Leather work

Apprehension has relegated this particular task to the final stages of the build. I have never undertaken any leather work before and had subconsciously delayed the work in preference to more familiar jobs, an avoidance tactic perhaps! but now there were no more excuses, I had to get on with it.

A few weeks previously I had purchased a Speedy Stitcher and a spool of buff waxed heavy polyester thread, armed with the instruction leaflet that came with the tool, I proceeded to practice the process before committing to the real thing. To my surprise I got the hang of it in around an hour and proceeded to stitch the protective leather sleeves onto the oars.  I first wrapped the leather around the oar and held it in place with clamps whilst marking the point at which the two ends overlapped, I then removed the material and trimmed back the edge approximately 6 mm from the mark, this produced an open joint which would be closed when the leather was stitched and stretched.  I then marked out the stitching centres and pierced the leather to assist the penetration of the Speedy Stitcher needle. Working along the joint for approximately 50 mm, I kept moving back to tension the thread by lifting each loop with a small screwdriver before continuing. A good result was achieved with a traditional classic look.

The Speedy Stitcher in action.

One down one to go!

There were two other surfaces that I considered would require protection, the notch in the transom for the sculling oar and the base of the gaff jaws that come into contact with the mast. I marked out and cut patterns on thin card to arrive at a suitable design, giving due consideration to allow enough relief in the profile to enable me to stretch the leather over the curved surfaces to achieve a tight fit. Before fitting, I soaked the leather in water to make it more pliable then stretched it onto the surfaces held temporarily in place with clamps. I used a large spoon to shape the leather tight onto the contours then finally fixed in place with copper tacks. Again a result, that looks both decorative and functional.

Finally I considered it prudent to fit a protective leather sleeve around the bowsprit at the point where it passes through the bowsprit iron at the stem head; this will protect the timber and provide a nice snug bed between the timber and the bronze ring.