Troubleshooting Turn Shoes

[blueblade3000]

I'm working on my first leather project, a pair of Jorvik turnshoes. I found a few tutorials online and feel like I understand the technique, but I ran into an issue with execution.

I'm trying what one tutorial refers to as an "edge-flesh" stitch, stitching through the flesh side and coming out of the edge at an angle. This is with veg tan sole bend from Tandy Leather. The problem is that the sole bend is tearing very easily, sort of separating and losing its integrity. 

I think one problem might be that my stitch holes are too close together at about 1/8 of an inch. But even after punching the awl through the first hole, I could see the problem. What am I doing wrong or what can remedy this? Should I wet or oil the leather? 

Edited October 13, 2018 by blueblade3000

[kiwican]

Pics are always useful when trying to trouble shoot a problem!

[fredk]

a. your leather is too soft

b. the leather is too thin for your thread and stitches. Thread and hole should be no more that 1/4 thickness of the leather for going via the edge

[Matt S]

I've never made shoes but soling bend that tears? That doesnt sound like the soling leather I've handled or used. I suspect either the leather is substandard or you're pounding a very blunt awl through the stuff.

[blueblade3000]

I can't upload a picture right now as I'd have to reduce the quality due to permissions, and I don't know how to do that on my phone. 

The leather is 1/4 inch thick, but one of the needles I'm using has a "spoon shaped" flat section that's over 1/16. I suspect that's my mistake. 

As far as sole bend tearing, on a test piece, if I pierce through, it pretty easily tears if I try. A little twist of the awl will do it. Is that abnormal? 

[fredk]

55 minutes ago, blueblade3000 said:

I can't upload a picture right now as I'd have to reduce the quality due to permissions, and I don't know how to do that on my phone.

Some one else found if they emailed the photo to themselves the phone reduced the photo size

55 minutes ago, blueblade3000 said:

The leather is 1/4 inch thick, but one of the needles I'm using has a "spoon shaped" flat section that's over 1/16. I suspect that's my mistake.

I never did grain - edge on shoes, only on knife sheaths. I used a thin parallel sided diamond section curved awl to make the holes and a thin curved saddlers needle to sew

55 minutes ago, blueblade3000 said:

As far as sole bend tearing, on a test piece, if I pierce through, it pretty easily tears if I try. A little twist of the awl will do it. Is that abnormal? 

yes, its far too soft, a little twist of the awl should make the leather bend round, not split

 

[Aven]

Blueblade, using an awl to make your holes first may help.  You need to use a curved awl.  Start about 3/8 back from the edge.  Start the hole go in about a third and kinda pivot the awl so it slides along the blade curve and aim to come out about 2/3rds down from the top edge.  It's easier to do the holes before hand.

 

This is a picture of a curved awl that Jason Horvatter from Laughing Crowe sells.  Jason also teaches shoe making.  One of the styles he teaches is a turnshoe.  If you can't get to one of his classes, check out the turnshoe video he did.  Well worth the price.

 

Edited October 13, 2018 by Aven

[blueblade3000]

https://imgur.com/a/jHI0Nj0

The picture with the tear-through is the test piece I intentionally tore.

How close together should my stitch holes be? 

[blueblade3000]

The sole itself did not tear through, but it seems to want to separate like flaky pastry. And I think a couple of the holes joined together as the thread "cut" through, but I couldn't tell for sure. 

[Aven]

That sole leather looks thick, but not compressed like it should for a sole bend.  I'm seeing some shallow holes.  It's easy to go too shallow and rip through.

My stitches are spaced about 3/8" apart.