Stitching Without A Horse

[InfiniteChain]

I don't know if this post failed but I swore I already submitted it. Anyway, I'm a very green leatherworker. So green, I haven't even touched my tools yet. Mostly because I haven't had the time. I just bought them a few days ago. I have been taking time during the work day to watch tutorials, research and browse these forums. I've come to find out many (all?) hand-stitching leatherworkers use a horse of some sort. I'm curious if anyone out there hand-stitches without a horse or has some other contraption or clamps they use instead of a horse or completely without. I'd love to hear what people are using for their setup.

Thanks in advance!

[Dwight]

A stitching pony is very easy to make, . . . and it makes a world of difference if you do have to hand stitch something.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Wild Bill46]

Chain

Yes, Dwight is giving you good advise, Making a homemade Pony/Horse is a relitively easy job and very benificial.

And yes I do a portion of my lacing with-out my horse, but usually use it for stitching/saddle stitching. ------------ Wild Bill46

[billybopp]

There are things on occasion that I find easier to hold between my knees when stitching (usually big stuff), but I use a stitching pony most all the time. They aren't hard to make if you have just a modicum of woodworking skill. If you don't have the skills, or perhaps live in an apartment you can find them from Tandy, Springfield Leather, or on ebay for anything from $25 to $2500.

It's a good thing to have!

Bill

[Grey Drakkon]

I can tell you I'm getting/making a stitching horse as soon as I can, because stitching without one is for the birds. Pinning it between my knees sort of works, but it gives me a crick in my back and the leather flexes way too much. Having a clamp of some sort would make it easier for the needles to punch through. I'm also going to hunt down a pricking iron, having an instant stitch spacer like that would be really handy.

[cradom]

Until you can get one get yourself a couple of short one by sixes and a c-clamp. You're still holding it with your knees but it will hold the leather straight.

[tboyce]

Here's a handy thread that will help you make a really serviceable stitching horse for about 30 dollars

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=57903

[johnv474]

For small projects you can use a wooden screw clamp, which you might have in your garage or workshop. If not, using a hardbound book between your knees is better than nothing.

[Dwight]

This is my little pony, . . . it is 18 inches tall, . . . base is about 14 inches long.

It is cut out of one 1 x 4 pine board, . . . about 51 inches long or so (actually was a piece of scrap out in the wood shop, . . . a cutoff from another job).

I lined the jaws with scrap leather, . . . used a cut off 1/4 x 20 piece of all thread (probably also a longer bolt cutoff from the shop), . . . and some nuts.

Bottom hinge is another piece of scrap leather.

Probably took me an hour to make.

It sits on my chair, . . . between my knees, . . . and goes under my workbench or desk when not in use.

May God bless,

Dwight

[InfiniteChain]

This is my little pony, . . . it is 18 inches tall, . . . base is about 14 inches long.

It is cut out of one 1 x 4 pine board, . . . about 51 inches long or so (actually was a piece of scrap out in the wood shop, . . . a cutoff from another job).

I lined the jaws with scrap leather, . . . used a cut off 1/4 x 20 piece of all thread (probably also a longer bolt cutoff from the shop), . . . and some nuts.

Bottom hinge is another piece of scrap leather.

Probably took me an hour to make.

It sits on my chair, . . . between my knees, . . . and goes under my workbench or desk when not in use.

May God bless,

Dwight

Thanks for the description and pictures of your stitching pony! They will be very helpful.

[InfiniteChain]

Bottom hinge is another piece of scrap leather.

Why is the bottom hinge lined with leather? How is it attached to the base? Thanks in advance!

[tboyce]

My guess is that the bottom is lined with leather because he didn't have a hinge handy

[Dwight]

My guess is that the bottom is lined with leather because he didn't have a hinge handy

Right on my friend, . . . the leather is not a lining, . . . it is the hinge, . . . follow the picture, . . . it goes down under all three pieces there, . . . one upright is screwed to the bottom, . . . as well as the spacer, . . . the leather is just tacked onto the 1 x 4 with some little brass brads, . . . acts as a hinge.

In case you haven't figured it out, . . . I am a scrounger, . . . don't always have to have "the thing", . . . I can usually figure some way of making something do, . . . in this case it was the hinge.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited October 23, 2014 by Dwight

[mtbpup]

I have been lurking in this thread. Thanks!.

Here's a handy thread that will help you make a really serviceable stitching horse for about 30 dollars

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=57903

[Dwight]

That's a good one, . . .

BUT, . . . cutting up furniture in my wife's house, . . . ummm, . . . probably not a good idea.

But, . . . the creativity is outstanding,.................A+++++ all the way.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Feraud]

There are plenty of tools we can either do without, make on the cheap, or find an adequate substitute. When it comes to saddle stitching, a horse/pony/clamp is a necessity!

With a bit of scrounging you can literally make one for next to nothing.

Btw, I love the leather hinge!