Updated: November 19, 2024

Thonging is a ornamental way of securing or joining the ends of the pieces of the item collectively. A thong is a protracted strip of skinny leather that is reduce and used for thronging. The width of the thong varies depending on the size of the article to be produced. However, the common size is 1/8 inches while the scale is similarly decreased to at least one/10 inches if the object could be very small. Leather to be used for thonging ought to be strong but thin. Usually, the type of leather used for the manufacturing of the item is used for the thonging supplied it’s miles thin. However, if a exceptional color impact is to be performed, the leather craft man can dye the thongs. To create a non-stop thong, the leather is marked in a continuous formation the use of a compass or any round device.

Before thonging may be finished, holes or slits have to be punched through the use of any punching device including a six-way punch. Normally, a thin paper or card is located beneath the leather-based to acquire a clean reduce hollow.

Also, after the punching, the punching tool ought to be twisted barely before it’s miles removed to ensure an excellent punching of the holes. The holes must be massive sufficient to take the thongs. Therefore the dimensions of the thong have to be acknowledged so that the holes to be punched will correspond to it. The holes marked ought to be similarly spaced typically ¼ inches from the centre of one hollow to the following. A marked line can be created at the leather as a manual for the punching of the holes in order that they could be straight.

It is recommended that corners of the articles for thonging be rounded so that the spaces, in addition to the thonging, would now not appearance unsightly on the corners. If slits are to be created in place of holes, punch pliers are used. A very flat needle is used for threading the thong via the slits created.

The Thonging method

To thong leather-based pieces collectively, the thong is drawn via the first hollow on the top piece of the leather-based. It is reduce and laid down inside the two portions of leather-based among the thonging holes and the threshold. It is then secured with glue. The thong is passed via the first hollow once more from the underside thru each pieces of leather. The process is then persevered, depending at the thonging technique. When the thonging is entire, the thong must be mounted or secured. This can be finished by means of threading the thong among the 2 pieces of leather simply below the ultimate hole. The surplus thong is cut leaving about ¾ inch end. It is then glued on the internal.

Another method is by using intentionally letting loose the previous couple of thonging stitches and threading the final cease beneath them among the two portions of leather. The thong is then drawn up tight and reduce off at the inside. When a new duration of the thong is to be joined collectively, the ends of both the vintage and new thongs are skived or pared down the usage of a knife. The leads to opposite instructions are slanted and a bit glue is carried out on the skived quantities. They are then secured collectively and hammered to make them flat. It is crucial to region a piece of card over the thonged area during hammering so as no longer to harm the floor quality of the leather-based.