John James needles and 5 or 6 spi for holster,

[bcraig]

I went to ebay and looked at some John James harness Needles size 2 -002 and looked at the 1,2,and 3 and they all give the same dimensions.
Are they all the same ?
And what is the largest diameter waxed linen thread that can be threaded through the eye of the # 2 needle?
Where can I get a decent and inexpensive overstitch wheel,do you prefer a fixed size or interchangeable wheels ?
Same thing for a groover ?

Thanks
 

[Steve75]

Do not know much about thread and needles.  As to overstitch wheels and grovers, I can comment.  I would stick with a fixed overstitch wheel, either 5 or 6 stitches per inch.  Tandy makes overstitch wheels and groovers which will not break the bank, though you may find yourself wanting better performance in your tools if this is to be a hobby you stay with.  

[toxo]

On 9/25/2019 at 2:50 AM, bcraig said:

I went to ebay and looked at some John James harness Needles size 2 -002 and looked at the 1,2,and 3 and they all give the same dimensions.
Are they all the same ?
And what is the largest diameter waxed linen thread that can be threaded through the eye of the # 2 needle?
Where can I get a decent and inexpensive overstitch wheel,do you prefer a fixed size or interchangeable wheels ?
Same thing for a groover ?

Thanks
 

I know 02, 002, and 2 are all the same cos I emailed them a while back. Not sure of the biggest in a #2. I've used 1.2mm waxed thread in mine. I recently bought some #1s and 1mm goes through those ok. even the 1.2mm went through but that was flat.

[wizard of tragacanth]

I use Tandy needles, not familiar with JJ needles but be sure, which ever you get, that they have rounded points, not sharp points! BTW, if you plan to use stitching chisels, you do not need an over-stitch wheel. If you plan to make smaller or more elegant projects than a holster, you may use 8, 9 or 10 spi. For holsters you can probably get by with 6 spi forever. 1mm thread size would be a good start and then you can decide if you want to go up or down from there.

nick

Edited October 24, 2019 by wizard of tragacanth

[wizard of tragacanth]

Oh, on the groover. The Tandy Pro Stitching Groover Set is good for $17. You can use a guide for grooving and it has a spoon for creasing. You can remove the guide for freehand use. It is a versatile setup.

It is a little bit more fiddly than having two separate tools, if you are constantly changing back and forth between grooving and creasing. Two tools may be better in that case.

nick

Edited October 24, 2019 by wizard of tragacanth