more tools.

[Not Awl Together]

Thank you for the responses,

Macca, I'm unsure whether you were addressing David or myself, in response to your reply I do have and use a set of Osborne pricking irons in 6,7,8 spi. They were not of a ready to use high finish condition when received however, I did put in some considerable time with jewelers files leveling, and sharpening the teeth and side dressing them on a waterwheel to even up the height of the pricks from end to end. They now work considerably better than when received.

I would rather invest time and funds in the pricking wheels I'm after to complete my kit in lieu of spending more funds at the moment on expensive additional irons, I'm trying to set aside the difference in funds for a Keystone splitter/ skiver and a likely a Chase splitter as well. I'm hopeful and optimistic that the wheels I'm looking for will eventually turn up.

Thanks again for your time and responses,

N.A.T.

[DavidL]

I have been doing all those things with the exception of the graph paper which I will try ( I have trouble with the stitching looking symmetrical to the other side for the corners, nothing major though). I plan to use the wheel w/ edge guide on wicket and craig vegtan (i hear its softer than HO, but its still hard since its vegtan)

Does it react similarly to an overstitch wheel? I can always proper impressions with an overstitch on vegtan. W/ the edge guard on the tool it will act like a scratch compass w/ an overstitch type impression on the leather? All I need from the pricking wheel with edge guide is for a slight indentation so the pricking iron will fall into the groove.

you just need to practice to get better at straight lines with the pricking iron.

you are scribing a light stitch line with a compass or dividers (or straight edge) to follow with your pricking iron, right?

Thats what I'm doing and I haven't seen much improvement even though I got a good set up going. I scribe a line 3mm away from the edge w/ a scratch compass and use a dixon 7 SPI (big teeth compared to vergez blanchard). I press slightly on the line so I can see a slight impression in the leather and then if it looks straight I put the iron over the impression and hit. For the next stitch I place 3 teeth overlapping from the previous stitch and repeat.

Looking at the finished product I can see areas where the teeth run 1mm left. The next hit with the hammer I hit it a mm right, that creates a crooked line ever so slightly.

In theory I believe it should work for me if I take a pricking wheel w/ an edge guide so that it will create a perfectly straight teeth impression. Hit the front with a regular iron on the impression. Next use the pricking wheel w/ edge guide on the backside w/ an inverse wheel and prick with a inverse pricking iron. It would also fix the backside problem of my stitches having minimal angle.

Wont know how well it will work till I test out

A. The pricking wheel ease of use.

B. how the stitches will look with an inverse pricking iron the backside.

[Macca]

Thank you for the responses,

Macca, I'm unsure whether you were addressing David or myself, in response to your reply I do have and use a set of Osborne pricking irons in 6,7,8 spi. They were not of a ready to use high finish condition when received however, I did put in some considerable time with jewelers files leveling, and sharpening the teeth and side dressing them on a waterwheel to even up the height of the pricks from end to end. They now work considerably better than when received.

I would rather invest time and funds in the pricking wheels I'm after to complete my kit in lieu of spending more funds at the moment on expensive additional irons, I'm trying to set aside the difference in funds for a Keystone splitter/ skiver and a likely a Chase splitter as well. I'm hopeful and optimistic that the wheels I'm looking for will eventually turn up.

Thanks again for your time and responses,

N.A.T.

Sorry, my reply was aimed at David

The Osbornes don't come up too often, but good luck in your search !

@ David, seriously, just put the practice in ! No point trying to work around poor technique

Edited May 13, 2014 by Macca

[DavidL]

Thank you for the responses,

Macca, I'm unsure whether you were addressing David or myself, in response to your reply I do have and use a set of Osborne pricking irons in 6,7,8 spi. They were not of a ready to use high finish condition when received however, I did put in some considerable time with jewelers files leveling, and sharpening the teeth and side dressing them on a waterwheel to even up the height of the pricks from end to end. They now work considerably better than when received.

I would rather invest time and funds in the pricking wheels I'm after to complete my kit in lieu of spending more funds at the moment on expensive additional irons, I'm trying to set aside the difference in funds for a Keystone splitter/ skiver and a likely a Chase splitter as well. I'm hopeful and optimistic that the wheels I'm looking for will eventually turn up.

Thanks again for your time and responses,

N.A.T.

I sorta highjacked your thread Not Awl Together, I couldn't help myself...

How are the impression on regular veg tan like wicket and craig or HO?

[Macca]

In theory I believe it should work for me if I take a pricking wheel w/ an edge guide so that it will create a perfectly straight teeth impression. Hit the front with a regular iron on the impression. Next use the pricking wheel w/ edge guide on the backside w/ an inverse wheel and prick with a inverse pricking iron. It would also fix the backside problem of my stitches having minimal angle.

Just noticed this part... errr....

NO !

[DavidL]

It may not be the traditional way, but I don't think I can get the accuracy down to get the teeth that are 3mm wide and balance 1.5mm on one side and 1.5mm on the other side. No matter how straight I put down the iron I will always get it to run uneven.

On my 9 spi vergez iron the teeth are tiny and I can control it a lot easier, with less mistakes. Still I have the issue of the backstitches that lay nearly flat and not angled like in Nigel armitage's videos. I can't pin point where the problem is which is whats bothering me.

It could be the leathers too soft and the hole closes up quickly.

my awl is too slim so the hole is more round than diamond on the backstitch.

[Macca]

don't try & get it centred on a scribe line

Put a very fine line down & line up the teeth on the edge of the scribe line

[LTC]

Nigel says to straddle the scribed stitch line, but ok.

also, David...check out your work area. it may help if you are physically closer to your work (i.e. reduce the distance between your head and your bench)...it should help you be able to see better.

some folks even wear reading glasses or jeweler's magnifier to be able to see better. once you can see your work more closely, you may find it easier to straddle that stitch line.

just some ideas...

Edited May 13, 2014 by LTC

[DavidL]

Thats a good ideas that I will try. Especially reading glasses and to line the teeth on the edge. That makes it so much easier. Backside still doesn't have an angle on my work. Another member says he used an inverse iron and it worked well to create an backside angle.

Correct me if I'm wrong the reason the front looks better than the back is because it is hit by the iron and creates a permanent impression and the awl impression is better from the front side. I find when I hit the iron, then use the awl to pierce the front where the impression are set the front side looks exactly the same as before. So if I used a inverse pricking iron on the backside then when I pierce through, the front and back will look the same, along with the angle the thread lays?

My awl is also very slim 30mm and I'm using it at 7 SPI, 56mm is too large. What size is the standard for 7SPI?

Edited May 13, 2014 by DavidL