Hand Sewing Leather - Part Four - Stitching Pony

In the last post, I told you that I would try to get photos or plans for a stitching pony posted sometime soon. Well, I went to one of the local home supply stores here in the area this morning and picked up one eight-foot long board, a three-inch carriage bolt, and a package of two wing nuts because they did not have them singly. I also used thirteen torx head decking screws that I had on hand. If you are not familiar with that type of screw, the head is more like a star and they are a lot easier to put into the wood. I like to use those screws because I do not have as many problems with the heads stripping out like the Philips head do.

In all, I probably did not spend much over two hours total in purchasing the materials and putting the pony together. This project is pretty quick and easy, even if you do not have a saw or drill. I did not go to any great lengths to show you what the finished stitching pony would look like but I will try to describe what will be needed to finish yours if you decide to make your own. Considering the relative ease with which this piece of equipment can be made and the low cost it would be too bad if you had to spend the almost thirty dollars that it can be purchased for at retail price.

My plan was to purchase a 1x4 to make the stitching pony from but the ones that were available were not what I was looking for quality wise. The board that I purchased was a 1x3, which is actually only 2 ½ inches wide and thinner than the normal ¾ inch that our one by boards are normally set at. I was able to put this very basic stitching pony together for under five dollars. I did not take the time to sand down the boards or round off the edges. I can complete that part of the project at another time when I might decide I will need to use it.

As I mentioned, I purchased one eight-foot board to make the stitching pony. I cut three pieces fifteen inches long, trying to keep the ends cut square. I cut one more piece three inches long to serve as the divider between the two vertical pieces. The photo below shows the pieces that were cut to make this project.

Four wood pieces cut to make a stitching pony

The two pieces of wood in the center have saw kerfs cut at a forty-five degree angle. This makes it easier to make the boards bend without them breaking. I used my circular saw to make these two cuts but they can be made with a handsaw with relative ease as well. It is not a requirement that the angle cuts be made across the boards you will be happier if you make them. 

The angle cuts across the two vertical boards can be more easily seen in the photo below. These cuts are made approximately half way through the boards to allow bending at that point. You can also see that holes have been drilled through the boards to accommodate the carriage bolt that will be used to tighten or loosen the vice. Make sure that when assembling the three vertical pieces that the saw kerfs are turned to the inside. The boards might be more likely to split out if turned to the outside.

Two long-vertical boards with holes drilled for carriage bolt

The next thing that I did was apply carpenter’s glue to the three center pieces of wood. I applied it liberally to both sides of the center piece and to the inside edges of the two longer pieces. Please note: the glue is applied to the side of the wood that shows the saw kerfs. More glue can be applied to the surfaces than what is shown here but in this instance it is not absolutely necessary because of the manner in which I put them together. You will be able to see this in another photo.

The three vertical pieces of wood with carpenter's glue applied to all surfaces to be glued.

The photo shown below shows a closeup of the center vertical piece with the glue applied. This smaller piece has been placed on top of one of the longer vertical pieces. You will notice that the bottom edges of the boards do not line up perfectly. At this point it is not something that matters a whole lot because the other longer piece will be placed on top of the smaller piece and clamped in place. If you like, when placing one piece on top of the other you might want to swivel the boards a little to spread the glue a little more.

Center and first long vertical pieces glued together

The photo below shows the third piece of wood clamped to the first two. Although this photo does not show it well, the clamp that was used is a c-clamp. It is not mandatory that this type of clamp be used. Less expensive and just as usable clamps can be purchased on sale and at some specialty stores. Also, it is a good idea to make sure that the outer edges of the boards are fairly even. 

Three vertical pieces of wood glued and clamped together

Although it pains me to say this, it is not absolutely necessary with this project to have the boards perfectly lined up on the bottom. You are not building pianos and you are not building watches. Unless you have a miter saw to resaw the boards after the glue has dried, it will be very difficult to get everything lined up perfectly. I might look better if the bottom end of the boards were sawed after the glue has dried but I do not have a decent quality miter saw. I would not spend the money for one unless you were going to be using it a lot!

I was not able to take a photo of the process of installing the screws because of not having enough hands. The photo below shows one set of four screws that I put through one of the two outside vertical pieces. I added the screws while the glue was still wet to add more security to the glued pieces. Notice that I offset them a little to help prevent the wood from splitting. If you have the screws or nails in line with each other in the wood grain the wood will be more apt to split along the grain of the wood. Something that you will want to do when gluing these pieces together is to make sure that you have something under the wood to catch any excess glue that might be forced out with clampling and tightening the screws down.

Lower end of verticals showing four screws in place

I put four screws on each vertical side of the stitching pony to add more stability to the joints. I was concerned that the glue joints might not be sufficient to hold the pieces together for three reasons. First, I was not able to clamp the boards as tightly together as I had hoped to get them. Second, the wood that I purchased was a soft wood and I was concerned that the wood might split easier where the saw kerfs were made. Third, I would not want one of the boards coming loose when I was using the pony to lace or stitch a project. With the boards being bend while tight one of them popping loose could bruise the inside of your leg pretty good.

The photo below shows how the project looks after the three vertical pieces have been glued together. At this point the screws have been driven in on both sides. If you look betyween the boards you can see some of the glue that had not dried at the time of this photo. Notice here again, the saw kerfs have been placed to the inside of what would be the jaws of the lacing pony.

Lower end of jaws after clamping and adding screws

Once the vertical pieces have all been glued together it is time to attach the bottom board to the vertical pieces. Although all of the screws that I used to put this project together are made to drill as applied, I like to pre-drill all of the holes in this type of application. Pre-drilling the holes will assure that the bottom board will be more securely attached to the verticals. If found the center of the bottom board and marked lines on each side to which the vertical pieces would line up with.  I drilled two holes for each of the outside boards and one for the center board. These holes should be centered as close on each board as possible.

Bottom board with holes drilled - showing the splinters created by the drill bit passing through

Looking at the photo above you will see places where the wood splintered when the holes were drilled. Simply break off the splinters to remove them. My advice at this point would be to put this side of board against the verticals. Before putting the screws through the bottom board it is a good idea to apply glue to both surfaces. Gluing the joint will give it added strength that is necessary due to the stress it will have.

The photo below shows the carriage bolt installed through the holes in the boards. A flat washer was put on the bolt before the wingnut was added. If you are not sure what a carriage bolt is, it is a bolt with a rounded off head and that has a square section at the top of the threaded portion of the bolt. The squared off section helps to keep the bolt from spinning as the wingnut is tightened.

Stitching pony with carriage bolt installed with flat washer and wingnut

Hand Sewing Leather - Part Three

Please understand, I am not trying to drag the discussion of how to hand sew leather out until the end of time. I want to pass on as much of my knowledge as I possibly can before the brainwaves change direction. I would like to be able to help you learn from my successes and help you not to make the same mistakes that I have made over the years. I hope that you will be able to avoid those times when you know that you could have done something differently and had fewer problems.

To continue with the steps in hand sewing a leather project, after you have selected the size of thread you are going to use you will want to select the size of needles to use. As I said before, you will not want to use a large needle and you probably will not want to use a large thread either. I would choose the smallest needle that you I get the largest or heaviest thread through the eye. I do not mean to sound like I am trying to contradict myself but I have a reason for saying this. I like to use a larger thread on my projects when sewing by hand because it helps me to be more conscious of the fact that I can pull the thread through the leather between the stitches. This is a difficult challenge to overcome because instead of having two stitching holes you have one large one in an area that will potentially be easier to see.

In looking around at my toolboxes and stashes and caches in my shop, I did find that the smaller of the two needles previously pictured is a #2. In the photo below the needle on the right is the #2 sized needle. You might want to try different sized needles in order to find which size works the best for you. It is possible that you will find that you like different sized needles for different types of projects.

Two different sized hand-stitching needles

Sometimes, it can be a challenge to thread a needle with a thread that would normally be used with a larger needle. As I said previously, I prefer to use a smaller needle because it is much easier to pull through the holes. I have to apologize; I have been away from thread sizes for a long time. I purchased more thread for the machine that I bought ten or more years ago that I cannot remember the sizes. The company that I ordered them from gave me a great deal on a variety of thread and the sizes did not matter. The only thing that mattered was that they would all work with my machine and the size of needles that I would be using. If you find yourself using a thread that is almost too large for the eye of your needles, try cutting the thread at an angle. Many of the threads that I have used have been three woven strands and cutting them off at an angle, preferably with a pair of scissors, will make it easier to thread through the needle.

When I hand sew a project these days I just pull off a length of thread that will allow me to complete the project in one try. I dislike the look of having to overstitch or re-stitch previous stitches or burn the threads on the backside of my project to hide my inability to get my thread the correct length for the project. It is better to overestimate the length of thread that you will need for a project than to underestimate it. I would allow at least twice the length or perimeter of the item you are sewing to make sure that you have enough thread. I would not hurt to have three times the length of what you are sewing to make sure that you can get it all finished with one thread.

I like the idea of using only one length of thread to stitch items that have a perimeter stitch, such as a wallet or maybe a purse. By using, only one length of thread to sew the whole perimeter you will be eliminating multiple occurrences of the need to overstitch and tie off the thread. It can be a little more time consuming at first because you will have two needles with a lot of thread dangling from them but it can have its benefits as well. Your project will have only one place where you will need to tie off the thread. Although it can have its benefits, using a single length of thread can have its detractions as well. The longer length of thread can cause it to tangle easier. It is important to make sure that your work area is clean and clutter free before you begin stitching your project.

The photo below on the top shows the needle after having been threaded. The next photo below shows the second stage in preparing to stitch your project. It is important to keep the thread from slipping back through the eye of the needle when pulling it through the leather. Whether you want to call this “locking” or “latching” the needle and thread it does not matter. After pulling the thread through the eye of the needle, you then want to push the point of the needle back through the tail of the thread, with the tail being the short, loose end of the thread. Depending upon the thread that you are using, you might want to allow anywhere from three to five inches of thread on the tail, especially if using a nylon type of thread.

Needle threaded

Needle poked through the thread tail

After pushing the needlepoint back through the tail of the thread you will then want to pull it down the length of the needle and onto the thread. This will form a loop and the needle and thread are for the most part, locked in place, as the photo on the left shows. One more thing that I like to do is to is to reduce the size of the loop that is formed after pulling the thread down and over the end of the needle. This can be done by pulling the long portion of the thread back through the eye of the needle, as shown in the photo on the right.
 

Needle pulled through the thread tail

 

Thread loop reduced

If you have a project such as a wallet, it might be a good idea to tie off the corners with short pieces of thread before beginning the actual stitching. This will help to keep the holes lined up before beginning the stitching process. Cut off these tie offs within a couple of stitches holes away. It took only a couple of experiences of having to pull out stitches and start all over for me to realize that it is easier to make sure that everything is lined up as it should be from the start.

Once you have threaded both of your needles you can begin stitching your project. As I stated earlier in this post, I like to begin and end my stitching in the place and where it will be the least obvious. When stitching a wallet I will begin where the leather is the thickest. Generally, this would be where the pockets or gussets are attached to the outside portion of the project. I would advise against beginning immediately below the top edge of any pocket or gusset simply because it would be less obvious where the stitching had begun and ended.

It is important to center your thread when preparing to form your first stitch. This is simply done by simply pulling one needle through the hole at which you want to begin the process of stitching, then hold both needles in the same hand, and pull the thread through the hole until you can pull no more through. The photo below shows an example of some stitching I prepared for this post.If you look closely, you can see the needles dangling pretty close to the same distance from the starting point. Also, try not to pull any extra thread through the hole when creating the first two or three stitches.

Needle pulled through the leather and evened with the other

One of the best pieces of equipment that I own is probably the stitching pony that you see pictured in the photo above, holding the leather to be sewn. I have had this one for over forty years. I have sewn and laced many projects with it over the years. Basically, it is a vice that you place upright between your legs, slide your project between the two upright boards, twist the wing nut until the jaws clamp the leather in place.

A stitching pony can be made easily at home. You will need a saw, a square, an electric drill, glue, one quarter inch by three to four-inch long carriage bolt with a wing nut to fit, four each one and one-half inch wood screws, and sand paper. Cut three boards that are on-half inch thick by three to three and one-half inches wide and fifteen inches long. Many home supply stores will be able to cut the boards for you if necessary. You will need one piece of the same lumber cut about three inches long to make the center of the stitching pony clamp.

I will try to include some plans or photos of a homemade stitching pony in one of the next posts. I will try to explain the process of making one in an easy to understand manner. I will not try to complicate it too much!

If you have any questions or comments please let me know. I will be glad to help if I can. Thank you for visiting.

Have fun!

Hand Sewing Leather - Part Two

Considering the last post, I feel it is necessary to let you know that it is not necessary to purchase all of the tools and equipment that you will be seeing in this series of posts. You will want to purchase some saddle-stitching needles, an awl of some kind to poke holes through the leather, and maybe some needle nose pliers to help pull and push the needles through the holes. The pliers will save you some time and some very sore fingers.

One of the first considerations when you are going to hand sew a project is that you will need to purchase thread to complete the task. The example thread that I used for these posts is strong enough that it will probably hold up my almost 200-pound body with one strand. It is a heavily waxed thread made of nylon, which is the reason for the strength. I would not recommend this heavy of thread for a wallet or even a purse. The wax makes it a little easier on the hands when pulling the stitches snug, but waxing the thread is unnecessary. This particular thread is almost as large as some leather lacing that I have used in the past.

It is not necessary to use wax on your thread when sewing leather these days, that is, unless you plan to use a heavy linen thread. A saddle maker told me twenty years ago that historically, threads were waxed so that they would last longer when exposed to the elements. Those elements were not only everyday weather, but also those that come with using your saddle and other gear on a horse to herd cattle. Threads were also waxed to make them easier to pull through the thick layers of leather, such as those that might be found on saddle skirts. The saddle skirting that I am most familiar with are made from sixteen ounce leather for the primary layer, the plugs, which are an additional layer of leather added between the primary layer, and the sheepskin liner. All of this leather adds up to a half-inch of leather or a little more. That is a lot of leather to sew through, especially if you are doing it by hand.

Threads of today are very stout compared to what craftsmen used for horse gear and shoes. The modern man-made fibers last a long time and it is very seldom that it will rot out. It does not take a heavy thread to sew a most of the items that the everyday hobbyist will be making. The biggest problem that I see with these threads that they are so strong that they can be pulled through some leathers when snugging up the stitches. I have done that several times, never intentionally, but it did happen. This is one area where stitch length is important because the shorter the stitch the easier it is to pull through the leather. Keep in mind that when holes are punched or poked with a stitching awl that these holes are larger than the needle and thread diameters.

The photo below shows two different sizes of needles that can be used when sewing leather. I do not remember what size they are but the one with the larger diameter is more difficult to sew with than the smaller one. The challenge with the smaller needles is the size of the eye and the size of the threads. Heavier threads are more difficult to feed through the eye of the smaller needles. The other disadvantage with the thinner needle is that they can bend easier. That should not make any difference when sewing most projects but I suppose that it could be a challenge to make sure that a bent needle hit the right spot. I can promise that sewing with the smaller needle is much easier and quicker when using the smaller needle. (Do not try to use regular sewing needles because the sharp point can become stuck in the leather.)

Two hand-stitching or hand-sewing needles

One of the most important tools used in hand sewing is the stitching awl. You will find that using a hand-stitching awl is very similar to cutting leather with a knife. The sharper and smoother the edges, the better it will be for making the holes. Awls come in various sizes and method of delivery. The size of the awl is not that important as long as you do not get one that is not too large and you do not poke the holes too close together. Keep in mind that when forming your stitches that you have to put two needles through each hole. Getting the first needle through the hole will generally be a breeze. Getting the second needle through the same whole can more of a challenge because you have the thickness of the thread, which was already pulled through to deal with.

The photos below show the saddle-stitching awl that I use most frequently. I have been using it since about 1993 and I did break it off once. I filed it down so that it would have a good point on it and I polished it with white jeweler’s rouge to make it smoother. A polished awl will not be as hard to push through the leather and it may save you a lot of time as well as give you more control over your awl when making holes. One of the tricks I use when pushing the awl through the leather is to make sure that I have it held perpendicular to the surface all the way around.

Hand-stitching awl with handle

The first saddle-stitching awl I purchased was not of great quality. It had the awl placed in a wooden handle. I had broken the tip off once or twice and the awl shaft was actually pushing back into the wood, and I thought that it might split out the handle if I kept using it. The photo above shows a saddle stitching awl that is mounted on a wooden handle but is held in place by a clamp. The nut on the end of the awl handle is hand tightened and holds the awl firmly in place. The handle for this awl is a much better fit for my hands than the small handle that my first awl had.

The photo below is an attempt to show what the awl pictured above and how it looks when viewed from the top down. Although the tip looks as if it might be rounded, it really is not as round as it may look in this photo. The point on this awl is blunter than on the other awl that I use from time to time but I like it this way. My other awl is longer and much thinner towards the end and it has a sharper point than this one. The longer shafted awl is great for stitching up the cantle on a saddle because it is made up of multiple layers of leather. The longer length of the awl is great in this application but it offers up a different type of challenge for the user. It is much easier to break the tip off the awl when stitching multiple layers of leather.

Top-down view of awl

If I did not mention it before, a stitching awl needs to be very sharp to assist you in punching the holes in the leather. Polishing it will make it easier to push through the leather because it will cut down the friction drag between the awl blade and the leather. Here in lies the danger. First,you have a saddle-stitching awl that is sharp and has been well polished. Second, you use one hand to hold the awl and you will need to hold the leather with you other hand to get the awl to go through straight. Third, you run a good chance of poking a hole in the fingers of hand with which you are holding the leather!

Hand sewing leather probably just got a little less desirable, did it not? It is not any fun when you push an awl through the leather only to have it poke a nice little hole in one of the fingers on the other hand. Not only will you have holes poked in your finger, it is possible that the awl might go clear into the bone. Believe it or not, I have poked myself, clear to the bone, with my awl a bunch of times over the years. The best thing you can do is say, “Ow!!!” and “Oh shucky darn!” and go on about your business. If you notice that it your finger has sprung a leak, plug the hole with a band aid.

Finally, you will notice that the awl has two flat sides that are visible from the angle that the photo was taken. Looking down at the base of the awl shaft you can see the clampling jaws that grip the shaft of the awl. This type of handle allows the user to change out the awls more quickly. If I would have been able to take a decent photo looking straight down at the point of the awl you would see that the blade is diamond shaped. This shape is to help in the forming of the good stitches. I always try to keep the leading edge of awl with the flat portion of it going straight with the ede of the project being sewn. The process is a little difficult to describe, but you will understand it more when you are actually sewing a project and punching your own holes.

I will have another post on hand sewing leather in a few more days that will give you a few more detail on this task. I hope that you do not get too bored.

As before, if you have any questions or comments let me know because there are no secretes in this business. It is just that some of us have had more experience and know what not to do when working with the beautiful product we call leather.

Have fun!