Sewing leather. possibly a useful tip!!

[pcatterall]

This may be something we all know or do but I didn’t know, it worked for me so I will pass it on!!

I had to sew leather arond the eye on my genny as the original was gone and the sail edges were getting worn. I had just a sail makers needle and heavy thread.
I found that penetrating the leather from its outside was easy.
I used the original holes in the cloth to get the needle through and,again, that was fairly easy.
The problem I had was in penetrating the leather from the inside, it seemed that the leather packed around the needle and simply created a big bulge on the outside without piercing the harder outer skin.
By accident I found that the needle went through quite easily when my finger was pressed over the leather at the point where the needle exited.
This was an experience that I did not want to repeat but it did give me an idea.
I found that holding an eraser against the exit point prevented the leather bulging and allowed the needle to pierce the leather quite easily.
Worked well for me.

 

[salar]

Good tip, thank you.

 

[NUTMEG]

Or use an awl to make the hole first. Doesn't need to be a 'proper' one, just nice and sharp. A small old screwdriver, ground to a fine point will do if you haven't got to much to do.

 

[KevO]

I've used a very dinky drill bit in a battery drill before now... Choose one about the same gauge as the needle... It's a doddle

 

[prv]

As Sophie19 says, when sewing leather it's conventional to make the holes first. The stuff we used for chafing gear on Stavros was best pierced with a cordless drill, no way you'd push a needle through it! The traditional implement is a sort of "comb" with a series of points, which you hammer through the leather to make lots of holes at once. There was supposed to be one in Stavros's bosun's store, but it had disappeared to the great annoyance of my fellow deckhand who was used to using it - hence the drill instead.

Good tip though if you have girly thin leather (I guess chrome-tanned?) that can be sewn through like fabric

Pete

 

[ronsurf]

As Sophie19 says, when sewing leather it's conventional to make the holes first. The stuff we used for chafing gear on Stavros was best pierced with a cordless drill, no way you'd push a needle through it! The traditional implement is a sort of "comb" with a series of points, which you hammer through the leather to make lots of holes at once. There was supposed to be one in Stavros's bosun's store, but it had disappeared to the great annoyance of my fellow deckhand who was used to using it - hence the drill instead.

One of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Set-Lea...rg=20140407115239&rk=7&rkt=30&sd=291273065721

 

[prv]

One of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Set-Lea...rg=20140407115239&rk=7&rkt=30&sd=291273065721

That's the badger

Pete

 

[estarzinger]

Btw . . . Dyneema webbing makes longer lasting chafe gear than leather.

It is also easier to sew.

 

[prv]

Btw . . . Dyneema webbing makes longer lasting chafe gear than leather.

It is also easier to sew.

Bit out of place on here though

Pete

 

[estarzinger]

^^ I suspect that vessel is no longer using cotton sails and hemp lines! I can't see dyneema webbing really being out of line. But whatever . . .