Page 258 - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

the leather out and Constrictor it lightly to the leath- Avoid, at all costs, pulling so hard that you rip
eree (Figure 6-63C). Thread the needles from the the leather. If the piece is the right size, you shouldn’t
inside out through the center holes (Figure 6-63D). need to pull that hard.
Take up the slack so that the needles are evenly When you get to the end, make a complete
extended. Be careful to avoid letting thread shift in turn through the last set of holes with each nee-
the needle’s eyes at this point, as that would leave dle. They’ll come out from under the leather at the
you short for stitching the second half. end (Figure 6-63F). Haul taut. Reef-Knot the ends
When everything is even, thread one needle together, snapping each half-knot smartly to set it
diagonally off to one side, then the other needle back under the leather. Trim the ends short.
through the corresponding hole on the other side Now remove the leftover thread from the nee-
(Figure 6-63D). Firmly draw all the slack out after dles and thread them onto the long ends hanging out
each set of stitches, first pulling the threads straight of the middle of the work. Turn and face toward the
out to the sides to tighten previous stitches, then unstitched side and begin sewing through the same
crossing them over the top of the seam and hauling two holes you started in before (Figure 6-63G).
to the sides again to tighten the current stitch. Wear Leave 3 to 4 inches (76 to 102 mm) of thread ends
roping palms or heavy gloves to avoid hand damage. behind, and sew over them to anchor the stitches.
Keep the seam straight as you go. Always enter For the most pleasing appearance, begin with the
the same side first—i.e., if the first stitch you took opposite needle than you did for the other half. Sew
was with the needle on the right, always begin a set to the end and finish as before.
of stitches with the needle on the right. It looks better. Some notes on the application of this stitch:
For an idea of what a good seam should look
like, get a baseball. You’ll see that the leather edges • Latigo is the best material to use where chafe
are firmly butted together, with a little ridge of is severe (shrouds, anchor rodes, gaff jaws, oars,
leather bunched up on either side. etc.). It’s the thickest and longest-lived material
you can get, and a little boot dressing now and
3
Figure 6-63E. A leather marker jig. Drill holes ⁄8-inch then will keep it healthy.
apart, centered ⁄8-inch from one edge of the jig. The • “Synthetic leather”—rubber, plastic hose, and
3
holes should be a tight fit for the nails you will use. the like—can be quite tough to work with and
Drive in the nails, of a length that just projects above becomes brittle with age.
the surface of the jig. To mark the leather, lay it on top • For light duty, as where sails chafe on shrouds,
of the nails, with the edge of the leather lined up with the supple, pale-gray leather that sailmakers use
the edge of the jig. Using a mallet, tap the leather onto
the nails, to mark the hole punch locations.

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