Working on my first folded sheath

C

Chris 54326

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Sep 13, 2017
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I got the sheath stamped, welt glued in and sheath glued together. Then I punched the stitching holes. But the stitching iron (Tandy's Pro line) didn't make it all the way through the back side. Of course I was able to remedy that with my diamond shaped awl. But would I have been better off punching the front side by itself and then using those holes to register the iron to prick or locate the holes on the back side and then punch the back side separately so I had uniformed size holes all the way through? (and then glue the front and back together)
 
Chris 54326 said:
I got the sheath stamped, welt glued in and sheath glued together. Then I punched the stitching holes. But the stitching iron (Tandy's Pro line) didn't make it all the way through the back side. Of course I was able to remedy that with my diamond shaped awl. But would I have been better off punching the front side by itself and then using those holes to register the iron to prick or locate the holes on the back side and then punch the back side separately so I had uniformed size holes all the way through? (and then glue the front and back together)
Click to expand...

Then you would have had the problem of how to align the holes when you glued the halves together. I think finishing the hole with your diamond awl is the better solution. It's what I do if my punch won't go all the way through.

O.B.
 
I have attempted lining up holes before gluing up and using pins or needles to try to keep the holes lined up. It seems more trouble than it is worth.

I typically use a mark wheel after the welt and sheath are all glued up. I use a belt sander to clean up the edge and make everything even and smooth, then make a groove like on each side with the groove even.

Then I mark the stitch holes on the front/presentation side and punch the holes through with a round hand awl.

Then stitch.

I have a drill press, but still tend to make the holes by hand.
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I really like the diamond diagonal punches I use and really work hard to make my stitching diagonal. I think it adds a nice touch............almost a part of the decoration of the sheath. This is only my second sheath, so a lot of what I say is only personal opinion and not from experience.

After much pondering, I believe what I'm going to do is to perform the glue-up as typically done. Then punch with my diamond stitching punches. Next, I'm going to buy a single prong punch and grind it so the punch tang is twice it's length and use it to "chase" the holes so I have a diamond hole the same size on both the front and back of the sheath.
 
Just an FYI. When I run into that situation, I put some form of index marks on each face that can be used to line them up when gluing and punching. They can be light marks on the face and edges or even small tabs that can be removed later. I also check for any odd differences in the edges that would prevent good alignment. I then go ahead and scribe and punch each side, ensuring I start at the same point on the sides. Line up the marks when gluing and your holes will be aligned. I have never had it fail. The one thing you need to be careful of is to make sure you carefully line your iron up on the previous holes so the spacing stays consistent. It is possible to slightly shift things when using angled punches and cause spacing to vary some. Besides the obvious length issue with thick joints, it can be difficult to ensure the iron stays vertical through so much leather, offsetting your holes on the back side. Things tend to move around when you have to apply a lot of force. The approach I use prevents that as well.
Randy
 
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