Boriqua Report post Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) I have been pining for one of those stitching horses with the bench that you straddle for YEARS! They aint cheap though so it hasnt happened even though weaver does seem to have one for around $200 I think. I was going to build one from the instructions in the "art of sewing" but ... alas ... the wife and I moved into a smallish mobile home in a retirement community last year and I really dont have the space for a piece of furniture. I may still build one but leave it out on the porch where I do all my sewing except for summer anyway. In the mean time I needed something better than what I was using. I used this for the last few years It was fine but sometime during the last few years ... ahemm .. my belly has grown! Didnt see it coming ... dont know how it happened but there you have it, and the pieces I was sewing were getting closer and closer!! So I wanted to make a floor model that would allow me to shift it around more based on what I am working on. I wanted a fair sized opening so when I am working on bags I had some room in between the uprights and I wanted the clamping part of the jaws to be fairly narrow so I could say pinch at a gusset and still have the bag contained between the uprights. So I made one. Its made of 4" x 3/4" birch and then stained with Polyseal "mombay mahogany". Now having used polyseal I will never use it again but it came out alright I guess. It is 33 inches to the top of the jaws, the space between the legs is 3 inches and the clamping part of the jaws is 1.5 inches. The 5/16" carriage bolt is 16" down from the top giving plenty of room. I had an old recoil spring that was kind of shot out from a full size 1911 I have and put that in and it fits over the carriage bolt perfectly and gives just the right amount of tension. I don’t have any power tools except for a drill so you can certainly do it with patience and a hand saw. It looks like furniture, well furniture to leatherworkers, so the wife doesnt mind it being in the living room which is nice but she isnt much of a complainer anyway. Lucky me. I may make a couple and see if they move on ebay but if I do I am buying a chop saw. Anyway .. good luck making your own and I hope it inspires you to do so!! Edited November 10, 2015 by Boriqua Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King's X Report post Posted November 10, 2015 Congratulations! Beautiful color. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted November 10, 2015 Too bad your retirement park doesn't have a woodshop. My inlaws winter in Harlingen, TX and for a small fee you can use a wide array of tools in their woodshop. Great job on the pony! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LumpenDoodle2 Report post Posted November 11, 2015 My husband has just made me a floor standing stitching pony. It's a lot more useful than my old one, but not as nice looking as yours. The area I call my workspace is tiny, so the floor standing version is ideal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
veedub3 Report post Posted November 11, 2015 Very nice, I made a floor stitching pony last week. I am farsighted, and when I use the one that you sit on, I can't see a lick, it's just too close (even with my glasses on), and if I make it shorter, then I can't get larger pieces clamped in it. So I made one that is the perfect distance for me to see when sitting in my comfy sewing chair, and it has several adjustment holes to accommodate the large and the small pieces. Mine is 32" high and made from scraps I had lying around in the garage. Again very nice job on the stitching pony. Karina Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boriqua Report post Posted November 11, 2015 I had never seen a floor standing one until I started floating around here! I have already used mine a couple of times and am Soooooo very happy with it. I can pull it in close turn it sideways ... I am happy ... now I have to work on that comfy sewing chair Karina mentioned and I am golden! In my previous life I designed and produced large scale displays and exhibits for events, trade shows and museums ... if I could change one stupid thing about my new treasure it would be that damned silver colored carriage bolt. It makes me nuts. Will have to put my thinking cap on for the next one. Hmmm fabric cover over the whole spring assembly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tugadude Report post Posted November 13, 2015 Boriqua, how about taking the bolt out entirely and using a spring clamp? Not an elegant solution but quick and easy. I've seen Ian Atkinson do this and it seems eminently practical. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silverwingit Report post Posted November 17, 2015 Those are fine looking ponies, folks. IMHO, Ian's spring clamp is ugly, inconvenient and would be a bear for catching threads. A better idea, methinks, is a cam clamp like this. http://www.rockler.com/cam-clamp I saw this idea on this forum and it greatly enhanced the utility and ease of use of my own homemade stitching pony (and a hearty thank you to forum member Chuck Burrows of Wild Rose Trading Co. http://www.wrtcleather.com/ for the original plans everybody seems to be using). These cam clamps are inexpensive, easy to install without modifying what you already have and they adjust with a twist. Best of all, it will cure the frustration of having your threads catch on your tightening mechanism. And, Keep On Stitchin'! Michelle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boriqua Report post Posted November 18, 2015 That may be the answer there Michelle. I saw a pony on ebay from China that use a similar system and I thought they were just using a quick release from a bicycle wheel. I looked into that but the shaft is pretty thin on those so I abandoned it. I went to the rockler link you posted and they have that cam for a 5/16 18 bolt which is what I am using so I can just cut down my screw and use one of those. Thanks for the link! For others making there own ... I really love the flexibility the narrow clamp and wide space give me. The pic below is of a wallet I just finished. When you glue the interior to the exterior it is bent since the interior is shorter than the exterior. It was nice to be able to firmly clamp it at the stitching area but still leave plenty room for the bend to be bent. Plenty of clams like this so I didnt invent anything new .. just pointing it out for those gathering lumber and plans Alex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
byggyns Report post Posted November 18, 2015 An idea to get rid of the annoying silver color is to do an oil blue on the bolt. Use a propane torch to heat the bolt to a nice bluish color & submerge it in some used motor oil (you can use new oil if you want, but it has little effect on the result). I would recommend using a metal can, not a plastic container for this. The oil can have a flash fire if you heat the bolt too hot, so do this outside away from flammables. If you get a flash fire, just cover the can with a metal plate & it will smother quickly. It also stinks- fire or no-, so inside isn't where you want it to happen. After the bolt cools, you should end up with a nice blue/black finish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LumpenDoodle2 Report post Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) Here's a picture of the one the hubby made for me. Basic, but it does the job. Apologies, but it seems to have gone a bit sideways. Edited November 18, 2015 by LumpenDoodle2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faridz Muhammad Report post Posted November 18, 2015 Thats nice! I've been wanted to put a little pillowing on the lower feet where they meet the tight, makes stitching more comfortable in my opinion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boriqua Report post Posted November 18, 2015 I hadnt thought of that byggyns. I have a gun in pieces that I am about to blue. I could just include the carriage bolt with the lot when I finally set to doing it. Lumpendoodle ... Yours comes with something I couldnt build in ... awesome karma!! Your hubby went and took time out of his life to make it for you .. doesnt get a whole lot better than that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LumpenDoodle2 Report post Posted November 18, 2015 He has his uses, and he even sometimes listens to me. :-() Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kwalk20 Report post Posted December 14, 2015 It looks good! I love the color! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
