need tips on using sewing awl .

K

Kevin the grey

Joined
Aug 26, 2005
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I can sew the lock stitch fairly well . It can be a pain selecting the right loop to pass the end through . I often used waxed thread and I find it greases up the works enough to let the threads slip around on me .

I would like to make finer stitches and have them evenly spaced . Does anyone have any tips about this or other basics ?

The awl only came with two needles . One straight and one curved . Would it help to get a finer needle ?
 
What material are you sewing Kevin? With leather there is no way to beat the double needle method of sewing!!!!:thumbup: :cool: :D
 
Kevin the grey said:
I can sew the lock stitch fairly well . It can be a pain selecting the right loop to pass the end through . I often used waxed thread and I find it greases up the works enough to let the threads slip around on me .

I would like to make finer stitches and have them evenly spaced . Does anyone have any tips about this or other basics ?

The awl only came with two needles . One straight and one curved . Would it help to get a finer needle ?
Click to expand...

Kevin, what I envision from your comments is that you're using one of those stitching awl thingys with the little thread spool built in. What Yvsa is referring to by the double needle method is also known as saddle stitching. You punch your holes with an awl similar to an ice pick (or, as some people do, a fine drill bit and a drill press), and once you've got your holes punched, you just sew it up with a couple of needles and thread using the saddle stitch. As far as getting your stitches closer together and evenly spaced, they sell things called overstitch wheels. Looks like a cross between a pizza cutter and a tiny spur or toothed wheel. From what I hear, you just run that booger down your stitch line and it marks the holes for you. How close together they are depends on what size overstitch wheel you use. I say "from what I hear" because I've never used one. I prefer to just do it by eye using a home made awl I ground from an old chainsaw file. ;)

Sarge
 
Depending on what I'm sewing, I've used both the awl with a spool of thread or two needles. Both ways seem to come out better when I use an over stitch wheel. Check the Tandy website. They don't cost too much. There's also a book called "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather" by Al Stohlman which will answer most questions about sewing.
 
Yvsa I have heard of a two needle method but never what it was for . If I take it correctly it is two needles on one piece of thread coming in from either side of the leather ? I guess the two opposing stitches tighten against each other ?

Sarge thats it exactly , its a recent copy I think . The compartment in the handle is accessed by untwisting the handle in two . The screw thread is very coarse it almost feels as if the handle has just engaged the thread when it is closed tight . I get the idea the needle is slightly oversized to give it more strength .

We have something in common . You have an awl made from an old chainsaw file . I have an awl that looks like it was made with an old chainsaw . L:O:L

I have an old sewing awl that was gutted . The several needles that nested in the handle are gone . A fine piece of wood , well put together . No external spool . I was told the spool stayed inside the handle . Maybe one day I,ll find a place to re-outfit the old puncher .

Ed thanks for the good advice .
 
I've never used it Kevin, but I do use the waxed thread they sell for it. I find it to be a great thread. That helps not at all I know, but thats what I got.

There are a bunch of stitches for leather. That saddle stitch, there and back again, skip two and come back one. I don't know which is better. I vassilate between the saddle stitch and there and back again. I've always thought that lock stitch was weak, but thats just an ignorant opinion, and I've got nothing to back that up with.
 
Andy I think the lock stitch is weak if not applied evenly . I think the restrained loop must be in the hole of the stitch to evenly distribute the tension applied to the leather .

I can,t say more than that cause thats all I know . I better get a few stitches under my belt(ouch) before I comment further .

I like waxed linen thread. The linen seems to occupy the hole left by the awl better . It may not slip around as much due to the contact between the linen and the sides of the hole . The wax seems to help like both a lubricant and a binder . If you can figure that one out you are a better stitcher than I . (Hey wait a minute . You are . )
 
They make a punch that will punch 5-6 holes at one shot, so all that you need do is to set the first tine in the last hole and then line the rest up and punch. That assures an even series of stitches. And I do recomment the 2 needle saddle stitch with back stitching to lock the loose ends into place. I also recomment a pair of needle nose pliers and some sort of palm protector as well as a thumb protector, as pushing those needles through can be a very tough proposition. I have given up on it due to arthritis in my hands.
 
Thanks fullerh . that multiple punch must cost a bit . It looks like the two needle approach is definitely something to explore . I,ll have to check into palm protectors . I never liked grabbing needles with pliers . I end up scratching/bending them to rats#it .
 
Actually Kevin that multiple punch he's talking about is called a thonging chisel, and its not too much. I'd guess ~$10.
 
aproy1101 said:
Actually Kevin that multiple punch he's talking about is called a thonging chisel, and its not too much. I'd guess ~$10.
Click to expand...

Andy, I could be wrong, but I think thonging chisels punch slits whereas row punches make round holes. Either way, you're right, they don't cost an arm and a leg.

Sarge
 
For my sheaths I use a stitch layout wheel(6 holes per inch), pre-drill the layed out holes with a small drill press with a piece of wood underneath to back it up, double stitch two needle method. With double stitch, if one of the threads ever fails, the second stitch will hold.
 
Saddle stitch is your friend bro!!!

Lock stitch weak?? if is done right then I dont think it is any weaker than a saddle stitch..But that is my opinion

I hate those little lockstitch thingies...I tried to use one once, and had a headache to show for it!!!

gimme my 2 needles any day!
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
Andy, I could be wrong, but I think thonging chisels punch slits whereas row punches make round holes. Either way, you're right, they don't cost an arm and a leg.

Sarge
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Sarge is spot on as usual.:thumbup: :D Tandy used to have several row punches, different size holes and amount of punches on one tool. The four hole punch is the handiest for the home craftsman.
The thronging chisels also come in several widths of the chisels as well as the amount of chisels on the tool. Seems like they came in 1/8" & 5/32" chisels again with the four chisels being the handiest.
It gets to difficult to get all the holes cut if they are too long.:grumpy: Almost forgot about the two different styles of thronging chisels in that one model cuts straight slits and another model cuts slits at an angle.
The chisel type punches were the very first ones and when done properly a really professional lacing job looks ten times better in the chisel cut slits than the holes made by the punches. But if you're going to lace with 1/8" lace you should really use at least a 5/32" thronging chisel. It also looks better with several splices as that saves the lace from getting roughed up by pulling it through so many slits.:thumbup: :cool:
The larger the hole or the wider the cut the easier it is to sew or lace. Lots of folks make life difficult for themselves by trying to put an 1/8" lace into a 1/8" hole whether it was punched or cut with a chisel.:rolleyes:

Leatherface said:
Saddle stitch is your friend bro!!!

Lock stitch weak?? if is done right then I dont think it is any weaker than a saddle stitch..But that is my opinion.
gimme my 2 needles any day!
Click to expand...

Leatherface just stop and think about the lockstitch for a moment.:p The lockstitch basically has only one piece of thread in the hole. When you run the threaded needle into the hole and run the bottom thread into the loop the top thread makes and then pull it back halfway through the hole and start over again on the next stitch you have a single thread from the bottom and a single thread from the top looped together and hidden in the hole.
No way is that going to be stronger than the double needle or saddle stitch that has a thread passed through from the bottom and one passed through from the top thereby having two threads in the same hole.;) :D

Kerry is spot on when he said, "With double stitch, if one of the threads ever fails, the second stitch will hold." :thumbup:

Kerry Hampton said:
For my sheaths I use a stitch layout wheel(6 holes per inch), pre-drill the layed out holes with a small drill press with a piece of wood underneath to back it up, double stitch two needle method. With double stitch, if one of the threads ever fails, the second stitch will hold.
Click to expand...
 
Oh yeah. If you use the artificial sinew from www.CrazyCrow.com it comes already fully waxed.:thumbup: :D Another nice thing about the artificial sinew is that just like real sinew it can be divided into smaller and smaller threads.:thumbup:
This comes in handy when you need some smaller thread for a project such as assembling a choker necklace or a bandolier or about any kind of beadwork with the larger sized beads.
Also the artificial sinew comes in several colors besides the natural tan. There is also a dark brown and a deep purple and I think it comes in other colors besides just these.
Well I was wrong, or at least cctp doesn't handle the colors, not even the dark brown. I guess I had better be choosy on what I want to use the dark brown or purple we have on.:grumpy:
They do have it in natural, white, and black though.
http://www.crazycrow.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=515-200-000
 
I use artificial sinew to make bowstrings . Tougher than linen . When you want a trad look but don,t want your string to wear away too quickly . I usually make one of both for my bows . One for show and one for go .

I do like the lockstitch . Aside from the one thread angle I seem to feel I can't tighten up on it as well . Instead of one thread tightening up the other I feel uneven pressure will result in one thread robbing tension from the other .

The next project I will try the two needle method . ( Oh great now there are two needles to thread .) L:O:L
 
I think the artificial sinew is nylon, so it won't rot or absorb water. It comes off the spool somewhat flat, but it's easy to roll into a more cylindrical thread. I think linen holds knots better. If I'm using sinew, I usually try to melt the end with a lighter to make it stay a bit better.
 
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