Small holes for sewing

[JamesRiley]

Newbee here.  I'm putting small .22 caliber cartridge loops on a gun belt.  I have limited tools and don't feel like a trip to town.  My loop leather is 1/2" wide.  My single prong is too wide (I can only get two holes across the width), and my smallest hole punch looks too big (thread would only take up a little bit of the round holes).  I'm thinking of just using a finish nail to make the holes for the needle.  Any reason why I should not?  Thanks.

[Sheilajeanne]

Al Stohlman made many of his first leather working tools out of nails. So, you are following a time-honoured tradition here, and there is absolutely NO reason this shouldn't work!

Maybe you can figure out some way to attach the nail to a handle, to save your fingers from having to manipulate something so small.

For the future though, awls are cheap, and a great way to punch holes in small spaces.

Edited February 18, 2021 by Sheilajeanne

[JamesRiley]

50 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

Al Stohlman made many of his first leather working tools out of nails. So, you are following a time-honoured tradition here, and there is absolutely NO reason this shouldn't work!

Maybe you can figure out some way to attach the nail to a handle, to save your fingers from having to manipulate something so small.

For the future though, awls are cheap, and a great way to punch holes in small spaces.

Thanks, Sheilajeanne.  When you mentioned awls, it brought to mind my wife's ice pick.  I have to put a sharper point on it, but I'll give that a try.

[Sheilajeanne]

That certainly would work, too, and would be easier on the hands!

[Dwight]

4 hours ago, JamesRiley said:

Newbee here.  I'm putting small .22 caliber cartridge loops on a gun belt.  I have limited tools and don't feel like a trip to town.  My loop leather is 1/2" wide.  My single prong is too wide (I can only get two holes across the width), and my smallest hole punch looks too big (thread would only take up a little bit of the round holes).  I'm thinking of just using a finish nail to make the holes for the needle.  Any reason why I should not?  Thanks.

Well . . .  james . . . first off . . . don't do what you are talking about.  THE way to do cartridge belts is to weave them . . . not sew or stitch them.

Others on here will disagree . . . but a sewn loop will one day become a loop that the bullet either falls thru completely . . . or falls out of while you are walking down the road . . . in my opinion.

The pictures tell the way to do these . . . basically you punch a hole in the belt . . . weave the leather loop thru the hole . . . then back thru that same hole . . .leaving a loop of leather on the outside to hold the cartridge.  All you do is rivet both ends . . . no sewing at all.

May God bless,

Dwight

 

[Samalan]

John Bianchi gun leather comes to mind he sews them not sure how many he's made but I'll bet it's in the thousands ? I sew them to haven't had any bullets fall out of mine yet all that hole punching and weaving seams a bit bulky but people do have different opinions.

[Dwight]

Here is an example of the weaving . . . 

Very little bulk . . . and even when the leather of the belt stretches (as all leather does over time) . . . the loops don't have anything to pull them wider as is possible with the sewn on loops.

Plus . . . I only have a Tippmann Boss sewing machine . . . I can weave one of these belts in about half the time it takes to sew it . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[Samalan]

2 hours ago, Dwight said:

Here is an example of the weaving . . . 

Very little bulk . . . and even when the leather of the belt stretches (as all leather does over time) . . . the loops don't have anything to pull them wider as is possible with the sewn on loops.

Plus . . . I only have a Tippmann Boss sewing machine . . . I can weave one of these belts in about half the time it takes to sew it . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

Time is money but besides all that what a nice looking belt I really like the contrasting leather nice belt Dwight.

[JamesRiley]

17 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

That certainly would work, too, and would be easier on the hands!

Thanks, Folks.  The weaving looks a whole lot easier, and that's a mighty fine looking belt.  I think I will give that a shot next time.  Right now, I'm part way down the road with the stitching so I'll follow that through.  I've got a .45 belt I've had (and road with) for about 40 years and it's still holding rounds.  I do like the look of sinew stitching, but it is a labor.  .22 even more so!  LOL! 

[Sheilajeanne]

Dwight makes gun belts - I don't - so I'd listen to him! 

[JamesRiley]

Dwight may be on to something.  Though my problems would apply to any stitching job, so I will be looking into large blunt tip egg-eye harness needles size 4 or 5 (per a board post in the stitching section here), a better awl, one of those palm protectors, and a stitching horse.  But first, I'm going to whine here in case someone wants to shed some light or tell me what to buy when I head into town on Tuesday.  I got 30 cartridge loops out of 40 done.  However, I broke four or five needles and broke the thread about ten times.  I'm using the fake sinew stuff and it's pretty thick and strong, but not tough enough.  I think the interior of the needle eyes may not be very smooth or rounded and they're wearing the thread.  Also, my holes were punched through but they are tight and "heal up".  I have to use plyers to pull the needle through.  The loops look good and they are tight, but damn it's a pain.  End rant.

[fredk]

Two suggestions;

1. get a bit of dowel, drill a small hole in one end, push the square-ish shank of a large size sewing machine needle into the hole. you have one pokey-hole tool.

2 one of these might work for you;

 

and a cork block to push the pokey or needle into as it goes through the leather. you can get one for about a $ or two in a hardware store, as a 'sanding' block. keep to the large size or simply cut it down to a handy size for use