The art of boot and shoemaking - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 Excerpt: ...thinner to that used for the box. The holes at the back of seat must be pierced to the insole and a quarter of an inch asunder. When the last is drawn, stitch the seat with a rather stouter thread than that used to sew in the box. Pare your sole to boot, skive the waist, tap it with hammer, and let the sole go through from toe to heel to insure the heel from breaking away at the waist. Channel the sole, stick it on, take an eighth of an inch hold on the box and stitch through the channel, using a round bent awl to prevent one stitch cutting the other. When the sole is stitched on, close the channel, hammer out, screw the sole, press up edge of channel with forepart iron, rasp and scrape the edge, being careful not to injure the stitch on the box. Nail on the top-piece, sand-paper all over and ink. The channel must be then set with a breaker, paste or gum being used, the glazer passed all over and a little heelball be rubbed on after the box has been ironed all over. The heelball and beeswax should be dissolved with naphtha to a paste. Put a little over the heel, rub it with a piece of cloth, and set the box round with the seat wheel, taking care not to injure the upper. A boot of this kind is also to be made by fitting an additional insole in box on the top of the cork, sewing a welt round, and stitching the sole thereto, or by pinpointing the sole to the edge of the box, and finishing off in the manner of a clump boot. Blocking.--The old style of blocking a Wellington front was by using a piece of wood fashioned to the shape of the front when cut and ready for the closer. It may be noted that it was necessary to have this block a trifle larger than the leg. The back part measured two inches in thickness and tapered off to a thin edge at its front. After th...