Stitching Pony Design

[Spyros]

Also, IMO don't worry about "recommended", there's really no such thing.  Make the tool that suits you.  

[Munday]

I like the designs by Spyros (nice wood too).  I wanted to make a quick release but I hadn't worked out how I wanted to do it.  I'll have to use the stitching pony to see how it really works.  I plan on replacing the T handle (it was what I had when I test fitted the parts). 

[fredk]

I like magnets on mine. Somewhere for the needles to hang whilst I move the project in the jaws or just when I want to have a break from sewing. Also, a handy place to hang the awl, spare needles, if required. Never had thread hang up on them

[dikman]

Mine is not as classy, being made from whatever wood was handy, but it works for me. It' swivels on the base so it can be angled and I can put my feet on the base when seated to hold it steady.

[mike02130]

You're going to catch the thread on the handle.  Being a woodworker you know that a cord or air hose is always going to get caught on something.  If you're going to sew bags or large items then you'll need a clamping bolt lower.  I like the jaws to be sharp at the top where they meet.  When adding leather it will round them over more.  Your jaws are pretty rounded making the clamping point lower than the top.   I take a lot of breaks and I would put a magnet on the jaws somewhere.  If you want to be trick, get a round magnet, bore a hole slightly deeper than the magnet.  Glue it in then glue a thin wood plug over it and sand it flush.

[Spyros]

3 hours ago, dikman said:

Mine is not as classy, being made from whatever wood was handy, but it works for me. It' swivels on the base so it can be angled and I can put my feet on the base when seated to hold it steady.

Very nice!  I'm still undecided if I should add a base or not on mine, for the time being I kinda like it that I can tilt it in any direction between my knees, and it stands up on it's own anyway.

The timber on mine is literally the cheapest I could find, a $20 "mixed hardwood" sleeper from Bunnings.  It's kind of a secret between woodworkers in Australia, if the "mixed hardwood" is cypress it's usually really pretty inside, some guys have built whole decks out of old fence posts and garden sleepers.  Tassie oak is about 30 times more expensive, and pretty boring visually.

I know I'm taking some chances with the wood, it has a couple of hairline cracks and it's not kiln dried obviously.   Long term it might end up developing a twist or a bow as it dries and I may or may not be able to adjust it.  But I've been lucky before and it's a quick project anyway, worse case I'll lust make another one. 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Spyros

[Klara]

This is mine. Not beautiful, but it does the job, didn't cost me anything and was made very quickly. You see what I meant by putting a strip of leather over the handle...

[toxo]

You beat me to it Klara. I like Dikmans one but I was going to suggest making the cam lock wider and incorporating a piece of bungee similar to yours to stop the snagging.

[Munday]

18 hours ago, dikman said:

Mine is not as classy, being made from whatever wood was handy, but it works for me. It' swivels on the base so it can be angled and I can put my feet on the base when seated to hold it steady.

The toggle looks like it is made of wood, did you make that?

 

[dikman]

Yep, another piece of scrap, the pivot is a piece of steel rod with a hole drilled and tapped and the hole in the toggle is offset so it acts as a cam. It can be adjusted for the leather thickness by rotating around the screw thread. And yes, it does catch the thread!! The whole thing was made in a hurry. I'd like to build a much nicer looking one but since I bought a 441 machine it doesn't get used much.