There is a fishing line called PowerPro, 80lb test is a good thickness and strong as all get out I believe it comes in white too. I’d use it for the project. PM me your address and I’ll send you a couple feet to play with
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Leather gig bag sewing thread?
- Thread starter MPU
- Start date
Since I enjoy "re-inventing the wheel" every time I do something new, the guitar strap project was done by first gluing the two pieces of leather together, then drilling a row of stitch holes with a 1/16" drill bit. I followed that by doing the actual saddle stitching. Since I don't have an industrial sewing machine that made the small project easy.
100%! I was going to suggest a stitching pony as well. It will definitely make the process much more fluid and easier on the hands.
I made this one almost 30 years ago with hand tools. I could make a better one in the shop now, but this one always served me well. Since you also do woodcraft, something like this would be pretty simple to put together. I liked this one because I could sit in a chair and slide it under my legs to hold it or I could clamp it to the workbench. Stitching horses are also nice, but they can get pretty large and then you've got to store them somewhere. They're basically like the pony, but mounted on a bench.
I cut a couple of leather straps... stitching extra piece of leather around the "strap button" hole, I use waxed thread in contrasting color (my call) for strength.
Waxed thread or leather strips are the surest way.
Waxed thread or leather strips are the surest way.
That’s how I’m going to sew. Glue, punch holes, sew.
I’m going to use arbor press and stitch hole punch. At least that’s my plan.
Okay, here we go. I started with making handles. A strip of leather, a piece of rope and two smaller pieces of leather for the ends.
Contact cement on all pieces.
Then glue the pieces together, press the seams with a wood stick.
Punch holes with a punch and hammer. The punch did not fit to my arbor press, I need to do an adapter.
Then sewing saddle stitches using waxed thread.
Some cleaning and here it is, my first ever leather hand stitched item! Another coming tomorrow or later today.
Contact cement on all pieces.
Then glue the pieces together, press the seams with a wood stick.
Punch holes with a punch and hammer. The punch did not fit to my arbor press, I need to do an adapter.
Then sewing saddle stitches using waxed thread.
Some cleaning and here it is, my first ever leather hand stitched item! Another coming tomorrow or later today.
After making another handle I used the template to draw the pieces on the leather. I cut the pieces with a cut blade knife and ruler.
Then I glued reinforcment pieces inside for the handles, glued the handles and stitched them.
Last thing today was gluing and stitching my logo.
I have to say I’m not totally happy with the quality of my work. Some seams are fine, some are tilted or other ways nowhere near good but as a first leatherwork I think they are acceptable. Anyway leather work is fun!
Then I glued reinforcment pieces inside for the handles, glued the handles and stitched them.
Last thing today was gluing and stitching my logo.
I have to say I’m not totally happy with the quality of my work. Some seams are fine, some are tilted or other ways nowhere near good but as a first leatherwork I think they are acceptable. Anyway leather work is fun!
Leatherworking is another of my way-too-many hobbies. You're doing great!
Waxed thread, take it in chunks, don't get too far in front of yourself.
Make sure that you think through your order of operations as you put this together, as you could wind up with some awkward places to try amd stitch through.
Good luck
Waxed thread, take it in chunks, don't get too far in front of yourself.
Make sure that you think through your order of operations as you put this together, as you could wind up with some awkward places to try amd stitch through.
Good luck
My wallet and wife's purse. I've made and sold lots of leather goods. It's great to do inside in the winter weather.
I can still remember the smell in my grandfathers shop. It was the coolest place I knew as a kid. He did leatherwork for a living. Mostly bags. Raised and provided seven kids doing that.
When he was retired he used to go to these markets. To "sell" the bags. But he wasn't really trying to do business. He just went to see people. I bet he had the same six bags with him for years.
I helped out a bit and worked for my uncle there for a few weeks one summer after he took over. But it wasn't this romanticised artsy craftsy thing we tend to see imagining this kind of work. It was repetitive assembly tasks. Not that different from a factory line. Maybe a bit more variation though. And shorter breaks.
Can't say I learned anything useful about leatherworking. Which is kind of a shame really. But the shop was awesome. And the smell...
Anyways I'm looking forward seeing how this turns out.
When he was retired he used to go to these markets. To "sell" the bags. But he wasn't really trying to do business. He just went to see people. I bet he had the same six bags with him for years.
I helped out a bit and worked for my uncle there for a few weeks one summer after he took over. But it wasn't this romanticised artsy craftsy thing we tend to see imagining this kind of work. It was repetitive assembly tasks. Not that different from a factory line. Maybe a bit more variation though. And shorter breaks.
Can't say I learned anything useful about leatherworking. Which is kind of a shame really. But the shop was awesome. And the smell...
Anyways I'm looking forward seeing how this turns out.
Next I’m making side pieces. The long piece has zipper. I glued the leather strips on the zipper and lining on the inside and started sewing. My stitching starts to look pretty even and nice. Practice makes a difference for sure. I’m stitching every stitch same way and that made a big change on the looks.
I got the zipper part finished. Next it’s time for gluing padding and lining for the rest parts and then I’m gluing the bag together, punching the holes and stitching. This stitching took a couple of hours in three evenings so it will take quite a while to sew the bag. It’s fun but takes time. An audio book is nice company.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
A buddy of mine is a green wood chair maker and leather worker. He adapted his shop-made shaving horse to accommodate both task's using removable jaw inserts.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Are you using a template to layout the holes before punching or drilling them?
I vaguely recall doing a lot of leatherwork in the late sixties using a homemade layout gauge consisting of a straight stick about 3/8" thick, pre-drilling the hole locations on the stick, and driving small nails through the holes in the stick and into the leather. An inexpensive and relatively effective technique from the stone age.
