Jig for my pricking irons

[JamesR]

Made this jig to aid in using my Crimson Hides pricking irons. It is a plywood platform with an aluminum angle edge. I use the edge as a stop for my leather pieces to be worked on. It has a thick leather backing piece which the workpiece rests on. It also has a Poly guide strip which fits over the aluminum stop and presses down on the leather piece. The guide strip is grooved for two different stitch spacings to the edge of the work. With the work against the stop, the guide piece presses down on the work and provides an edge to align my iron vertically. The guide also keeps the stitch holes evenly spaced along the edge of leather. I can punch the grain side of one piece  and then the flesh side of it's mating piece and my edges stay very closely aligned. This also keeps the angle of the holes parallel to each other which is not possible when the holes are punched from the grain side on both. If the leather is not too thick I can also punch through both pieces at the same time.  This jig keeps long stitchlines quite straight. Also these Crimson Hide irons are very fine tools.

[billybopp]

That's a very clever idea!  I like it!

- Bill

[Tugadude]

I like it!

[Scoutmom103]

I also like it.   Would you mind sharing how you made it? 

[RockyAussie]

Well done and thank you for sharing with us all.

[Allotment17]

Very clever idea.

 

[JamesR]

Thank you all for the kind words.  

Scoutmom103    I used a piece of plywood and screwed an aluminum angle to the bottom of one side. The aluminum angle is 1/8" thick metal with 1 1/2" legs. One of the legs sticks up to form a stop for the leather.  I then used a piece of UHMW poly board. (Similar to cutting board material which could also be used) I cut two grooves (1/8" saw kerfs). The grooves provide the spacing from the edge of the leather for the stitch line. I used two different spacing for thin or thicker leather. The poly board provides an edge for the iron to press up against when using the iron. I use a 10 OZ leather backing piece under my work which can be changed as required. The metal angle is 1/8" thick which is also the thickness of most table saw blades. This makes cutting the grooves easy. Here is a better photo of the bottom showing the support blocks. I hope this helps.

[HeatherAthebyne]

Great idea! I've wanted to design one of those for a while now. My Kyoshin-Elle chisels have round handles, so that complicates things a bit I love how the poly board presses down on the work. It sounds like that helps a lot to counteract the chisel sticking in the work.

[Scoutmom103]

Thank you for sharing info regarding how you made it.

[JamesR]

HeatherAthebyne,

The poly does press down and holds the work quite well. Although the chisels do get stuck sometimes. 

Scoutmom103,

You are welcome.