Stitching in the original holes?

[Durban]

How do you judge the position of the first stitch to make sure you follow the original holes?

 

Cheers, Durban

[petercoulson]

drop the needle through the work by hand while holding the presser foot up then drop the foot and off you go

[keithm]

I concur

[Lee]

Are we talking, outsole or patcher?

 

Lee

[Mick Friend]

as a johny know bugger all, does it not depend on the machine and its stroke, I cant think a Singer would stitch the same as other machines ( my last wife was a C&G leatherworker)

[Durban]

Sorry I should have said what I'm doing, Full sole on an outsole stitcher so I will have no original holes to see from above (The bottom of the sole).

 

What I am going to do is punch one hole through to the new sole so that I have a starting point.

 

Any other ways to do it??

 

Cheers again, Durb

[skippy]

Raise the awl so its justpoking its point thru the bed and locate onto the first hole by feel. make sure you got your stitch length right else its a wasted effort

[Michael]

If you've picked all the old stitches out, and the welts are in fairly good nick, then it will look like they've been stitched for the first time anyway.

 

If the welts are rough and the customer wants them looking perfect then give a price for a full re-welt as well...

[elfman]

or get yourself a welt roller /press

[scott]

I agree you have got to be magic to stitch in the same holes coz many things could make it imposable stitch lenth . The preside foot tension . And also is you have a machine with a adjustable or non adjustable table . Picking welts stitching them wetting them and wheelin them will make them look new .

[Hugh-Candoit (ENG)]

To stitch in the original holes you have to set the stitch lenght on the machine.

measure how many stitches to the inch on the original then on a scrap piece of leather see how many your machine is set to.

Alter the setting until it amtches the original.

 

Getting the awl/needle to start in the existing hole is just the begining.......setting the lenght is the 1st priority.

[janner]

With my K&B I have not had a problem hitting the same stitch hole.

 

With the old stitches picked, the scotch edge and stitch length set within near to reasonable, the awl will pick up the empty stitch hole.

 

It is the path of least resistance, and harder to make it miss than hit the empty hole.

 

Some times you are up against it. Even on best quality shoes, especially around the instep the original stitch holes can be on on a different line from the rest of the welt.

[keithm]

I stitched leather soles on shoes for more than 20 years and I cannot ever remember trying to stitch in the same holes. I also never remember a complaint about not doing so, or, a fault following my stitching. Guess I must be a lucky guy

[Ray T.]

Hugh said it best,adjust your stitch lenght and remove the old stitches.Let your awl find the holes and to do that just feel the awl going threw on its own .You only job on the stitcher is to hold the shoe up and lightly press against the guide and your awl with do the rest.

Ray Torcaso