Page 256 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

First, measure the leather so it fits the leatheree. needles in this position, you can sew half the length
Figure 6-62 shows how. of the job, then come back and use the long ends to
Cut a piece of waxed #7 twine 12 times the sew the other half.
length of the leather. So, for a 1-foot (.30 m) leather And so to work. Lightly scribe a line ⁄8 inch
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you’d need 12 feet (3.66 m). This assumes stitching from each long edge. Use the jogging wheel to mark
holes ⁄8 inch (9.5 mm) from each edge and ⁄8 inch the spaces on one edge. Pre-punch the holes into
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(9.5 mm) apart. the leather on that edge with a .00 punch (“dou-
Fold the twine in half and thread a sail nee- ble-aught” is what they call it at the leather store).
dle—#14 is a handy size—onto each end (Figure Use a square or bevel gauge or ruler to mark the
6-63A). If you are pre-punching holes in the leather other edge (you can’t use the jogging wheel because
with a jogging wheel (Figure 6-64C), dull the nee- it won’t jog exactly the same distance between
dles with a fine file; they’ll be less likely to snag on holes). Punch the second set of holes, then rub some
the leather or you. Leave the needles hanging a foot neatsfoot oil onto the inside of the piece.
or so on either side of the middle for now. Fold the If you do a lot of leatherwork, it can be worth-
twine in half again, but not quite exactly in half; while to make a nail board: into a suitable piece of
leave the ends sticking past the bight about 3 inches wood, drill a series of holes exactly ⁄8 of an inch
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(76 mm). apart, and ⁄8 of an inch from one edge. The holes
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Now let go of the ends and fold in half yet again should be a snug fit for 12-gauge (4 D) nails. Lay
the length that remains in your hands. Move the out carefully, and use a drill press to make the holes.
needles to the middle of this length (Figure 6-63B). Use nails that are just an eighth of an inch or so lon-
The needles are now in position and ready to sew. ger than the wood is thick. Drive them all in. Now
All that folding rigmarole was just a way of locating when you want to mark a line of holes, just position
them, without tape-measuring, one-quarter of the your board on top of the leather, along one edge,
total length on either side of the middle. With the points down, and tap the back of the board with
a mallet. Shift it over to the other edge and repeat.
Figure 6-63A. Preparing for the Baseball Diamond Fold the leather in half (crosswise) to locate the
Stitch. middle holes, mark them with a pen, then straighten

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