P R E F A C E

F i nding that there was nothing in th e form of writing and illustrations which I might use to keep constantly be fore my pupils While teaching them how to repair an d I w C i a n make shoes , set to ork omp ling set of lesso s t i which would meet his immed ate need . The lessons on the following pages are planned so as to take one from the very first steps of caring for a shop and making waxed ends to the place Where he is ready to make a U t i i shoe . pon each s ep llustrated here n , a great deal

i b e i M i b w v more m ght sa d y ma n o ject , ho e er , is to put ,

cle ar wa t t . in a , compact y , the essen ial fac s This book is dedicat ed to the thousands of young men who are anxious to do common things in uncommon ways . Y v ours ery truly , t 1912 C opyrigh , CONTENTS

The Proper Way to keep a Shoeshop Ma king a Waxed E n d Some Points to b ear in mind ab o ut Waxed E nds To make th e Plain Sti tch The Stu dy of Differen t Awls How to Sharpen Kni ves The S ' u are - awl like the Knife and th e C hisel The Divisions of a Last

F H t- R - fil e The rench ammer , Wel knife and han Repairing a Heel How a McKay Sewed Shoe is made Preparation of Sole Leather H al fso li ng a Shoe ( nailed ) The B ack and Lock Stitches The Underneath Patch and t he B ackb one Stitch Shoe Leathers P utting on a C ement Patch H alfsoli ng a Sewed Shoe Preparing an Insole for a Sewed Shoe Patching a Shoe at the Tip

H a lfsoli n g azTu rn ed Shoe List of Tools Necessary to have

H O W TO REPAIR SH OES

THE PROPER WAY TO KEEP A SH OE SHOP A Shoe shop should be kept clean as any

other place of business . A clean swept floor ,

Win clean , clear corners , bright walls , clean dows and everything straight and in place

' go to make a pleasant sh op t o work in and a

pleasant place for people to visit . Show me the inside of a shoemaker ’ s place b e of business , and I will able to tell you to a great degre e the kind of customers he has

and the class of work he does . The shop should be well ventilate d and lighted for the sake of the workmen ’ s health . There should b e set or special hours during the day for sweeping and arranging

’ things . Often a workman s work seems a burden because things are not tidy and

straight . When putting down a pair of

shoes , set them straight with insides together .

. t The little things count A bright , pleasan HOW TO REPAIR SHOES shop is the first step towards making work a pleasure 1 l s the . A way sweep from front door to wards the rear end of the shop . 2 o . The easiest way to sweep is to m ve everything , placing it in its p roper place as you go so that when you are through every

l e r e thingWi l b st aight . When possibl cove r all h e mac ines while sw eping .

th e r 3 . Never leave wo k bench without l eaving everything straight . 4 l . Never keep heavy too s , such as iron at an d - Ha l s s lap irons on your bench . ve t bench sys em .

M AKING A WA' ED END The threads which shoemakers use are called ends ' (warped thread twisted) and are made of two or more threads or strands of smaller thread , or flax , as it is called . The first thing in maki ng an end is bre ak ing the flax . To b reak the flax , hold the

h is main part , whic to be b roken for the end , in the t fi we lef hand , rmly gripping it h re s HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

you want it broken , between the first finge r and thumb so that it will not turn beyond

that point . With the right hand , lay the part of flax which is attached to the ball on

This ’ will the knee and roll it from you .

cause the small flax fibers to separate , thus

e nabling you to break it easily . When the

e fib rs separate give the thread a light , quick

j erk and it will break . Whe n the thread

b reaks pull it apart gradually so that th e fi

b . ers will tape r See Diagram No . 1 fo r

breaking . Whe n putting threads together lay them

on e just behind the o ther so that the e nd

9 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

will have a ve ry fine point . See Diagram 2 No . .

3 :

P utting the threads together Roll the e nd with the same movement as 1 shown in Diagram No . , only allow it to turn between the fingers of the left hand . Afte r

rolling or twisting , wax well . TO P UT O N TH E B R I STLE

To put on a b ristle , wax the fine e nds

n well to the point . Catch the b ristle , holdi g head in left hand , pull the wax toward the end briskly , thus w axing only the part to

10 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

which the thread is to be faste ned . Take the bristle between the first finger and 3 thumb , Diagram No . , and catch the fine

’ Qfi s flt cw

J'

' t- x 3 “ v a “w. b 3 t)

part of thread with it . Twist thre ad and bristle well together , slanting to the end . Stick hole in thread an d pull bristle through

“

- 5 . to fasten it . See Diagram No . After f o ff astening thread , cut heads of bristles and sandpape r the e nds .

11 SOM E POINTS To B EAR IN M IND AB OUT WA' ED ENDS

Never make an end longer than is m eces sary to sew a shoe . If an end is long enough to sew tw‘o sh o e s g , double the amount of work is done by pulling the double end through l the first shoe . By doing this , the e nd wil have to be pulled two or three times more than necessary . The second shoe , whe n sewed with such an end , is neve r as strong as the first one . The thread grows weaker and weake r as

I S e d it used . The second shoe gets the d a thread .

When sewing , keep the thread well waxed .

is When the thread is well waxed , the awl

not too large , and the e nd is pulled up well , the shoes seldom rip . To M AKE TH E PLAIN STITCH

1 th e m . Push awl through the leather fro the right side .

2 - . Put the left hand bristle through and

- then the right hand bristle .

3 - b e . The left hand bristle should always

12 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES in the side of the hole which is farthest from you 4 . Catch hold of the b ristle s and pull them through .

5 . Afte r they are well throu gh , catch the end below the bristles and finish the stitch . 6 . Pull the end up well and hold it until

ax you can feel the w set .

7 . Afte r the first stitch is made , the b ris tle from the left hand will always come through on top of the stitch , or end , on the right side . K 8 . eep the hands free from grease while sewing with a waxed e nd .

9 . Always sew towards you .

THE STUDY OF DIFFE RENT AWLS

Shoemakers use four kinds of awls , namely

- - - Pegging awl , Stabbing awl (or straight awl) , ‘ S ewing - awl (in se am im g or wh ipping - awl)

- - a l and the Stitching awl (or square w ) . The

' Pegging - awl is used to drive holes in the

' ' l t u se d t o so e for pegs . It is some ime s make holes in the heels before the heel - nails are

13 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

- aw1 put in . The Stabbing is used in sewing rips in the upp er of a shoe and any othe r kind of sewing which is to be done in straight ,

- awl flat material . The Inseaming is use d when sewing the welt on a shoe , sewing a patch down to the sole , and in some cases when sewing the sole on the shoe . The ‘ Sewi ng - awl is round or oval shaped at the point . This awl will make stitche s which have a tendency to run into one another . For this reason it is better for making long stitches such as those on the welt . The

- Stitching awl is used for stitching on the sole .

This awl (the Square - awl ) makes a square hole which allows you to make a very fi n e stitch when sewing on the sole . The flat or square hole does not allow the stitches to run together .

When sewing , no awl should be use d which is as large as the two ends put to gether . The hole which the awl makes must be so small that the threads will offer resist ' l ance when being pu led through . (The threads will have to be pulled hard to get

14 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

them through . ) Always be sure that the awl

is small enough .

z awl The right si e d , with an end well wax

ed and pulled up (until it sets) are two things which are necessary to make a good

strong stitch .

HOW TO SHARPEN KNIV ES

Diagram at top of page 16 tells you not to begin half - way the blade to sharp en a ? straight knife . Why Because beginning

at that point , you will in a short while have a knife with a blunt or dull edge . The knife will seem to be made of poor metal . I n o r

“ der to make a knife cut , we must sharpen it from A to B according to diagram so that the blade can gradually work it s way through the leathe r . A thick blade coming to a point all at once cuts hard , therefore , bear in mind t hat the knife must be held flat on the stone or sharp ener in order to get the right shap e as shown in diagrams .

Note the diagram of the lip knife . It is sharpene d to a bevel on the side that cuts

15

HO W TO REPAIR SHOES next to shoe only half ~ way and held flat on the outside Thus a lip knife is sharpene d like a chisel .

There are two movements in cutting , for ward and downward . A butcher never cuts a slice of meat without pulling his knife in two directions , across the meat and down through it . The chisel is made to cut by p ressing it downward and across the wood .

THE SQUARE - AWL LIKE THE KNIFE AND THE CHISEL

The Square - awl must b e sharpe ne d so that the effects of these two movements can be gotten so that it can cut its way through o the s le . Since the blade is flat or square , it cannot be turned in its place , o r be pull

o ff e d across . The blade must b e cut at an h e . e so t angle , i . , it must be sharp ened that point on the outside of the curve will b e e sharp and to a point , tapering to the insid of the curve . This will allow a straight , steady pressure on the awl to have the same effect as that gotten by the two moveme nts in cutting with a chisel and knife . Thus , a l the w cuts its way through freely .

17 THE DIV ISIONS OF A LAST

Since shoes receive their shape by b eing forme d ove r the last , it is best that the divis f ions o the last be give n some thought . t e s The las is divid d into four part ; namely , H Ba . The Toe , _ ll , Shank and the eel D 1 iagram No . shows these parts and their shap es .

“m ak e

18

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES Always remembe r that the ball of a shoe is longer on the outside having a short shank . The ball is shor ter on the inside having a

m long shank . Co pare outside and inside 2 Diagrams and 3 .

R M M R THE F ENCH HA E , WELT KNIFE AND R HAN- FILE

The French hammer has a round ball face .

When heavy , it is use d for beating and moulding the soles in shape . When light , it is used for hammering in rounde d places such as the shank .

The Welt - knife is used for trimming the upp er surface of the sole along th e welt (or the part next to the upper) . It is sharpe ne d

wa - the same y as the lip knife .

The Rhan - fil e is used for smoothing sur

- face after the Welt knife has been use d .

20 R EPAIR ING A HEEL

The heel , being more directly unde r th e b ody and the first to strike the ground , ge nerally wears out first . For the above reason , much care must be taken to see that good leather and solid work is put into it .

Pull o ff the worn top - piece and see th at what is left is hammered down solidly . Next

QWS N u t t u .

- split a piece of solid , easy cutting , scrap sole

two leather , so that pieces can b e gotte n out

of one . Put them on the shoe as shown in 1 2 Diagrams Nos . and ; faste n them on

. well , piece by piece , with tacks See that

21 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES t h e heel is level before putting on the top piece . (I n some cases , if necessary , a small piece can be put unde r after the top - piece has e v l u t o ri be n trimmed . ) After it is le e , p

- d top piece , trim in shape , then raw guide

down .

ow

g S ee m s 0L K;

Always put the nails thicker on the side that is worn down most , to p rotect the heel .

’ Rasp the heel well an d in shape ; smooth ‘ ff with bu e r and sandpaper . When finished , 6 l s it should set level ( Diagram No . ) un es you are orde red to leave it o th e e ise by the wearer .

22 TO REPAIR SHOES

23

HOW A M c KAY SEWED SHOE IS M ADE The Mckay sewed shoe is made on the

same principle as a naile d shoe . The leather for the inner sole or the foundation of the nailed shoe need only be strong enough to

hold the clinche d nails . This inner sole is placed on the last and trimme d in shape first ; after this the upper is laste d over the last and tacked down with

short tacks . The upper is pulled over at

least one - half inch so that the nails in outer

sole can catch it . The space on the inner sole that is not covere d by the uppe r leather is fille d in with tarred felt or some other ma t e rial that will be water p roof and at the sam e time serve to stop the crying of the

soles . This shoe may or may not have a middle

sole . The middle sole (or slip sole as it is often called) is put on the shoe next and al lowed to exten d back just b eyond the shank l ine . At this en d it is trimmed down to a

25 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

feather . Tacks are use d to fasten this sole in place . The outer sole is next put on and trimmed in shape . This , the outer sole , is th en nail e d on the shoe with nails that are long enough to go through the middle sole

u and clinch on the inner sole , catching the p

at p er the same time . The only differences between the nailed shoe and the M c Kay sewed shoe are these :

TH E M c KAY SEWED S H O E l 1 . d The middle so is not fastene d securely r w 2 . hen it is fi st put on . The outer sole is fastene d on with a thread which goes through and catches the inne r sole . This thread takes the place of the nails in the nailed shoe . Notice the cut on page 27 of cross section

M Ka of the c y sewe d shoe . At the left side the channel can b e seen turne d back The heavy black line which passes through the

m iddl e ' sol e s outer sole , and the inner ole represents the stitch that is made on the

M c Kay machi n e . This stitch holds the outer sole on . This stitch takes the place of the nails in a nailed shoe . The short heavy

26

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES black line at the left en d of the sole which does not pass through to the inside of the shoe represents a set of stitches which are sometimes put on the shoe in order that it might appear as a shoe with a welt to it . The right side of same cut shows the sole with the channel closed and covering b oth sets of stitches .

28 PREPARATION OF SOLE LEATHE R

All sole leather should be put in case b e it G fore is used . ood soles often fail to give the service they should when they are not p roperly p repare d before being put on the shoe . The first step towards the p reparation of sole leathe r is wetting it thoroughly , in other w ords , put it in water and allow it to remain until it is wet through . After this take it out and set it up so that all of the wate r can t drain out that will . I is bette r to wet leather the day before it is to be use d so that it will have one night at least to set and mull .

When it is wet the day before using , it should b e allowed to drain and wrappe d very close in cloth or paper to prevent it from getting too dry for use If it is kept close it will r e main moist and cut like cheese . I n this stage the best results can be gotten in work manship . M OULDI N G

All soles should b e cut in rough shape b e

29

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES fore being put on the shoe and all meaty su b stance trimmed from them . In trim m ing away the meaty substance (if there should be any) be sure and see that the sole is made the same thickness all over . After this the sole should be hammere d out for two reasons :

first , to make all of the grains of the leathe r more com pact ; and second , to mould it into sh ape so that it will lay close to the shoe all

th e around edges . The sole should b e moulded so well that there will be nothing to do when nailing or sewing it on but 30 fasten it where it is . Diagram on p age shows three views of the sole afte r it has been trimme d in rough shap e and m oulded . Too much attention can not b e given to l so . the preparation of e leathe r The, shoe make r who understands how to prepare his leather p roperly and does it at all times will be sure to win customers . Under no circumstances is it wise to take sole leather right ou t of the wate r a nd put it on th e shoes .

31 H ALFSO LIN G A SHOE ( NAILED )

The shoe that is to be h al fsol e d first is a

M Ka c y sewed shoe . It should be borne in mind now j ust how the Mc Kay sewe d shoe is

put together as stated in previous lesson . The first thing to do is to cut o ff the old ‘ Be car e fu l soles . to see if there is a set of stitches on the outside of the middle sole '

if so , be sure to cut them between the middle

and the outer sole .

C UTTI N G O FF TH E OLD SOLE

To cut o ff the old sole stick the knife be “ tween the soles at line a (see Diagram 1) and cut the soles apart around t o the oppo site side o f shoe to same line ; ho ld the old

sole back with one hand and cut o ff at line a

making sure not to cut towards the upper . Line a ( Diagram 1) rep resents the shank line or the imaginary line where the forepart and

shank meet . If the sole is cut o ff at this

, p oint the n ew sole can be cut by it with an allowance for an inch lap which is best for

making a substantial j oint .

32 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

INSP EC TING TH E S H OE It is now time to inspect the old shoe to see if there is anything wrong with the foundation . See if the upper is worn around the edge of the inner sole ; see if the middle

sole has been worn too thin at some point .

Everything must be put in fi r st - class condi

Tu e “. “w

: a a fi w ere - ' Ks C u) afik O1 OK m t m a h Q. v

n tion before putting on the ew sole . The shoe should be leveled and the inner sole should be tested to see if it I S sound e nough at all places to hold the nails that are to be put in the outer sole .

33 HO W TO REPAIR SHOES

FITTING O N TH E S O LE

In fi ttin g o n t h e sole it i s best t o skive the n e s t if w ogle t h at is o be put on first so t hat s om ething goe s wrong t h e pla ce for sol e t h ca n be move d a little . If he s o e

4 0 m QYOM Mast Q ' “t “ . 3 c. Q fi “( wok “O AKS skived first the sole cannot be m ade longe r and a bad j oint will be made . See Diagram

1 to 4 . Care should be taken to see that the new sole is cut thin enough at line 6 on Diagram 4 to make a neat j oint and yet left thick enough to hold the nails which are to fasten it across the shank .

After the soles have been skived , tarre d felt ‘ 34

HO W TO REPAIR SHOES

fi a rst . After the sole is t rimmed , draw guide line around the edge of the sole for nailing far e nough from the e dge to allow th e n ails when driven in to strike about the same

as p lace where the Mc Kay stitch w . Be sure

in nailing t hat the shoe is level on the iron last . Many times the shoe is hammere d out of sh ape and the nails are not clinched b e cause the last is not directly under the nail .

This happens mostly on the outside of shoe .

36 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

P REP ARATION O F TH E EDGE

After the sole is‘n ail e d on and the bottom is made level , prepare the edge for the iron . Th e iron should be smaller than the sole as

n u it n ow stands . The sole is first rasped up til it blends with the middle sole . After this f the edge is bu fe d until it is smooth . The surplus on top of middle sole is trimmed o ff with the welt knife and rubbe d down with the bone . The bottom edge of the sole is next trimme d o ff to fit the guard of the e dge the iron . This bottom can be smoothe d with

f . fine part of the rasp , after which it is b u fe d The edge is n ow sandpap ere d until very smooth . SET TI N G UP TH E EDGE

It is better before applying the edge ink to first set up the e dge by moistening it with a wet sponge and then using the warm iron .

This , the first setting , e nables the workman to be sure that his e dge is right before apply

ing the ink . The ink is afterwards applie d and left to stand until nearly dry . At this stage the warm iron is again rubbe d ove r it

3 7

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

until the edge is burnished to a high polish . I n order to do good burnishing the shoe must be held firmly in one hand and the bur n ishi n g iron equally as firm in the othe r and rubbed back and forth with a square , sturdy t movemen .

“ h v u k cL G Th e. 9 m m S ‘ W

et u d e ‘‘ - ‘O Y L w k A“, Q po «w. t h e

“b u t Q ' Mo t

o s n b h fi . QL\ Ce V WR n ts

C LEANING TH E B OTTOM After the edges are burnished (or set up) the bottom is cleaned by rasping the surface of sole over the nails with the fine flat side of the rasp to get the nails smooth with the ff leather . Next bu the top surface from the

im sole with the grain , making sure that the

40 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES p ression which the guard of the iron has made is left on the edge . After the bottom is clean , smooth it with sandpaper . The bot tom should never be sandpape red until it is dry when a clean white bottom is w anted . In orde r that the shoe might appear neat it is well to make a line across the sole at the shank line (line 1) Diagram I) and apply a gloss polish over the shank to this point . The fudge wheel should be used around the edge of sole to give the j ob a finished appear ance .

41 ‘ THfE B AC K AN D LOCK STITCHES

The B ack Stitch is used o n c om m o n rips whe n the shoe make r h as no w machine which to d o repai r Wo rk . Diagram No shows place stiteh

Diagram No. 1

I n making the stitch , use a single thread

. sew with a needle To , le ave the knot on the insideand pull the nee dle through to the

outside . With your awl , make a hole and h carry the thread back t rough , thus making

one stitch . Make another hole and from the

inside b ring the needle back to the outside .

42

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

putting in the stitches in the upper , so that when you begin to lock it down , you will b e sewing toward you in the sole . Always use a heavy end in lock - stitching ' from 8 to 12 strands .

N Diagram o .

44 THE UNDE RNEATH PATCH AND THE B ACKB ONE STITCH Frequently there are places to be repaire d which call for a patch betwee n the upper and lining of the shoe . Such a patch we will call the underneath patch . The j ob will be strengthened by stitching the place down 1 with the backbone stitch . Diagram No . shows a place which has been broken in the vamp at the front of the shoe . This is a most common place to use such a patch and a ve ry delicate place to repair .

To repair this , rip the vamp from the quarte r on both sides of the b roken place far back enough to allow a patch to b e put under or B e between the upp er and the lining . fore putting the patch in its place (dotted 1 lines in Diagram No . represent the patch in its place) sandpap er the top surface so that it will take the ceme nt . Afte r this is done put the patch in its place and , with a small wooden paddle , distribute channel or rubbe r cement over the two surfaces that are to b e

stuck together .

45 HOW TO REPAIR “SHOES

After the cement has set a while , stick the parts that have rippe d apart back together . Make special e ffort to j oin them as they were at first .

Mi \. “6 G.

s d: i c S k ow u fl k. p

46 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

TH E B AC KB O N E STITC H

To make the j ob strong and at the same time neat , the p arts should b e stitched down with the Backbone Stitch . In making this 2 stitch ( See Diagram N o . ) the place is

,

first whip p ed tog ethe r , catching the material

l of u through to the ining pper . This is

en d th e - done with one ( and stabbing awl . The s titch is made just as the back stitch is made , only it is put in across the broke n place . Be su r e an d keep the stitches straight across

e the plac on the outside and the same length .

a After the pl ce has been whipped together , the stitching down is done . With the same

end sew down the stitches . This is done With the back stitch catching every othe r stitch through to the lining and pulling it down in the j oint of b roken place as though you were driving the stitch down with a sta

ple . After pulling down every other stitch go back and catch the rest the same way

When through cut o ff thread and beat the

place down lightly .

47

SHOE LEATHE RS The skins which are most commonly made into leather for the purpose of making boots

and shoes are taken from the steer , calf ,

horse , colt , goat , sheep , lamb and kangaroo .

“ ' “ ' These skins are called hides , kip s and “ ' r skins . The skins from the large animals

such as the steer and horse , are calle d “ ' hides . Skins which come from the half “ ' grown st e er or cow are calle d kips . The skins from smalle r animals such as the

goat , sheep and kid are simply calle d skins . The skin of the steer is most generally made into sole leather Wheneve r it is use d for upper leather , it is split . Splitting causes it to lose much of its durability . Calf skin is not split ; it is note d for it s d u

a il i r b ty . Nothing better could be wishe d .

This skin is tanne d whole . Skins from the horse and colt are also very

n stro g . N either of these is use d for sole leather . G oat skins are uniform in texture and strength , and are very generally used . For

49 H O W TO REPAIR SHOES

real fine work , the kid skin is used . The finest grained skin is gotten from the kid b e fOr e the animal has had any food except that gotten from its mother .

Sheep skin is quite spongy and pliable .

This does not make such a strong leather . Cheap grades - o f soft shoes are made from sheep skin . The lamb skin makes a very fine graine d leather if it is taken from the animal before it is one month old . After this age the skin begins to get coarse . The kangaroo skin makes a ve ry tough and durable leather . It stretches but little although it is quite pliable . The animal which is expose d to the weather most and which has to exert itself most for its living always p roduces a skin o f superior quality .

50

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

1 . Diagram Skive patch in shape desired , b rin in ou t e r g g edges to a fe ather . Diagram

“ 2 . Lay patch over the hole and m ark plac e with crayon ; make cross guide lines with 3 . o pencil Diagram . Take ff the patch

4 cc skive shoe . Diagram . Put men t on patch and shoe ; distribute evenly with small wooden paddle . (Note : Be sure and keep cement well corke d The thumb should beheld over the mouth of the bottle while cement is being used . ) Let the cement

n h o e 5 . turn white o s and patch . Diagram

53 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES Warm patch and shoe with an eve n heat and place togethe r making guide lines meet . Press firmly together all over and smooth

- well with warm heel burnisher . Diagram

sew Afte r patch has set well , it down to sole

o ff well back and trim surplus leather .

54 H ALFSO LIN G A SEWED SHOE

Cut o ff old sole and pick out the old

o f stitches . Cut f all double soles next to the welt and pull the middle sole from the outer sole . This will leave the stitches out of the middle sole . Test the welt all around . If found to be weak at any place , it should be r e - sewed .

First , fit on the sole as usual , having the sole well moulded to the shoe and the filling in . Trim the sole , leaving it a little wider than the welt so that the e dge can be worke d on without cutting the welt closer to the shoe . After trimming the sole , make a guide - line for cutting the channel close e nough to the edge of the sole to throw the be d of the channel directly under the old hole in the welt . See Diagram . Be sure that the channel is deep e nough to hide the H stitches . ( alf the thickness of the sole is deep enough . ) When the be d of the channel is too far in and not directly under the old hole in the

55

HO W TO REPAIR SHOES

welt , the sole will be drawn from the oppo

o f site side that on which you are sewing ,

consequently , to sew the opposite side , the welt will be drawn down , causing the shoe to

look much narrower , and in most cases , to

become much tighter . This one point has

cause d many shoemake rs to lose customers .

The work was neatly done by them , but the shoe was left with a narrow welt and a very uncomfortable feeling .

The channel , when cut , gene rally is about

- 1 8 inch from the outer edge of the sole . This space betwee n the e dge and the chan nel will be covere d by the guard of the edge iron . This guard will make an impression which will hide the channel . See that the welt is moist b efore beginning to sew When sewing see that the stitches on the welt do not pull through , by pulling harde r on the right - hand thread (the stitch on the sole) . Se e to it that the awl is smaller than the two threads put together so that there will be a resistance whe n pulling them through .

57 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

After the shoe has been sewed , rub down the channel while the leather is yet moist . Some shoemakers use the bone to rub down the stitches in the channel before closing it . This op eration causes the channel to be force d so wide open that it will be hard to close . If the stitches are put directly in the e bed of the channel , th re will be no need to rub them down befo re closing channel . The j ob will not be complete until the e dges are set up , shanks blacked ; the shank line and the j oint of the soles fudged . The stitches must also b e divide d with the stitch divide r or fudge d to give the finish . Black ing the shanks is the last thing to do on a t e p air j ob . It is better to use a gloss polish . Put it on after everything else has been done so th at you will not have to wait on the shoe to dry . H ow far from the edge of j oint should the nails b e put? H ow long should an end be for sewing on the average h al fsol e ? Why is leathe r put in case before it is used?

58

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

too wide . I n order to get this p articular place right , the sole will have to b e trimmed under just a little ; trim with the point

- of the square point knife . This parti c ular

l ittl e will place , if not trimme d under just a ,

u n after the shoe is finished , stand out from t de r the ball of the foot too much . By rim ming it under , the foot is thrown directly over the inside bottom of the shoe . This particular point I S explaine d more clearly in

H ow the next book , to Bottom a Welted H Shoe by and . The bar on the ave rage shoe is 14 inch wide ; the shoulder is the same except in the

18 shank , where it made gradually wider in orde r that the stitches at this point might be hidden . When the shoulder leaves the sha n k and ball line it begins to widen until it

b e reaches the middle of the shank , the n it

1 - 4 gins to ble nd back to its inch width , end

- ing just 1 8 inch beyond the heel line . See “ diagrams for cutting the bar and

shoulder . Afte r making the line for shoul

z der as instructed above , make a hori ontal

Ql

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

cut in line half the thickness of the sole ; make next a s l a n tin g cut so that a V can be T V li taken out . his will allow the p of th e

lip - knife to r u n freely along the bar when A taking out the shoulde r . fte r the shoulder

' li n e fo r 1 - 4 is cut out , make your bar inch

back . Make cut half the thickness of the sole make second cut to take out V and cut out long e nough bevel to allow the inseaming awl to pass through the bar easily and come ‘ h u l d e r out flat on the s e . After the bar and

h e shoulder are cut , punch t holes with the

- 1 4 B e inseaming awl 5 inch apart all around . gin at the tip line to slant the holes a little

toward the center ( o f ' tOe ) so that there will be plenty of room between the stitches at this a point , and llow the holes on the outside of

i “ - r the b a r to be 1 4 inch apa t .

63 PATCHING A SHOE AT THE TIP

Often the desire to mend the place broken hastily causes the workman to lose sight of the fact that the weare r wants his shoe to look neat whe n he wears it .

‘ «Q Qv e s e ss' \ ' ‘ » 0 m QQv “ejfi YO QV S ka i T 0 U v Gm .‘\v\ Q V k 8

Patching a shoe which is broken just at the tip is quite easily done if the right steps are take n . The same p rocess is used generally when putting on cement patches . Before putting

64

HOW TO REPAIR SHOES in the stretchers to tighten the place (in this case) rip the tip loose so that one end of the patch can be put under as shown in Diagram

N o . 3 .

Fit the patch , cutting it as shown in Dia gram No . I n this case , put on the patch and let it set , after which take out the st r e t che r and push the p a rt that is left to go

r unde the tip in its place . See dotted lines showing patch stuck under tip in Diagram 3 No . . Afte r this is done sew down tip again and faste n patch to the sole . Another way to put on this same patch is 1 first , cut the patch as shown in Diagram .

e Skiv the edges . Second , rip the tip loose and push the piece unde r as shown in Dia 3 . sew . gram Third , the patch down at tip

Fourth , put in the stretcher and tighten place . Lay patch back down over the upper and rub crayon over it . Fifth , lift patch and skive shoe . Apply ceme nt .

66

HO W TO REPAIR SHOES

sole from th e u pp er as far ba ck in the shank as the new sole is to come ; cut the thread s t owa rd s th e t n th e u old sole to avoid cu ti g ‘p ff o s s . p er . Do not cut old ole yet Cut the new sole (Which is to be put o n) in rough shape ( Diagram have the sh ank

n ew s part in the shape desired . Place ole

on sole and fasten it t emporarily ol d

3 n ew s sole as in Diagram No . . Trim ole

‘ o l e a i n it a o ne the shape of old s le , v g bout

' sixteenth of an i n ch large r - so that the re «Will be something to work o n when fi nishing

o 3 s s n ew up the edge . Diagram N . how

68 HOW TO REPAIR SHOE S

a lin sole f stened to old . Make guide e s ac ro ss s n the ha k end of new sole , exte nding them

equal distance on the old soles . Make a line

b n ew on old sole at ottom of sole . These lines will show just -where to place the n ew

' a sole fter the bar and channel have been cut .

1 r 4 s Diag am No . . hows the shoe with the

o ff o ff old sole cut . The old sole is cut oval shaped or left l onger i n the cente r of the lap

tD ia ram 4 as shown in g . The lap at the sides

' is left ju st slo n g enough to allow one stitch to

he a r be made in t b of the old sole .

C UTTING TH E B AR AN D C H ANNEL

Mark the line around new s ole for the ‘ all owan ce fo r i th e - shoulder . Make one six

te e n th inch which was allowed - o n the n ew ‘t sole , that is , if the shoulder on he old sole is three - sixteenths of an inch wide ; make the s houlder of the n ew sole one - fourth of an

in h fi id D o c w e . not make shoulde r on new s ole wide r u n l ess i th e n ew sole is wider than

h r t e old s o l e .

To cut the s houlde r see lesson on prepara

69 HOW . TO REPAIR SHOES

61 tion of an insole on page . On the turn sole after Cutting the shoulder th e V is not cut out

' m ak e a behind the bar ; instead , channel and turn it back so that it can be rubbed down

ove r the stitches . Do not punch the holes in the n ew s o l e s; these will be made as you sew; the old holes in upper will guide

you . I n some cases it best not to use old holes ; the desire to do an honest j ob and U conditions will govern that part . nder normal conditions the stitches should be

- about one fourth of an inch long .

70 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

SKIV ING AN D FASTEN I N G O N N EW S O LE

After the bar has bee n cut on the n e w sole , skive the old sole down to a feather ; do not cut out the mark which was made across old sole at the shank . The close lines 4 on lap in Diagram No . show that the lap

. n ew is skive d thin Next , place the sole on

old sole in its proper place , using the guide lines to help ; mark the outline of the lap of

old sole on the inside of the new sole . Dia

6 . gram No . shows old sole on new sole Dia

gram No . 7 shows new sole with outline of

71 ' ' R HOW TO REPAI SHOES .

On 1 “ lap of old sole it . The new sole 8 then

s skive d from the line to the shank . Skive as

much from n ew sole as there is material left .

e so th at on old sol a neat joint will e mad e . Besure to l eave the new sole thick e nough

“ at ' the j oint to hold the nails which a re to

n ew fasten it on . Afte r this place the sole back on the old sole (by guide lines): and faste n it at the shank with three nails . See

’ 9 a ol d sol e Diagram No . . F sten the bar of i to bar o f~ n ew sole where they j oin with a sh o rt tack from the inside . LASTING AN D SEWING

Pull the so1e throu gh the bottom of upper that is loo se and turn the uppe r on the wrong; u side . P ll the center of upper over the sole 1 . 0 . at toe and fasten With tack Diagram No . Next pull the uppe r over at side or at tip

lines and fasten it . Pull it over next. between it the tip line and the j oint and fasten . The portions of upper which are not fas

e n l ' di b u t d te ned must be ve y st ri e while sewing . Begin s ewing about two stitches below wh e re the uppe r is ripped ; bend the sol e back to s

72 HOW TO REPAIR SHOES

wards the heel to tighte n the upper . Be

very careful in crossing the j oint . Do not pull stitch at this point tight e nough to get

o ut e Th e e m ne upper of shap . bar d ter i s the

“ h t h e r - er mu s ape of shoe , the efore the upp st

' ‘ “ ' a l cOm e o ut di lay close to it . The w must

I n ' r rectly the angle o f the bar a n d sh oulde .

After the shoe is sewed fasten the lap of old

flat k soledown With the short head tac . See 10 Diagram No . . It is then turned and Put st raightene d . it on a last and set aside s ar e e to dry , after which the edge prepar d and set up .

73 ' LI ST O F TOOLS N EC ESSAR Y TO

1 French H eavy H ammer 1 H 0 Plain ammer No . l Square - Point Knife 1 Lip Kn ife

1 E ight - inch Rasp 1 Pair of Nippers

1 Welt - Kn ife

1 Rhan - File 1 H eel Prier 1 Scratch Bone 1 Buffer 1 Knife Sharpener 1 H alf Do z e n Plain H andles 1 Pegging Awl H andle

‘ t t h e The prices of these t ools ch ange b u t li t t le . Wi h

i t i set - i - b i add on of a of good edge rons and heel urn shers , t he above list will make a good k it for a sh o emaker who

w r o t b i t o ks as a j urneyman . To s art a us ness , las s and jacks are necessary .

74