Stitching Pony Design

[Handstitched]

I have a ' traditional' saddlers clamp about  gazillion years old, , plus a few small home made ponies ,  but nothing as fancy as yours , just the regular ' T' shaped jobs, with a bolt & wing nut, but they all do the job just fine.   . I just put a few pieces of scrap split pieces on the jaws. But I really must change them every so often as they do get a bit dirty over time, wax etc. don't want that spoiling anything.

But I do love the fine examples shown on here, I quite like them  

HS

[Klara]

Incidentally, my design hit its limits yesterday, when I wanted to sew a bag. The bolt is too high up and the inserts for the jaws are much too big.

I'll try making a new French style clam (already have one, but the jaws don't close straight)...

[Spyros]

21 hours ago, Handstitched said:

I have a ' traditional' saddlers clamp about  gazillion years old, , plus a few small home made ponies ,  but nothing as fancy as yours , just the regular ' T' shaped jobs, with a bolt & wing nut, but they all do the job just fine.   . I just put a few pieces of scrap split pieces on the jaws. But I really must change them every so often as they do get a bit dirty over time, wax etc. don't want that spoiling anything.

But I do love the fine examples shown on here, I quite like them  

HS

Only tried this style clamp once, it felt like trying to stitch while wrestling a crocodile LOL

Other people love them though so I guess it's one of those things you have to try before you buy (or make). 

[plinkercases]

Springs to open are a help to me and the less stuff sticking out to catch the thread loops the better. Nothing more frustrating then getting in t a good rhythm and snagging a wheel or clamp or bolt head or....

Here is mine, the base sites under my thighs when in a stool near the bench or the "tab" slip into a slot in a chair I modified if I want to sit in it for back relief OR the base can be clamped to the bench or work table - jaws swivel on base. spring opener with ratchet strap tensioner. ratchet it down at the lowest it can go and even that catches occasionally and I still mean to put a flap over it some day.

Made from oak flooring boards in a rush as a prototype and never felt the need to do another.

[Handstitched]

23 hours ago, Spyros said:

Only tried this style clamp once, it felt like trying to stitch while wrestling a crocodile LOL

It did take some getting use to, but I use it a lot mainly on large or awkward stitching jobs. I got it at a  farm clearing auction /sale not far from me ,( love those) . I'd like to make a slotted  block/foot thingy  for the narrow bit down the bottom to sit in as it does slide about sometimes, apart from that , it works fine. I gave it a good clean up as it was covered in a gazillion years of gunk   

@plinkercases thats a great example . I hear ya about the thread getting caught. Thats one good thing about my saddlers clamp, the thread doesn't get caught.

[Klara]

5 hours ago, Handstitched said:

...

@plinkercases thats a great example . I hear ya about the thread getting caught. Thats one good thing about my saddlers clamp, the thread doesn't get caught.

Which is probably the reason for the design. Sadly I'd need skills and wood I don't have to make one. The traditional French style also is smooth so the thread won't snag, and easier to copy in a home workshop.

[fredk]

Well, seeing as we are doing a 'show and tell', here are my stitching clamps thingies

#1, the first one I made over 20 years ago, still used occasionally.

#2, as #1 is a bit tall I bought a cheap smaller one, cost under £10. I added magnets, changed the foot board and made it swivel-able. The spanner for the wing nut which locks the swivelling is held by a magnet on the inside.

Maybe some day I'll add the springs I bought specially for these and maybe do other improvements. In the meantime some leather is calling me to cut and fashion it. . . . . .

[Handstitched]

@Klara My wood working skills are , well...... crap. In woodworking class in high school   way back when I was a wee lad, I nearly cut my thumb off.  I think the universe was trying to tell me something  

@fredk The top one is like my ponies that I still use. I have 3 sizes with different size jaws. One I bought when I started leather, the others I made with a few off cuts of wood. 

HS

[Klara]

4 hours ago, Handstitched said:

@Klara My wood working skills are , well...... crap. In woodworking class in high school   way back when I was a wee lad, I nearly cut my thumb off.  I think the universe was trying to tell me something  

....

But you were lucky enough to find a saddlers clam. I can't even find farm clearing auctions

[fredk]

7 hours ago, Handstitched said:

My wood working skills are , well...... crap. In woodworking class in high school   way back when I was a wee lad, I nearly cut my thumb off.  

I was told to leave and never return to the woodwork class because I was so bad, which embarrassed my father no end as he was a fully qualified cabinet maker