I don't know how to sew!

Mikey

got muscles in his head that ain't never been used
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I am trying to come up with a way to repair these They are part of what holds my saddle bags on (universal fit)
Is there
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Any kind of glue that would be strong enough?
I am also try and find a cobbler nearby to maybe have it sewn there ( There aren't many left)
Thanks Mike
 

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A lady just came in the door Miss Right first name Always
She said to buy a sewing awl ??
Harbor freight $6.49
Damn farm girls always seem to have the Right answers
 

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Yeah, sewing is a survival skill. Buttons, holes, seams. But webbing is gonna need something hefty-duty, like that HFT awl. If you can't find a cobbler, or leather shop, try an automotive upholstery, or marine canvas shop. They'll have equipment for it... :twocents:
 
Oh, yeah, done nylon webbing/straps like that several times, including adding clip-type straps to my saddlebags, just like yours.

At WallyWorld,
Get a pack of upholstery needles,
UpholsteryNeedles.jpg

And, in the fishing dept, the fine gauge SpiderWire.
Spiderwire.jpg

And, some Gorilla Superglue.
GorillaSuperGlue.jpg

Figure the placement, cut the straps to length, as necessary. Burn/melt the ends to prevent unravelling.

Superglue a strap in the target position, where it will be sewn. Be quick, this superglue *loves* nylon. Press/hold for about a minute.

I use hammer, pliers, softwood backing, and a thimble (protects fingers). This is some tough stuff, like leather. Hammer/nail the needle thru, use board as backup, pull thru with pliers.

Sew a rectangular border pattern, tie-off on the non-visible backside.
Sew in a filler "X" for more security.
StrapStitching.jpg

A small dribble of superglue over the non-visible backside stitches will soak in and lock/seal the stitching. Superglue *loves* Spiderwire...
 
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A hand held punch with the rotary wheel of various hole sizes gets a workout here when it comes to leather, that and the artificial sinew.
Me and the missus were out to Wally World perusing the fabric section in search of some coarse weave canvas to match some material that a hunting frock that I had gotten is made from......as 2Many mentioned, there was a nice pack of heavy needles available- a must have if you're going to work with leather or coarse cloth.
Chrome snaps can be found at Lowe's, nice to use for more modern apps.
 
I am trying to come up with a way to repair these They are part of what holds my saddle bags on (universal fit) Is there any kind of glue that would be strong enough?
I am also try and find a cobbler nearby to maybe have it sewn there ( There aren't many left)
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike,
Large flat head 1/8" diameter Pop rivet and 1/8" aluminum flat washer. 2 should work; 4 will work better.
 
I always have a sewing kit along on trips and have become reasonably adept at fixing buttons and busted straps like GnR showed above using the technique brought forward by 2M.

In the Navy it is called "Make & Mend" and all sailors were taught how to repair their uniforms, sails, and other gear as a routine part of their weekly duties. I call it "fireside sewing" and it is quite relaxing and very satisfying because you make something useful out of something that is broken.

"Fireside sewing" really isn't difficult. I just thread a needle (of one size or another depending on how thick/tough the materials being sewn together are) and then double the thread over and tie a good sized knot in the "free" end. The needle is now at the mid-point of the loop of thread and the knot is at the opposite end from the needle. The knot will prevent the thread from pulling through the material and thus, it will secure your repair.

Then, you simply align the two things to be attached (glue could be helpful here as 2M pointed out) and start going back and forth through both of them with the needle "towing" the thread along.

Once you have gone through both items 6-15 times (I am an engineer, so I believe in redundancy), you simply cut the thread off near the needle and tie the two resulting loose ends of thread together down near the joined items to form another "knot" that will not pull back through the stuff you have joined - and wah-la!

BTW - chicks really dig that a guy can actually do this - so don't be shy about showing your skills.
 
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