Leather Stitching

Leather, Chain and Plate

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Leather Stitching

Postby Cyric » Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:09 pm

So i'm going to be working on improving my helmet over Christmas break, and i decided to do stitching instead of rivets (mostly because i'm almost out of rivets). What do i need to know?
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Kyrian » Mon Dec 05, 2011 8:20 pm

Get one of these:

Image

unless you can teach Lexi to hold the leather in place while you sew it. :angel:

But seriously, a stitching pony really helps to hold the leather in place while you stitch.

I also found this book:

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/Books-Patterns/61944-00.aspx

really helpful in learning how to hand stitch.

You can see the hand stitching I did here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150216901349598.331149.502014597&type=3
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Torix » Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:37 am

What you need:

Pliers
Glovers needle
A spare scrap of really thick armor grade leather
A wooden surface


Make sure you wet the edged and parts you are going to sew before you sew. Wetting the leather makes the needle go through a lot easier and you dull it less. Also you have less chance of stabbing yourself with the needle.

You will want to push the needle through using the scrap of thick leather because even the back end of the needle can eventually stab into your fingers.

When you get to the eye part of the needle, you will almost always need pliers to pull the needle through the leather.

The wooden surface is a nice addition to brace the needle against when pushing it through, or into rather than pushing the needle into your hand when it comes through the other side of the leather.

That said, riveting is way easier and a lot less time consuming. Stitching on the other hand gives the look of stitching, and prolly costs about 5$ to get started rather than 20$+

Good luck!
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Forkbeard » Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:31 am

Holy ****, make it hard.
You could do it the easy way, too. Punch the smallest holes you can, like 16th", 3/8" apart in the line you want to sew. Lay that peice on the one you want to sew it to. Mark the holes in the next peice. Sew together one way, then back. Tie off.
Done.
I don't use sharp needles for this. The dull ones fing there way through the holes easier. You will need an awl to line up poorly alighned holes when going back to your starting point.
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby bo1 » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:03 pm

they make a little fork thing for doing 4 holes in a row. looks like a little pitch fork. make sure the leather is wet when punching the holes, if not the leather may tear with all the holes close together.

then use a needle and sew away. i use the for in the last hole, so i get 3 new holes and this way all your holes are perfectly spaced.
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Magpie Saegar » Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:11 am

I've done it for several helmets and some little pouches/camera cases. All I used: a hammer, a leather punch, a leather awl, and synthetic sinew. Not top notch, in the end, but I think that was more my lack of patience than the method. Still looked pretty slick.

Basically, the same thing FB said.
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Burke » Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:53 am

Great video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c8_8wD_mnc

They go over a couple different types of stitches on youtube as well. I'd recommend glancing through.

I use one of Tandy's roller spacers to mark holes, then I use a dremel to punch my holes. Tried both waxed thread and leather kangaroo lacing, both work, but the thread is easier.
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Forkbeard » Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:50 am

Bo, for heavy use armor items, I find the stitching hole fork you decribe makes the holes too close together. Even wetting the leather does not keep the parts from riping off in combat.
I've had much much better sucess from spacing the holes at least 3/8" apart.
Wide stiches are stronger, in armor, anyway.
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Tiberius Claudius » Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:41 am

I suggest that this great informational thread also be linked in the stickied tutorials thread. While its not a tutorial in the strictest sense, it has great information for anyone just starting the craft.

viewtopic.php?f=107&t=24361
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Fitz Caliston » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:25 am

If I'm going to hand sew anything (very rare with 2 leather sewing machines in my shop) I use a very small needle and either my hand drill or my drill press.
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Atman » Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:54 pm

A drill with 1/16" bit is ten times easier than manually punching or forcing a needle through armor grade leather. I use a pair of dividers to lightly scribe a line off of the edge I'm stitching then a ruler to space each hole along that line. I run my holes 1/4" off of the edge and 3/8" apart. Just be sure to start marking your holes from the same ends of the pieces you are stitching, otherwise they may end up mis-aligned.
When stitching armor grade, heavy synthetic thread/cord or very well waxed cotton is a must. On a helmet where the bulk of structural integrity comes from stitching, I join the pieces just well enough to come together, then use a stiff piece of wire with a small hook at the end to tighten the joint the rest of the way one stitch at a time.
As was mentioned above, a big, not too sharp needle and pliers are a must. Smooth-jawed pliers are best because they do not tear up the needle as badly.
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Slagar » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:38 pm

Tiberius Claudius wrote:I suggest that this great informational thread also be linked in the stickied tutorials thread. While its not a tutorial in the strictest sense, it has great information for anyone just starting the craft.

viewtopic.php?f=107&t=24361


+1

I'm gonna want to be able to find this someday soon.
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Re: Leather Stitching

Postby Xemeo » Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:43 am

Or this:

Can anyone think of a way to either port this to the wiki .... or I guess we (not me) could make a page on the wiki titled "Leather Stitching" and have a link direct here.
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