Sewing & Other Less Mechanical Repairs

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  • rhino

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    Mar 18, 2008
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    A lot of people here have extensive knowledge fixing cars, trucks, and other machines. Most of them have tools and many have lots of spare parts, which are awesome!

    How many of us know how to sew and repair by stitching? Did you have a good sewing kit and supplies including patches, fabric glue, etc?

    Do you have a plan for improvising for sewing when you don't necessarily have your preferred materials (e.g. keeping a sail needle in your kit and use fishing line or dental floss in lieu of thread)?

    Can you stitch leather?

    I can sew well enough to replace a button, repair a ripped seam, and other simple things. I have a small kit that I have with me where I live now, but the tiny spools of thread are of unknown quality. I prefer to use really heavy duty thread for repairing seams in high stress areas, so I need to build a new supply of that.

    Question: what is a compact method for keeping a reasonable supply of threads in a small kit? Right now I have a few sewing machine bobbins, but they won't hold very much heavy duty thread. Full spools are bulky. If there were something as flat as a sewing machine bobbin, but larger in diameter, it would be ideal. I'm thinking of winding heavier thread around a short section of dowel rod, which would same some space over the full spools and would fit in loops in my little Maxpedition pocket organizer nicely. Bank line is thick enough that I can just store hanks of it like mini para cord.

    I need a proper awl and supplies for stitching leather and other heavy materials. And a good quality stainless steel thimble (the plastic thimbles in cheap sewing kits are crap).

    The tiny scissors in pre-built kits also tend to be crap. I keep a Victorinox Super Tinker in my sewing kit for the scissors and other tools.

    All of this is good for everything from SHTF to ripping the "crotch seam" of your pants when you squat. Gear and skills that are good for both every day and for emergencies are GOOD PREPS.
     

    spencer rifle

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    Small spools work just fine, as do some cardboard tubes with several colors of thread wrapped around them that come in small sewing kits. Our sewing awl has been used to stitch leather (with artificial sinew) and shealing sheepskin (with waxed nylon) for coats and hats. Also have bank line, but needles big enough to handle it are harder to get through material. A glover's needle works well for leather and thicker material. If you are pushing too hard with a thimble to get the needle through, you may expect to break some needle eyes.
     

    BigBoxaJunk

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    Here's my first holster, made with leather scraps from Hobby Lobby. I copied the pattern and learned the techniques from Youtube.

    attachment.php


    I don't have my own sewing kit, I use my wife's that she's had since Jr. High school Home Ec. class, although I have added various needles and heavier-duty thread to her kit.

    I've fixed many split seams, holes, tears, etc. in my hunting and work clothes, replaced zippers and buttons, and I've modified or added pockets and things to be more functional.

    I look at sewing as a necessary skill that every person should have, man or woman.
     

    obijohn

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    Try winding your thread around tubing of some description. This will leave space for needles, pins etc inside the tubing. My field sewing kit is organized this way in an altoids tin. I have also put sewing kits, and fishing kits, in cigar tubes. I also have, and can use, a sewing machine. This allows me to go over my gear prior to going out and make more substantial repairs.
     

    rhino

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    Small spools work just fine, as do some cardboard tubes with several colors of thread wrapped around them that come in small sewing kits. Our sewing awl has been used to stitch leather (with artificial sinew) and shealing sheepskin (with waxed nylon) for coats and hats. Also have bank line, but needles big enough to handle it are harder to get through material. A glover's needle works well for leather and thicker material. If you are pushing too hard with a thimble to get the needle through, you may expect to break some needle eyes.

    Tubes... didn't think of tubes!

    When I'm pushing with a thimble and I feel the needle flexing, I know I'm in trouble! That's when I use a multi-tool pliers or a hemostat lower on the needle to push the point through, then pull from the opposite side.


    Here's my first holster, made with leather scraps from Hobby Lobby. I copied the pattern and learned the techniques from Youtube.

    attachment.php


    I don't have my own sewing kit, I use my wife's that she's had since Jr. High school Home Ec. class, although I have added various needles and heavier-duty thread to her kit.

    I've fixed many split seams, holes, tears, etc. in my hunting and work clothes, replaced zippers and buttons, and I've modified or added pockets and things to be more functional.

    I look at sewing as a necessary skill that every person should have, man or woman.

    Nice holster, sir!

    Having a shared kit with your wife works too! Sounds like you're well outfitted.


    Try winding your thread around tubing of some description. This will leave space for needles, pins etc inside the tubing. My field sewing kit is organized this way in an altoids tin. I have also put sewing kits, and fishing kits, in cigar tubes. I also have, and can use, a sewing machine. This allows me to go over my gear prior to going out and make more substantial repairs.

    The tube idea is excellent.

    I have some of those tiny, flat sewing kits stashed in a few places, but they're mostly good for emergencies and I consider anything I do with the crappy thread to be temporary. But they can save a lot of grief when that's all you have!

    Sewing machine skills are good to have. I have one in the garage at the old house, but I haven't actually used a sewing machine since the 8th grade. Maybe I'll revisit that someday soon. I had one of those handheld sewing machines a few years ago. It was almost impossible to use and anything it for which it might be suited was pretty much easier to do by hand.

    Have you ever used a treadle powered sewing machine? That would be good to have in your repertoire as well. Ask me the next time you see me about what happened to the one our family used to have (it's not a happy story).
     

    halfmileharry

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    Dec 2, 2010
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    South of Indy
    I grew up basically raising 3 younger sisters. My mother was at the hospital 24/7 with my little brother, dad worked 18rs a day, and I was the oldest of the kids.
    I could hem, repair, and I even made cheerleader outfits and majorette outfits from Simplicity patterns on an old Singer sewing machine. I did this from the time I was 11 to 16 when my brother died.
    I still have a couple of sewing machines in the closet.
    I keep the small flat Singer sewing kits hanging on the wall in the "Man Cave" (what a laugh). They're composed of pre-threaded needles and a half dozen colors of thread. Great little kits for a couple of bucks since I can NOT see to thread a needle these days.
    I've used them twice this week on buttons and once on a sleeve on a dress shirt that I tore at JM Gunsmith on their inner door handle. It wasn't a bad tear and repaired well beyond a visual inspection.
    My knife is sharp enough to act as scissors if needed and will cut about anything within reason.
    Oh, I don't have a wife to handle these things and my GF is about useless in domestic areas.
     

    rhino

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    Mar 18, 2008
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    Indiana
    I grew up basically raising 3 younger sisters. My mother was at the hospital 24/7 with my little brother, dad worked 18rs a day, and I was the oldest of the kids.
    I could hem, repair, and I even made cheerleader outfits and majorette outfits from Simplicity patterns on an old Singer sewing machine. I did this from the time I was 11 to 16 when my brother died.
    I still have a couple of sewing machines in the closet.
    I keep the small flat Singer sewing kits hanging on the wall in the "Man Cave" (what a laugh). They're composed of pre-threaded needles and a half dozen colors of thread. Great little kits for a couple of bucks since I can NOT see to thread a needle these days.
    I've used them twice this week on buttons and once on a sleeve on a dress shirt that I tore at JM Gunsmith on their inner door handle. It wasn't a bad tear and repaired well beyond a visual inspection.
    My knife is sharp enough to act as scissors if needed and will cut about anything within reason.
    Oh, I don't have a wife to handle these things and my GF is about useless in domestic areas.

    You, sir, are a real man. Accepting responsibility and then following-through to successful outcomes is outstanding! Managing that when you were a child yourself . . . impressive! And you can sew as a result of it.

    I salute you.

    source.gif
     

    halfmileharry

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    You, sir, are a real man. Accepting responsibility and then following-through to successful outcomes is outstanding! Managing that when you were a child yourself . . . impressive! And you can sew as a result of it.

    I salute you.

    source.gif
    Thanks Rhino but just a country boy from a close family.
    That's the way we do things where we come from. Just everyday life and one foot in front of the other.
     

    rhino

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    Thanks Rhino but just a country boy from a close family.
    That's the way we do things where we come from. Just everyday life and one foot in front of the other.

    Which means that your family and where you're from tend to produce real men as standard operating procedure. We need more of that!
     

    GLOCKMAN23C

    Resident Dumbass II
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    Feb 8, 2009
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    I spent a number of years at a commercial sewing machine or on a bench with a sail palm and thread. In that time I learned how to sew leather, canvas, and work rope.
     

    SmileDocHill

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    Mar 26, 2009
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    Westfield
    Funny you should bring it up. I was just sewing 2" elastic bands on the inside of some of my pant and shorts pockets yesterday. I have 1 pair of tactical pants that has them in the thigh pocket and love it. Designed I think for pistol, ar, pistol mags side by side they work well for a flashlight, knife, or whatever and prevents the item from going horizontal or printing.
    For thread on gear (not just casual wear) I'm a big fan of using very lightly waxed floss. POH is my favorite for sewing, 630 lite wax is roughly 630 denier. The lite wax is barely noticeable but helps hold the multi filaments together when threading the needle and I like to think makes a little more water resistant seam.
    PERSONAL ORAL HYGIENE

    https://goo.gl/images/P1yuv1
    P1yuv1


    Ithe inside of my pockets on many of my cargo shorts have specifically located places for my flashlight, extra pistol mag, phone in some, and in some a piece of thin flexible plastic cutting board to prevent my Khar pm9 from printing through the pocket.
     
    Last edited:

    obijohn

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    Tubes... didn't think of tubes!


    Have you ever used a treadle powered sewing machine? That would be good to have in your repertoire as well. Ask me the next time you see me about what happened to the one our family used to have (it's not a happy story).

    Yes, I have. Please don't tell me the treadle machine story, likely just anger me.
     

    SmileDocHill

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    When i had the backpack group buy and was repairing gear on a decent scale I investigated options for heavy tough fabrics. NO mom and pop sewing and alterations places would touch it. A couple were interested from a conversational standpoint and gave a tour/education. A machine thats "commercial " grade and is obviously NOT your mom's Singer can be so for reasons that have nothing to do with being able to sew tough fabrics.

    Ive also used spider wire fishing line but you have to be careful. It's thin and tough and can initiate tears. Stitch design and fabric type are important.

    On my living room ottoman right now.
    YuKTBFg.jpg
     

    JeepHammer

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    Aug 2, 2018
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    I spent 16 in the Marine Corps, got disabled, stayed drunk for two years feeling sorry for myself...
    Met a country girl that smacked me in the head and asked if the disability was retardation, or was I going to pick myself up and get on with things?

    Between the bad news & dope the VA hands out, and my taste for straight whisky, the thought of getting off my ass and doing something hadn't occurred to me.

    One of the first place we went together was 'Settlers Days', steam engines, hit & miss engines, early tractors, and a HUGE swap meet...
    She was looking over the hand grinders, saying her grandmother made the BEST bread with 'White Wheat' with one of those grinders, so I bought it ($12, haggled down from $20), and we got ahold of Grandma to locate some 'White Wheat'...

    She had a sewing machine and did some sewing, she couldn't sew anything too heavy.
    About 5 years later, at the same yearly event (we never miss it), we had land and was building a homestead, and she ran into a hand cranked canvas & leather sewing machine, rough shape but was all there, so we got it. ($110 down from $250).
    I put a drive motor on it, but the hand crank is still there.

    She does needle point, knits, makes a lot of canvas covers, some leather work, and generally can make about anything we need.

    It's too big for what the OP intended, and weighs about 70 pounds, but it will sew harness leather, she's made knife sheaths, gun cases & holsters, although it's not her favorite stuff to do.

    Keep in mind this compliments my skills, the first time I tried to sew a patch on I broke the needle off in my finger.
    I can sew a button on, and I practiced field stitches, but that's about it... Since skin staplers are so cheap, I don't even practice that anymore.

    When my grandmother passed, she left behind hundreds of patterns, kids cloths, men's shirts, women's dresses, just a crap ton of that stuff in a trunk, so I grabbed it before it hit the trash. You just never know what will come in handy...
     

    eldirector

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    Apr 29, 2009
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    My mother taught my sister and I how to sew, by hand in with her machine. Did all kinds of projects as a kid, and still do buttons and the like.

    As for a kit, they make plenty of travel sewing kits. Hit Amazon, and search for exactly that: "travel sewing kit". I have one that includes needles, a few colors of thread, and some buttons in my travel bag. We have some other small kits around the house. Beats breaking out my wife's whole arsenal just for a button.

    The only "interesting" thing I can think of lately, was making some straps out of webbing and buckles. Also did some repairs on some heave-duty (10K#) straps. Much heavier needles and thread (more like fishing line).

    My wife knits. Yeah, that's not "tactical", but if SHTF we will be warm.
     
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