Tools of the Trade

[paul]

DW.
I've got to echo Tom. Great pics! Thanks for filling the "lull" with something interesting.

I've got some cool pictures from my trip to Holland back in the early eighties, with Sutton. I visited the Van der Meijdan(sp) Shoe Machine Company,in Rotterdam. And they have a little museum, of sorts. (I'll post them whenever I come across them again.)
One picture is of a treadle operated finisher with vaccum system, all operated by foot, of course. Very cool! Also I took a picture of a peggin' machine that had the pegs in the form of a flat disk or roll, layed on a plate as they were being fed into the drive mechanism. That was really intersting to me too. Good stuff.

PK

[dw]

Paul, Tom,

Thanks to both of you. I'm glad you enjoyed them. I enjoyed posting them--now I have all those liths on my computer, in digital format, and can use them where and when I want them. Very tasty!

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[das]

DW,

Echoing Paul on that foot-powered edge finisher, Northampton Museum has one. Operates off one long wooden board-treadle that ran the length [maybe 6']. No dust extraction, just a tin hood with a trough along the bottom, filled with water to attract/catch the leather dust.

In the same vein, I've seen one of those monster MacKays, sitting out on the sidewalk in front of a shoe repair in Inverness, Scotland. It had been built to run on foot power too, and still turned easily by pressing the treadle.

Happy New Year everybody!

[dmcharg]

Ditto with the rest DW,
Thanks a lot. Ah, they made the old stuff pleasing to the eye, didn't they?
With the question about the insole channeler, judging by the angle of the 'table' my guess is that it is cutting in on an angle. Apart from that, Dunno

Best of the New Year to you all.

Cheers
Duncan

[dw]

Duncan,

I see the tilt you are talking about but considering the way a last (maybe only modern lasts?) has a radius, it still looks like the channel may be vertical. Hmm...then too, at least in referance to the discussion we had recently about slanted channels, it seems to me that the shoe would have to be nearly on its side to have a slanted channel cut--if that thinga-ma-jiggy on top is the knife. doesn't it look as if that might be a rotary blade and cutting more or less straight down?

Hoo-hum...what I'd love to see is a place where a feller could go and see any or all of these machines in actual operation.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[dw]

I've probably mentioned this before, but I think it's worth repeating...

Some years ago, I bought what is known as a "microplane" from one of my woodworking catalogs. Then I bought another and now I have four. Different shapes. Microplanes are made of stainless steel and consist of many little cutting blades punched out of a flat or rounded background. Each of these blades acts kind of like a tiny woodworkers plane...which is why they call them microplanes. You can even adjust the angle of all the planes in a section of the tool to make it cut more aggressively.

Anyway, the reason I mention it is because one of the most useful applications for this tool is planing down or shaping wet toe boxes. Of course I'm talking about leather toe boxes, as that's what I use. And I use insole or soling leather to make my toe boxes...so there's a certain firmness to the leather. But you can start shaping your toe boxes almost immediately after you mount them. This speeds the drying time for the leather toe box and of course the wet leather cuts easier and faster than dry leather. I've cut the drying time down to roughly 4 to 6 hours.

One caveat...you have to be mindful of the fact that wet leather will daw up a bit as it dries. So don't cut the toe box down to its absolute final shape and thickness until it has dried most of the way. This takes some skill and a careful eye but if I can do it, anyone can.

Microplanes are also useful for shaping heels quickly...especially "cuban" or military heels

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC
http://www.bootmaker.com

"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

[Steve Hanken]

We excavated an iron heel plate that had puncture holes in it and covered the entire heel surface.This piece was found on a early house site in Iowa. In my mind this appears to be a pattern for pricking heel leather for pegs, if so, what would it be called and when would it date to.If not, then what the heck is it? Would appreciate any assistance on this iron artifact!

[dw]

Following up on my earlier post, here's a pic of three different microplanes.

2773.jpg

--
Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC
http://www.bootmaker.com

"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

[jake]

Dee-Dubb,

Thanks for showing us an example. I've never seen one of those rascals before. Looks like it would do the job.

I see you have an example of the "old standby" too... a piece of glass.

[dw]

Jake,

Funny you should mention that.... the glass is the key to an absolutely invisible toe box, even with light weight leathers such as kangaroo. It's also faster than sandpaper or a shoemakers file, especially with this new press cement which takes a little longer to dry.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

frommer@bootmaker.com
http://www.bootmaker.com

"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

[tmattimore]

Steve
A picture would help identify it. Most of the tools I have seen for marking out pegs look like an overstich marker with two "sprockets" on it that turn. The teeth are offset so that the pegs are not two by two. I belive Lords Civil War Encyclopedia shows a dug heel plate of sheet iron to cover the whole heel.
Tom Mattimoret

[dw]

scratch awl...tulipwood (pink and cream) ..made by DW

2828.jpg

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

frommer@bootmaker.com
http://www.bootmaker.com

"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

[dw]

peg awl...Osage Orange (reportedly gets iron hard--almost impossible to cut or break--with age), salvaged hardware...made by DW

2829.jpg

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

frommer@bootmaker.com
http://www.bootmaker.com

"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

[shoestring]

DW,
Are those awls going to be for sale,or just personal items.They sure look fine.

[dw]

Ed,

Sorry, just personal, at least for now. I'm not good enough to sell them. Thanks for the compliment, though.
--
Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

frommer@bootmaker.com
http://www.bootmaker.com

"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

[tomo]

DW,
those hafts look great. that Osage stuff would be interesting to use, if it gets that hard you wouldn't need a ferule around the end. Did you burnish those grooves by pulling in copper wire?
I see on the scratch awl you've used brass? I often use copper (tubing), mainly 'cause it's there and because it's easy to swage down into a taper with a drift. I usually hold my awls quite close to the business end and I find those adjustable(?)- interchangable ones too bulky, but I suppose that wouldn't be a problem on a pegging awl.
That Tulip wood comes up lovely. I could just see my little finger laying right in that groove!

I've got some Black Maire (NZ native) coming my way soon, it's as hard as goats knees and very dense, bit like Lignum Vitae. I want to turn a leather smasher (US Bouncer?)from it.
Good one.
More power to y'awl!
T.

[dw]

Tom,

The bead was cut with a Sorby parting tool--3/32", I think--and then the defining grooves on either side were burned in with a special tool that is being made. All it is is guitar wire with one inch diameter wooden balls mounted at each end of the wire...so you can hold the wire tight without buring your fingers.

I'd sure love to turn some of the NZ woods, So many that are really unsuaual and beautifully grained.

Take a look at this photo:

bocote awl

This is the kind of awl I use for inseaming. I made this one out of bocote (mexican rosewood) and used a brass ferrule that Dick Anderson actually machines up.

I used to use all screw tighened awl hafts (from Barnsley) but once Al introduced me to the older (and in my opinion, prettier and more comfortable), style hafts I have never looked back.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

frommer@bootmaker.com
http://www.bootmaker.com

"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

[marc]

You'll notice that the Osage Orange (aka Bois d'Arc) will gradually darken as long as it is exposed to light and air. I'm glad it turned well, since the wood has a horrible tendency to split as it dries. I'm not sure it actually gets any harder as it ages, but it is a fun wood anyway.

Marc

[tomo]

DW that's a nice awl as well.
Do you think you've missed your calling?
Actually except for the colour, the tulip wood and the bocote seem to have a similar grain? Although I'd guess they handle differently in the lathe.
I think it's great making tools then using them. Don't forget that most of the tools we get now - even from the smaller firms are mass produced albeit on a greater/lesser scale.
When you make something -a boot, a tool, a saddle, some magic goes from your hands and into the work. The more you handle the work, the more magic that's imparted. The magic makes the item special. - It's Sunday here, probably explains a bit. : )
More power to y'awl.
T.

[jake]

Dee-Dubb,

Been busy tending to business here. Haven't been "logging-on" as often as usual, so I'm just getting to admire your handy work. Magnificient! Great job!

Tom,

If you ever get to visit with D.W., you will be amazed at what all this man can accomplish. With each "project" he researches, he then skillfully crafts a masterpiece. His "calling"? PERFECTION! Plain and simiple.

[dw]

Mark, Tom,

Osage Orange (also known as "hedge" colloquially) is well known for splitting. It is a wood that wants to tear itself apart as it dries. I've had lots of trouble with it splitting before I ever turned it--especially in this climate. Slow drying, with the end grain sealed, can prevent a great deal of that and once mostly dry, turning a piece will eliminate potentially all the rest...simply because reducing the substance relieves the internal stress. Once I get a piece this far I've never had any problems with it...yet! That said, I don't have any long term experience with the wood (I haven't been turning all that long) but other turners on the various forums, say it gets too hard even to saw, much less turn. And, as you say, it turns a lovely brown as it ages.

Bocote (Cordia elaeagnoides) and tulipwood (Dalbergia frutescens) are not really related although they are both referred to as "rosewood" Many of the rosewoods are not related (Dalbergia being the true rosewood) and some woods like kingwood (Dalbergia congestiflora) which is never referred to as a rosewood, are actually related to true rosewood. They all tend to be hard, dense, fine grained and strikingly figured. The tulipwood is very fine grained and very hard ...markedly harder than the bocote. I like both of them extremely well. Some of these woods, like the tulipwood will finish off with almost nothing other than successively finer grades of sandpaper--to 18000 grit. And then it shines ...glows is a better word...with a high gloss that is almost diminished with the use of something like Renaissance wax.

Now you know more than you ever wanted to know But in passing, I'd say that when you pick up a tool that is well designed and balanced (such as the sewing awl hafts) it is a joy. And if you or someone you know made that tool, there is something magic about using it. In fact, something magic seems to reside in the tool all the time. I look at my awl pot with all the boxwood and cocobolo handles and sometimes I just like to pick them up and hold them in my hand.

It's Sunday here, too.


Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

frommer@bootmaker.com
http://www.bootmaker.com

"Little Jack Dandiprat, in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives the shorter he grows."

[tomo]

DW, Jake
last night after my last post, I took my parents to an American friends home for dinner. This ol' boy is one of my father's wood turning buddies. I was telling them about your awls and asking about the Osage Orange, Dave had a 10" piece in the dining room waiting to be turned. (his brother had sent it from the States). He told me how it gets used for hedges and that the 'fruit' looks like green brains. it is very dense and quite heavy.
I just mentioned this 'cause I thought it was a real coincidence that we'd just been discussing the wood here.

Jake, that was very quick! : )

More power to y'awl
T.

[jake]

Ok, now that we've pushed that old heavy curve needle in the corner and are sewing our outsoles on by hand, what's the next step?

Why not push the next heaviest beast into the corner too? The finisher makes things a lot quicker and easier, but heck, that wouldn't be fun, would it? What's this tool? How is it used?

2971.jpg

[tomo]

Hey Jake,
this is probably a case of the tail wagging the dog but it's (I'm sure) a heel shave. Used to go around the built up heel. They come in several radii. I have one here with a star and a 7 cast into it but the radius is much tighter than yours?
But when I scroll onto the picture the word 'heelshave' appears?? April 1st has way gone so...??
Maybe it's a case of the dog getting his tail caught in the car door!
Have a good one
More power to y'awl
T.
PS- I like your pictures, they tell/show SO much
Thanks. T.

[shoestring]

Jake,
It's a heel shave but most often used by saddle makers to do heavy skiving,they come in different sizes oh yea wood workers use them to.
Ed