lHE LCCY'':~ o a. 1. usRART BJson Nsuu JAN 3 1964 TM 10-268 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY TECHNICAL MANUAL Ue> Dl~l. II.' I()-~1.68 GENERAL REPAIR OF () -FOOTWEAR AND LEATHER GOODS /' HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY OCTOBER 1963 *TM 10-268 TECHNICAL MAN-UAL) HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY No. 10-268 WASHINGTON, D.C., 14 October 1963 GENERAL REPAIR OF FOOTWEAR AND LEATHER GOODS CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Paragraph Page Purpose_____________________________________________________________________ I 2 Scope_______________________________________________________________________ 2 2 Recommended changes_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 2 Classification and uses of leather___ ________ __________ _______ _____ __________ ____ _ 4 2 Care and preservation of leather_ ____ _________ _________ ___ ____________ _______ ___ 5 2 Care and preservation of rubber and rubber products__ _______ ____________ _______ __ 6 2 Common shoe repa ir tools _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7 3 Common repair materials______________________________________________________ 8 3 CHAPTER 2. GE ERAL REPAIR OF LEATHER FOOTWEAR Section I. Preparation for repair Inspection_____ ___ _______ ___________________ ____ _______ ___ _______________ ___ _ 9 6 Cleaning_____ _____ _______ _________ ________ __ _____ ____________________________ 10 6 Preparation of repair materials ____ _______ ______________________________________ 11 6 II. Replacing heels and soles Removing worn heels___________ ____ _________________________ ________________ __ 12 10 Removing worn outer soles____ _________________________________________________ 13 10 Preparing welts____ _____ ___________ ___________________________________________ 14 19 Preparing shoe buttoms _____ _ ___ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ ___ ___ 15 19 Attaching new outer soles__ ___ _____________________ ______________________ _____ _ 16 23 Attaching new heels_____ ___________________________________________ _______ ____ 17 28 III. Finishing operations Finishing shoes with rubber taps and heels____________________ _______ _______ _____ 18 33 Finishing shoes with leather taps or full soles and leather heels __ ___________________ 19 33 IV. Mending leather footwear Sewing uppers______________ _________ _____ _____ _______________________________ 20 40 Eyelets_____________________________ --·---____________________________________ 21 41 Inspecting repaired footwear__ ________ _______ ___ _______________________________ 22 41 CHAP:J'ER 3. REPAIRING RUBBER FOOTWEAR Cleaning____________________________________________________________________ _ 23 43 Inspection ___ ________________________________ ___ ____________________________ _ 24 43 Pairing and sizing of rubber footwear_ ______________________________ ____________ _ 25 43 Patching___________________ ____________________________ ___ ______ ____________ _ 26 43 Replacing buckles ____ _______ _____ ___________________________ _______ _______ ___ _ 27 43 Inspecting finished repair work ______________ ______ _____ _________ ____ __________ _ 28 43 CHAPTER 4. ORTHOPEDIC ADJUSTMENTS Section I. General Purpose __________ _____ _________ _________ _________ _____ _____ _____ ____ ______ _ _ 29 44 Conditions prerequisite to making orthopedic adjustments _____ __________________ _ _ 30 44 Orthopedic prescription____________________ ~__________________________ ________ _ 31 44 Description of the-adjustments ______ _____ ______ ____________ _____ _________ _____ _ 32 44 II. Orthopedic adjustment procedures CHAPTER 5. APPENDIX. General_____________________________________________________________________ _ 33 45 Metatarsal bar ____ ________ __________ _________ __ _____________________________ _ 34 45 Thomas heeL _______ ___ _______ _____ . ____ _____________ _____ __________ ____ _____ _ 35 45 Heel and sole wedges _________________________________________________________ _ 36 46 Heel lift _________________ _________ ___________ ___________ ________ -___ ___ _____ _ 37 48 REPAIR OF LEATHER GOODS Inspecting leather goods ___ ___________ ___________ _________ ______ ______ ________ _ 38 49 Restoring leather ___ __ _________________________ _____ ________ ______ __________ _ _ 39 49 I!and sewing_______________ _________ ________________________________________ _ 40 49 Machine sewing _______________ _______ ___________ _______________________ _____ _ 41 51 Thonging___________________________________________________________________ _ 42 51 Finishing edges _______________ ___ _______ _________ _____ _______ ________________ _ 43 52 Repairing metallic components ___ __________________________ . __________________ _ 44 52 REFERENCES_ --------------------------------------------------------------53 *This manual supersedes TM 10-268, 10 February 1948, including C 7, 1 May 1963. 711-905 0-63--1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. Purpose This manual provides basic instructions for the general repair of military footwear and leather goods. It is published for the use of specially trained personnel, and the instructions listed are applicable for either mobile or fixed repair units or inst allations. 2 . Scope a. The manual discusses preliminary inspection of items, preparation of the items for repair, repair procedures, and inspection of the finished work. b. The manual covers the general procedures to be followed in the repair of both leather and rubber foot wear items, as_well as the basic repair requirements in each of those two categories. Each repai:r procedure is presented in t he order in which it is performed. 3 . Recommended Changes Users of this manual are encouraged to submit recommended changes or commen ts to improve the manual. Comments should be keyed to the specific page, paragraph, and line of the text in which the change is recommen ed. Reasons should be provided for each comment to insure understanding and complete evaluation. Comments should be forwarded direct to the Commandant, U.S. Army Quartermaster School, Fort Lee, Va. 4. Classification and Uses of Leather There are four classifications of leather, as follows: a. P rime. Prime is t he best grade o£ leather. It is taken from the rump part of the animal's hide and constitutes about 13 percent of the hide. The best leather footwear is made of prime leather and it is suitable for any part of the shoe. b. Fine. Fine is the second grade of leather. It is found next to the prime part of the hide and extends toward the head of the animal and below the prime toward the belly. This grade makes up about 37 percent of the hide. Fine leather is also used in any part of the shoe, but does not have the wearing quality of prime leather. It is tough and durable and is used for insoles by many manufacturers. c. Semifine. This is the third grade of leather which extends from fine grade to the head and includes that portion of the side of the animal's hide between fine and the belly. This grade of leather is used for outsoles on very inexpensive shoes. d. Fourth Grade. This is the poorest grade of leather. It is found on the animal's hide on the belly and thighs. Fourth grade leather is suitable only for counters, sta'Sfs, and boxing . .Y 5. Care and Preservation of Leather All leather and leather products will be stored in a cool, dry place. The temperature range should be from 40° to 80 ° F. The relative humidity should be between 45 and 70 percent. Do not store leather items near radiators, heating units, blowers, or windows. Leather products must be protected from dust, and spot checked for cracks, mildew, and other forms of deterioration. 6 . Care and Preservation of Rubber and Rubber Products All rubber products will be stored away from direct sunlight and heat of any kind such as radiators, steam pipes, heating units, or other radiating devices. Rubber items will be covered to prevent exposure to air currents. Examine rubber items for cracking, weakness, corrosion of metal parts, stickiness, mildew, and discoloration. 7. Common Shoe Repair Hand Tools The most common shoe repair hand tools (fig. 1) are listed and described below with an explanation of their uses. a. Straight ·Knife. This knife is single edged and from 3% to 7 inches in length. It is. used to skive the shank of the shoe for half soles and to cut off old stitches holding the sole. It is also used to feather edges on leather and to cut out soles when the sole cutter is not used. It is always sharpened on the hand stone, and never on the motor driven wheel, because the wheel will take the temper out of the blade. Use slow circular movements to take the ridges out of the blade and to sharpen use long sliding movements as when sharpening a razor. b. Lip Knife. The lip knife is similar to the straight knife except that it has a lip on the end of the blade. There are two of these knives, one for use by right handed persons and the other for use by left handed persons. It is used to trim off excess material from the shoes when the soles and heels have been applied. The purpose of the lip is to protect the uppers while trimming, and to act as a guide. c. Sharpening Stone. The sharpening stone, used to sharpen lip and straight knives, has a rough side and a fine side. The rough side is used to remove nicks and ridges, while the fine side is used to finish the edge. Do not put water or oil on the stone. d. Hamrmer. There are a numb~r of different types_of ham~ers, but the hammer most commonly used rs the Cnspen, No. 2, with a rough face. The rough fa<::e helps to prevent slippage and allows more accuracy in driving shoe nails. The hammer is used to nail the soles and heels to the shoe to smooth out the insole and middle sole while th~ shoe is on the last, and to shape the soles. Do not use the hammer to knock off rubber heels. · e. Pincers. Pincers are used for removing rub~r heels. They may have a tack puller or heel hfter at the end of the handle. Do not use pincers for cutting nails. f. Nail Gutters. Nail cutters are used for cutting off nails when it is not practical to remove them. g. f!asp. T~e rasp is used for roughening and cleamng matenal prior to the application of rubber cement. Use a stiff fiber or steel brush to clean the rasp. h. Nail Set. The nail set is used to set the heads of the rubber heel nails into the washers embedded in the rubber heel. i. Heel Lifter. The heel lifter is used to separate layers of leather in building up leather heels and to remove rubber heels. It resembles a screwdriver but has a shorter and wider blade. j. Tack Puller. The tack puller is used for pulling old nails that have the heads sunk into the old sole or heel. k. Awls. Awls are used in forcing holes in cloth or leather to make sewing easier, particularly where the material is so strono-or thick to make it difficult to i~sert a needle. They must be kept sharp at all trmes. Do not use an awl as a prying tool.. Always keep the point protected. When puncturing holes in leather, push the awl throuo'h in a direction away from the operator, maki~osure no one else is in the line of thrust. Do no~ carry awl in pocket. l. Shoe Repair llfachines . Equipment for machine shoe repair will be found in TM 10-262. 8. Common Repair Materials Some of the common materials used in the repair of shoes and leather goods are listed below and shown in figure 2. a. Thread. Threads of nylon, silk, linen, and ?otton are used for sewing uppers and for patchmg. Threads used on the shoe bottoms must have both strength and elasticity. Since seams of shoe bottoms have very hard wear, linen thread is used for this purpose. The threads are furnished in varying sizes. b. Rubber Heels. A large variety of rubber heels are required to meet the various demands in shoe repair. They are available in black half heels and whole heels in sizes 7-8 through 13-14. Cuban heels for women's shoes are available in sizes 1 through 9. c. Rubber Taps. Composition rubber taps (half soles) are available in pairs, sizes 6 to 12. d. Leather Taps. Men's leather taps (half soles) are furnished in pairs, 9-91_h through 1111%; taps for women's shoes are furnished in sizes small, medium, and large. e. Leather Full Soles. Leather full soles are furnished in sizes 5 through 12. f. Bulk Leather. Bulk leather is furnished in all of the several grades as required. g. Nails. Nails in various sizes of barbed h. llfiscellaneou.s Materials. Various items of shank, duck bill points, and tapered shank are miscellaneous materials are also available, such as used; stick point nails will be needed in some ap" ·ooden pegs, rubber cement, handstitching wax, plications. The most commonly u ' ed sizes are %, tacks, eyelets, burnishing ink, heel pads, and %, %, and%· tarred felt. TACK PULLER NAIL SET AWL LIP KNIFE (RIGHT) STRAIGHT KNIFE LIP KNIFE (LEFD HEEL LIFTER SHARPENING STONE PINCERS NAIL CUTTERS Figure 1. Common shoe repair hand tools. LEATHER TAPS RUBBER HALF HEELS RUBBER FULL HEELS 4846-2 Figure 2. Common shoe 1·epai1· rnat e1·ials. s CHAPTER 2 GENERAL REPAIR OF LEATHER FOOTWEAR Section I. PREPARATION FOR REPAIR 9 . Inspection The various parts of leather footwear items (fig. 3) are to be inspected for the following defects: a. Worn, thin, or cracked outer sole. b. Missing or badly worn (more than 1,4 inch) heel. c. Loose or torn welt. d. Ripped stitching in the leather upper. e. Missing or damaged eyelets. 10. Cleaning Before being repaired, leather footwear should be wiped clean of loose dirt and mud by the use of a cloth or brush. If necessary, dirt or mud is scraped off with a dull instrument that will not cut the leather. The surface of the uppers is then cleaned with a damp sponge. Do not attempt to accelerate the drying of leather footwear by direct exposure to hot sun or strong heat. This practice may distort the shape of the footwear. 11 . Preparation of Repair Materials For maximum efficiency and production, the following materials must be properly prepared before being applied to footwear: a. L eather Taps. Leather taps should be properly skived, rasped, and tempered. (1) Slciving. Leather taps are skived on a skiver machine (fig. 4). The butt end of each tap is passed through the two rollers of the machine, which brings the leather in contact with the cutting blade. The screw attachment on the machine, which permits adjustments of the cutting depth of the blade, must be adjusted to provide .for a skived edge thick enough to hold the nailheads securely (TM 10-262). (2) Raspi 'fJ{J. The entire surface of the leather taps to which cement is to be applied should be well rasped with a coarse abrasive (A, fig. 5) or, sanded (B, fig. 5) on the sander. This is done so that the cement will have greater adhesion when applied. LOCKSTITCH ATTACHING THE BOTTOM TO THE WELTING CD CROSS SECTION SIDE VIEW LOCKSTITCH ATTACHING THE BOTTOM TO THE WELTING Figure 3. Parts of a shoe. Figure .q. Skiving a leather tap. A-Rasping a leather tap B-Sandlng a leather tap on bottom sander F·igure 5. Preparati on of a l eather tap for cem enting. 711-905 0-6.3--2 (3) Tempm-ing. Leather taps are tempered c. Composi tion Rubber Taps. Composition to make them conform more readily to rubber taps are rasped in the same manner as the shape of the shoes and to facilitate leather taps, but do not require skiving or temperstitching and finishing. The method of mg. tempering consists of soaking the taps in d. Middle Soles. Middle soles are usually cut water for 10 to 15 minutes, after which from shoulder leather supplied for that purpose, they are removed, drained, wrapped in in two sizes, full-length and half-length, the old burlap, and placed iu a container that is middle sole of the shoe under repair being used as tight enough to retain the humidity for a pattern. Cutting is done on the same machines 12 to 24 hours. If the burlap is kept as those used to cut leather full soles. The soles damp, the taps may be kept in temper after being cut, are passed through a splitting for longer periods. machine, which is adjusted to deliver a 7-iron b. Leather Full Soles. Leather full soles usu( %8-inch) thickness. ally come readymade; if readymade soles are not e. Heel Bases. Heel bases should be cut from available, a leather full sole must be cut from shoulder leather on the same machines as those sheet leather, the old outer sole being used as a used to cut leather full soles. These bases may pattern to cut out the new sole. Cutting should be cut into strips of different widths, the width of be done on a standard sole trimmer machine or the base being determined by the width of the on a sole cutter and skiver machine. Leather full heel. When the pieces of leather that remain from soles are rasped and tempered in the same manner the cutting of leather full soles are of sufficient size, they oan be used for heel bases. as leather taps. Section II. REPLACING HEELS AND SOLES of the shoe than on the inside (fig. 10). A second 12. Removing Worn Heels line, which is made toward the toe of the shoe, isThe heel, if worn down one-fourth of an inch drawn across the shank 1 to 1% inches from, andor more, is removed by use of pincers (fig. 6) or parallel to, the first line; this second line is the the mechanical heel remover. All old nails in cutting line. Any nails that may be present in thethe heel base can be taken out with pincers (fig. outer sole are removed with pincers. A skiving7) and the holes filled with No. 11, %-inch wooden knife is inserted between the outer and middlepegs (fig. 8); or, through the use of nail cutters, soles to cut the threads on each side of the shoethe old nails can be cut off close to the surface of up to the cutting line (fig. 11). The old outer the heel (fig. 9), in which case wooden pegs are sole is then cut along the cutting line (fig. 12) andnot required. The old heel pad in the inside of ripped off with pincers. The area from the cutthe shoe should be removed. ting line to the first line drawn on the shank is now skived so that it tapers down toward the toe 13. Removing Worn Outer Soles and fits exactly with the skived end of the tapAn outer sole which is cracked, thin, or worn (fig. 13 ) . In this skiving operation care mustthrough must be replaced. In replacing the old be taken to avoid removing too much leather and sole a portion of it is cut off to accommodate the thus weakening the skived joint so much thatnew sole. The type of resoling o be done deterthe nails will not hold. mines the amount of old sole that must be removed. b. Removal of Sol-e for Replacement With a a. Removal of Sole for R eplacement With Leather Full Sole. When a leather full sole is toLeather or Rubber Tap. For determining the be used in resoling, the heel and heel base must be point at which the outer sole s_ ould be cut for removed before the removal of the outer sole. A half-soling, a tap of appropriate size is placed on skiving knife is then inserted between the outer the shoe so that it completely covers the area to and middle soles to cut the stitching threads up be repaired. With the butt edge of the tap as a to the end of the welt. At that point two nails guide, a line is drawn across the shank with a located at the end of the welt should be carefully piece of chalk. The line is made one-fourth of an removed (fig. 14). The old sole is then cut off inch nearer the heel breast on the outside edge with a skiving knife, and removed (fig. 15). 10 Figure 6. Removing worn heel with pincers. Figure 1. Removing old nails with pincers. Figttre 8. Filling the nail holes with wooden pegs. Figure 9. Cutting off ola nai~ with nail ctttters. Figure 10. Marking the shank tor cutting off the oW outer sole. Figure 11. Cutting the threads of the old outer sole. Figure 12. Cutting off the ola outer sole before attaching a tap. F'igure 13. Skiving at t he shank. Figure 14. Removing two nails at end of welt. 711-905 0-63--3 F ·igure 15. Removing the old outer sole before attaching a tun sole. 14. Preparing Welts After worn soles and heel have been removed the welts of shoes are prepared in the followin~ manner: a. Cleaning. Welts are brushed clean of all particles of sand and dirt, because such particles if permitted to remain, will cause excessive wea; to the stitching machine. b. Replaeing. A loose or torn welt must be replaced, since a sole cannot be securely attached to a shoe with the welt loose or torn. The welt must be sewed; tacking is not permitted. After the stitching has been ripped and the damaged welt cut out, the welt ends on the shoe are beveled to match the bevel on the new welt. The new welt has to be cut to the desired length from a strip of readymade welt that is already channeled and beveled. The new welt is then set into place and attached by the use of a hand-sewing awl thread ' ' db . an nstles. The a w 1 is used to make a hole through the inseam (the lip of the insole, the upper, and the old welt) about one-fourth of an inch from the end of the bevel. A bristle i~ then inserted from the inside of the inseam which will leave a thread knot in the filler portion of the shoe. A second hole is made through the inseam and the end of the new portion of the welt. The bristles are then inserted from opposite sides of this hole, and the thread is tightly drawn (fio-. 16). Similar stitches are spaced one-fourth of :n inch apart until the new portion of the welt is securely attached. When the la.st stitch is made the outside bristle is passed throuo-h to make ~ halfstitch. The thread is then kn;tted, and the unused portion of the thread is then cut off. Figure 16. Replacing a welt. Finally, the new welt is tapped lightly with a hammer to unite it properly with the old welt. 15. Preparing Shoe Bottoms a. For R esoling With L eather or Rubber Taps. (1) Leveling. The shoe is examined carefully to see if there are any lumps in the middle sole or insole; if there are any, they are leveled carefully with a hammer. If the insole has curled, particularly around the edges or toe, a little water is ~prinkled into the shoe . to dampen the msole. The shoe is then put on a last, and the curled portions are hammered lightly. (2) Repairing worn areas in middle sole. A middle sole is replaced only when the shoe is to be resoled with a leather full sole. When resoling with leather or rubber taps, a damaged middle sole is repaired in the following manner: If worn at the toe, the middle sole is neatly repaired by inserting a beveled piece of leather which is the same thickness as the middle sole; care must be taken to obtain a smooth, uniform joint. A middle sole worn through in the center should have its entire forepart replaced with a piece of .fine-fibered leather of 7-iron (%s-inch) thickness. The smooth close . . ' ]Omt of the middle sole is made without nailing, just behind the ball l~e of the shoe, and this joint should be completely covered by the butt of the tap. (3) Cleaning. The bottom of the shoe is cleaned by scraping off old pieces of stitching and by brushing off loose dirt and sand. (4) Rasping. The entire surface of the shoe bottom is now rasped (A, fig. 17) or, sanded by machine (B, fig. 17), so that the tap will stick more tightly when the cement is applied. (5) Cementing. After the shoe bottom has been thoroughly rasped or sanded, an even coating of cement is applied to it and to the tap (fig. 18). The tap is not put on the bottom of the shoe until the cement has dried; a minimum of 5 minutes must be allowed for the cement to dry. A-Rasping the shoe bottom Figure 1"1. Preparing shoe bottom tor cementing. ® B-Sandlng shoe bottom on machine Fi[!Ure 17. Preparing shoe bottom tor cementing-Continued. F i gure 18. Cementing the shoe bottom and tap. b. For R esoling with L eather Full Sole. The extends beyond the edge of the welt andprocedure for preparing shoe bottoms for resoling middle sole. The trimming is done inwith a leather full sole is the same as that described such a way that the edge of the tap in a above except that, when resoling a shoe with a flares out slightly, as it will be pulledleather full sole, a badly damaged middle sole is to the edge of the welt when sewed onreplaced with either a half-length or full-length the stitching machine (fig. 20).middle sole, depending upon the construction of (d) Pressing. For proper stitching, car e the shoe. The new middle sole must be one-eighth must be taken to see that both the tapof an inch in thickness. The surface of the middle and the welt are firmly cemented to sole which is to be applied to the bottom of the gether. One method is to put the edgeshoe must be well rasped or sanded, cemented (a of the last between the upper and theminimum of 5 minutes being allowed for the cewelt and lightly hit the bottom edgesment to dry) , and applied to the bottom of the of the shoe with a hammer (fig. 21) .shoe. The excess leather around the edges is An alternative method is to hold the trimmed off. The surface of the new middle sole shoe with its bottom on a solid surface is then rasped or sanded and cemented in the manand press down on the welt with aner described in a (4) and ( 5) above preparatory smooth tool such as a heel remover.to attaching the new outer sole. (e ) Soaking. The bottom of the shoe isplaced in a pan of water for a few 16. Attaching New Outer Soles minutes before the tap and welt areWhen welts and bottoms of shoes have been stitched. Care must be taken to preproperly prepared, the shoes are ready for resoling. vent other parts of the shoe from get a. Attaching Rubber T aps. Rubber taps can ting wet and to avoid soaking the botbe attached by stitching and by nailing. tom of the shoe too long. I£ properly (1) Stitching. A rubber tap is usually done, soaking will facilitate stitchingstitched on ; the following operations are by making the tap and welt more flexperformed preparatory to using the ible, which in turn reduces needlestitching machine: breakage when stitching. (a) Shaping. The tap is shaped by being (f) Stitching. After the above steps havebent lengthwise and crosswise so as to been taken, the shoe is ready for stitchmake it slightly cupped and more ing (fig. 22). Because the channelnearly conformable to the shape of the cutter on the stitching machine tendsshoe. to split the rubber, a clamp screw is (b) Nailing butt end. The butt end of the adjusted to keep the channel cuttertap is fitted to the skived portion of the from operating when stitching rubbershank and hammered down so that the taps. The thread used in stitchingcement will adhere firmly to both. By rubber taps should be thoroughly raising the toe of the shoe upward, the shoe is straightened out and made ready for nailing. Two rows of nails, four in the lower row and three in the upper, are used to fasten the tap to the shank (fig. 19). Steel wire shoe nails, % inch, gage 16, are used. They are spaced not less than one-half and not more than five-eighths of an inch apart. The lower row of nails is at least one fourth of an inch from the butt edge of the tap and one-half of an inch from the edges of the shoe. (c) Trimming. A lip knife is used to trimoff that excess portion of the tap which F i gure 19. Nailing the butt end of a rubber tap. 23 48-46-18 Figure 20. Trimming the tap. .------------------------- Figure 21. Pressing. waxed. On all but nurses' shoes a No. 43 awl with a No. 45 needle is used, and the stitches are spaced five to six to the inch. On nurses' shoes a No. 22 awl with a No. 22 needle is used, and stitches are spaced seven to the inch. The lock of the sole stitching should be drawn with proper tension one-eighth of an inch below the surface of the sole. Stitching must be uniform and spaced not more than one-eighth of an inch from the edge of the sole after trimming. Whenever poss:Ub1er the edge gage and the feed-adjusting lever are set to allow the stitches to follow the old stitch holes in the welt. An improperly set gage may result in sewing into the inseam and causing the welt to pull away from the uppers. In general, the stitching is run three stitches beyond the butt end of the tap on to the shank on each side of the shoe. (2) Nailing. If a stitching machine is unavailable, a rubber tap may be nailed to the shoe (·fig. 23). In this alternative method, the steps in ( 1) (a) and (b) above must be taken and, in addition, the steps listed below. (a) Tapping. After the tap has been nailed to the shank, the entire surface of the sole is tapped with a hammer to make sure that the cemented parts adhere. (b) Trimming. The excess sole is trimmed with a lip knife, leaving one-sixteenth of an inch of the tap extending beyond the edge of the middle sole. As the edges of the tap are nailed down, this 711-905 0-63---4 one-sixteenth inch of rubber is drawn flush with the edge of the welt. (c) Nailing edges. Nails are driven around the edges of the tap threeeighths of an inch from the edge of the tap and from one-half to five-eighths of an inch apart. The nails are driven in at a slight angle, with their fiat sides toward the center of the shoe, as shown in figure 24. In this way the nails will clinch properly in the insole and will neither come loose nor pull out. The nails used are the same as those put in the butt end. b. Attaching Leather Taps. Leather taps can be attached by stitching and by nailing. (1) Stitching. A leather tap is usually stitched on; the following operations are performed preparatory to using the stitching machine. (a) Shaping. The leather tap which has been tempered previously, is now shaped by being bent lengthwise and crosswise so as to make it slightly cupped and thus more nearly conformable to the shape of the shoe. (b) Nailing butt end. The butt end of the tap which must be properly skived to fit with the skived portion of the shank . . ' IS nailed down with five o/,; -inch clinching nails, spaced one-fourth of an inch apart.in a single row across the bottom and one-fourth of an inch from the butt end (fig. 25) . (c) Trimming. Same as a(1) (c) above. (d) Pressing. Same as a(1) (d) above. (e) Soaking. Same as a(l) (e) above. (f) Stitching. The stitching is done on the stitching machine in a manner similar to that described in a(1) (f) above with the exception that the channel cut~ ter on the stitching machine is used. Furthermore, stitches should be spaced six to seven to the inch (except on nurses' shoes, which may take nine stitches to the inch). (2) Nailing. If a stitching machine is unavailable, a leather tap can be nailed to the shoe. In this alternative method the ' steps in (1) (a) and (b) above must be taken and, in addition, the steps listed below. Figure !!. Stitching a rubber tap. Figure ~3. Nailing a rubber tap. TM& CL.IHC:Hl.O NAIL Fig1~re ~4. Nailing the edges ot a tap. Figure ~5. Nailing the butt end ot a leather tap. (a) Tapping. After the tap has been nailed to the shank, the entire surface of the sole is tapped with a hammer to insure adhesion of the cemented parts. (b) Trinvming. The excess sole is trimmed so that there is an overlap of onesixteenth of an inch at the edge of the welt. As the tap is nailed down, this ¥!6 -inch overlap will be drawn flush with the edge of the shoe. (c) N ailing edg es. The procedure for nailing a leather tap is the same as that prescribed in a(2) (c) above. The nails used for nailing down the edges of the tap are the same as those used on the butt end (%-inch clinching nails). c. A t taching Leather F1oll Soles. Leather full soles are attached only by stitching except at the heel seat. T he following operations are performed preparatory to using the stitching machine : (1) Shaping. Same as b(l) (a) above. (2) Cementing. Cement is applied to the inside surface of the sole and to the bottom surface of the shoe, 5 minutes being allowed for the cement to dry. (3) Tapping. After the cement has dried, the sole is applied to the bottom of the shoe and hammered down so that the cement will adhere. (4) Nailing. The sole is nailed down at the heel seat. Care should be taken to see that the nails clinch properly (fig. 26) . No other nails are used for attaching the full sole. Figure 26. Nailing at the heel seat. 17. Attaching New Heels After the shoe has been resoled, a new heel is attached in the following manner : a. Attaching Rubber Heels. Two types of rubber heels are used: full rubber heels and half rubber heels. A half rubber heel is attached when there is a leather heel base; otherwise, a full rubher heel is used. A half rubber heel can be put on if the leather base is built up in the manner described in (1) below. In either case, after reheeling, the bottom of the heel must be level with that of the shoe. (1) Building up heel base. Skived pieces of leather lifts are used to build up a base of proper height for the half rubber heel. Before building up the heel base, care must be taken to see that all old heel nails are removed or cut off. The surface of the heel base is scraped, sanded smooth, and cemented. Pieces of skived leather are nailed to the shoe (1, fig. 27). This operation provides a level base for attaching leather lifts. The lifts are cemented on both sides, nailed down, and trimmed along the edges (2, fig. 27). When two or more lifts are used, they are trimmed around the edges so that the lower ones are slightly larger. The surface of the rubber heel which is to be attached to the lift is then sanded and cemented. The cement on both the heel and top lift is allowed to dry thoroughly before the heel is applied. (2) Nailing rubber heel. A new rubber heel of proper size is placed squarely on the hool base, and a nail is inserted into each hole in the heel. Care must be taken in hammering the nails to start each one at a slight angle (fig. 28). A nail set is used to drive the nails through the heel so that they will clinch properly (fig. 29). b. Attaching Leather Heels. When available, a readymade leather heel of the proper size should be selected for attachment; if the heel is not available, it will be necessary to build up a solid leather heel by a succession of leather lifts (fig. 30). The outside lift being next to the ground, must be of the best wearing quality and have the greatest thickness. The under lift, which is the next in succession of lifts, should be of similar thickness and quality. The remaining layers of leather need not be so thick or of so good a quality, since it is unlikely that any of them will be subjected to enough wear to require repair. Therefore, in preparing a leather hool for repair, it is usually necessary to remove only the outside and under lifts. The rest of the heel should be hit ----. CD Applying skived pieces. ® A7Jplying leather lifts. Figure e"t. Building up the heel base. 29 Figure 28. Nailing a rubber heel. Figure 29. Using a nail set. 31 heavily with a hammer before fitting and nailing these two lifts. Excess leather is trimmed off the sides of the lifts with a lip knife so the heel will be entirely smooth. Fifteen to twenty leather heel nails are evenly spaced around the outside lift, care being ta.ken to keep them at least onefourth of an inch from the edge of the heel. The nailing of readymade leather heels is done in the same manner. c. Inserting H eel Pad. After the shoe has been reheeled, a new heel pad is cemented in place over the heel in the inside of the shoe. The new heel pad not only improves the appearance of the inside of the shoe, but also prevents discomfort from clinched nails used to fasten the heel. Any protruding or improperly clinched nails should be fixed before a new heel pad is cemented into place. Figure SO. A leather heel built with leather lifts. 32 Section Ill . FINISHING OPERATIONS 18 . Finishing Shoes With Rubber Taps and Heels When shoes have been resoled and reheeled, they are ready for the finishing operations, which are performed on a finishing machine. . . a. Trimming. A No. 24 edge tnmmer IS used to trim the edae of the sole to make it perfectly smooth (fig. 3l). To avoid cutting the stitches, the trimming should be done so that the edges flare out slightly. b. He el Breasting. Rubber heels with lift base are trimmed smooth on the inside with the heel breaster (fig. 32). Shoes with whole rubber heels do not need breasting. c. Heel Sanding. The heel and base of the shoe are sanded down to an even finish on the heel sander (fig. 33) . Care must be taken not to sand excessively nor to strike the uppers. d. Inking. Black ink is applied with a small hand brush to the edges of the heel and sole (fig. 34). Time must be allowed for the ink to dry thoroughly before polishing. e. Polishing. After the ink has dried, the shoe is held against the finishing brush, which removes excess ink and polishes the inked edges (fig. 35). f. Burnishing. The entire edge of the shoe is buffed and waxed on the burnisher wheel (fig. 36). g. Brushing. Finally the shoe i~ thor oughly brushed on the finishing brush. Easmg the pressure on the shoe while it is against the brush increases the luster of the polish. 19. Finishing Shoes With leather Taps or Full Soles and Leather Heels a. Trimming. Trimming is done in the same way as that prescribed for shoes with ru?ber ta~s (par. 18a), except that a No. 14 edge tnmmer I S used. b. H eel Breasting. Leather heels are trimmed smooth on the inside with the heel breaster, follo,ving the procedure outlined for heel breasting rubber heels with leather-lift bases (par. 18b ). c. Ileel Sanding . The heel and the heel base of the shoe are sanded down in the same way as that described for heel sanding shoes with rubber taps (par.18c). d. 1 hank Sanding . The shank of a leather soled shoe is sanded down and finished on the bottom sander of the finishing machine (fig. 37). Care must be taken to avoid sanding off the nailheads, as this destroys the holding power of the nails. Figure 81. Edge trimming. Figure 82. Heel breasting. Figure SS. Heel sanding. 48-46-30 Figure 34. Inking. 35 e. Closing 0 hannel. The open channel on a stitched leather sole is closed by ressing the sole against the bottom leveler (fig. 38). This is done to protect the stitching. f. Inking. Same as paragraph 18d. g. Polishing. Same as paragraph 18e. h. Burnishing. Same as paragraph 18/. i. Edge Setting. The edge of a leather-soled shoe is set by applying it with considerable pressure to the rotating edge iron on the end of the burnishing shaft (fig. 39). A No. 14 edge setter is used, as the size of this iron must be the same as that of the cutter used in the trimming operation. The function of the edge-setting iron is to darken and waterproof the edge of the sole. j . Brushing. Same as paragraph 18g. Figure 35. Polishing. Figure 36. Burnishing. Figure 38. Closing the channel. Figure 87. Shank sanding. 48-46-16 Fig"re 39. Edge setting. Section IV. MENDING LEATHER FOOTWEAR 20. Sewing Uppers The shoe's uppers are inspected for ripped seams, which are repaired on the patching machine (fig. 40). Use of patchesto repair cuts and 'tears on the upper is prohibited. Figure 40. Sewing a ripped seam on the patching machine. 21. Eyelets a. Reinforcing Eyelet Holes. An eyelet hole in the eyelet facing which is stretched beyond its original diameter is reinforced by being sewed on the patching machine. b. Replacing Damaged and Missing Eyelets. To replace a damaged eyelet, the old eyelet is first forced out with the eyelet remover, the prong of which is inserted on the clinched, or inner, side of the eyelet and then squeezed (fig. 41) . A new eyelet is fitted into the eyelet facing; the facing and the cup are clinched together by pushing down the plunger of the eyelet set (fig. 42). A punch is used to make a hole in a new eyelet facing and adjusted to the size of the eyelet that is to be inserted. 22. In specting Repa ired Footwear Repaired leather footwear should be clean, polished, brushed, and free from bulges or warping. Items are to be inspected as follows, to make certain that all necessary repairs have been made satisfactorily. a. Outer Sole. The outer sole must be evenly stitched all the way around, not in a zigzag fashion, and finished smoothly, with no bumps or ridges along the outer edge. b. Heel. The overall height of the heel at the back, including the base, must be 1¥16 inches. The heel must be evenly finished, with no bumps or ridges, and with a slight flange at the edge. The nails at the heels should be properly set and should not protrude on the inside. A new heel pad of correct size should be properly cemented on the inside of the shoe. c. Welt. The welt is to be examined to see if it has been cut in any way during the repair process; if it has been cut, a new piece of welting should be inserted. d. Shank. The shank should be firm, strong, and in good condition. e. Uppers. All seams in the uppers must be in good condition, with no ripped stitching. There are to be no patches, rips, or tears in the uppers. f. Eyelets. All eyelets should be checked to see that none are missing or in poor condition. Figure 1,1. Removal ot eyelet. 48·46-24 Figure 4!. Replacing an eyelet. CHAPTER 3 REPAIRING RUBBER FOOTWEAR 23. Cleaning Before being repaired, rubber footwear is cleaned on both the inside and the outside. Dry brush the inside and wash the outside in a solu tion of ordinary laundry soap and water usinu • ' 1:> a scrubbmg brush to loosen the dirt. Then rinse in clear, warm water and allow to dry thoroughly. 24. Inspection Rubber footwear is to be inspected for the following: a. Soles and Heels. Soles and heels are to be complete and secure without holes and excessive wear. (Excessive ·wear is interpreted as "worn smooth"). Heels are to be complete and secure without wear over one-half of an inch at any point: Soles and heels will not be repaired. b. Uppers. Torn uppers will be repaired where the tear is no longer than 1 inch or one-half by one-half of an inch at right angles. Previous repairs will be checked for serviceability. c. B~tckle . Damaged or missing buckles will be replaced. d. Seams. Ripped seams will not be repaired. 25. Pairing and Sizing of Rubber Footwear a. Pairing. All items of rubber footwear are p~ired a~cording to size and equal wearing qualIties. Right and left items of footwear should have approximately the same amount of wearability. b. Sizing. Rubber footwear on which the size markings have been obliterated are measured in acc?rdance w.ith table I. The new size markings, whiCh are pamted in contrastinu colors are made in the middle of the shank. "' ' 26. Patching !'-hole o~ tear in rubber-top uppers is patched usmg Repair Kit, Cold Weather, Insulated Boot, FSN: 2640-543-7240. When large patches are required, use Repair Kit, Inner Tube, FSN: 2640272-6410. When practicable, the large patch should be cut circular in shape; when not, the corners are rounded off. Use a size patch which will completely cover the tear with a l-inch overlap. , To attach the patch, it is necessary to roughen the rubber upper with abrasive to remove the glaze around the damaged area. Apply an even coat of cement and allow to dry 3 to 5 minutes. Remove back from the patch (do not touch fresh surface) and press firmly in place. 27. Replacing Buckles A missing or damaged buckle is replaced with a serviceable buckle obtained from unrepairable footwear. To attach the replacement buckle, cut a loop from t he upper of an unserviceable item . ' msert through the outside buckle, and fasten to the upper by sewing or by the use of a tubular rivet. Refinish a rusted or chipped buckle with quick-drying black enamel. 28. Inspecting Finished Repair Work Repaired rubber footwear should be brushed and clean in appearance. All items should be properly paired and sized with the size clearly marked on the shank. Items are given the following ~spections to make certain that the necessary repairs have been performed satisfactorilv : a. Sole and Heel. Same as paragraphu 24a. b. Uppers. All seams in the uppers must be in good condition. There should be no rips or tears, and patches must be securely fastened. . c. BU(}kles. All buckles are to be present and m good condition. There should be no loose rusted, or chipped buckles. ' Table I. Resizing of Rubber Footwear Length (Inches) Size 11Ys 6 11% 7 12Ys 8 12% 9 13Ys 10 13% 11 14Ys 12 14% 13 15Ys 14 15% 15 CHAPTER 4 ORTHOPEDIC ADJUSTMENTS .Section I. GENERAL 29. Purpose Orthopedic adjustments are designed to correct minor foot deformities, and to support weak feet and to restore them to normalcy. Army shoe repair shops are authorized to make four types of orthopedic adjustments as follows: a. Anterior Heels. b. Thomas Heels. c. Heel and Sole Wedges. d. Heel Lifts. Note. Civilian repair shOl)S provide adjustments when Army shoe repair shops are not available, or for any reason are unable to furnish the Teqnired service. 30. Conditions Prerequisite to Making Orthopedic Adjustments The orthopedic adjustments listed in paragraph 29 are undertaken only on the authority of a prescription issued in duplicate by the ortho pedic surgeon or other qualified medical officer. Shoes presented for adjustment, whether to Army shoe repair shops or to civilian repair shops, must in all cases be accompanied by the following: a. Duplicate copy of authorized prescription. (The original remains in the possession of the individual for whom the adjustment is to be made.) b. Diagram showing complete dimensions and detailed description of the work to be done. c. Shoe Repair Tag (DD Form '754) clearly marked "Orthopedic Adjustment". 31 . Orthopedic Prescription The orthopedic prescription has all necessary alterations listed for both left and right shoes. The medical officer checks the authorized alterations to be made and indicates the locations and dimensions of the corrections. The alterations made in the shoe shop must conform exactly to the type and dimensions specified on the prescrip tion. Regardless of standard procedures, the prescription must be followed in detail. 32. Description of the Adjustments a. Anterior Heel. The anterior heel, usually referred to as the metatarsal bar, is used to support a weakened anterior arch and to relieve difficulties such as calloused ball conditions arising from this defect. The metatarsal bar, if correctly placed on the sole, prevents the ball of the shoe from striking the ground, and the weight of the body is shifted onto the metatarsal bar and the heel. The exact placement of the bar is indicated on the diagram furnished with the prescription. b. Thomas Heel. The Thomas heel is used to support a weakened inner longitudinal arch and to relieve difficulties arising from this defect. The Thomas heel, which can be made from either rubber or leather, has a forward extension on the inner border o£ the shoe to provide additional support :for the :foot. c. H eel and Sole Wedges. Heel and sole wedges are used to balance the :foot and to relieve difficulties arising from callouses, :fractures, and other disabilities. Designed to turn the foot inward or outward, wedges prevent the wearer :from walking on the side of . his :feet. When used with Thomas heels, they give additional support to the longitudinal arch. Wedges are made with either rubber or leather and applied to soles or heels or both, on either side, on top, or beneath the outsole. They usually cover two-thirds of the width of the heel or sole area. d. H eel Lift. A heel lift is used to equalize . the length of legs. The heel lift, built up from several thin layers of leather, is prescribed :for those who have one leg slightly shorter than the other. Section II. ORTHOPEDIC ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURES 33. General The procedures described in this section are standard procedures used in making orthopedic adjustments. If there is a discrepancy between these and the instructions given in the prescription, the prescription will be followed. For example, if the prescription specifies an anterior heel of greater dimensions than those given in paragraph 34, the repair shop will use the dimensions prescribed by the medical officer. 34. Metatarsal Bar The metatarsal bar (fig. 43) is made and attached to the shoe as follows : a. Detennine the break line of the shoe, then locate the first and fifth heads. The bulge on inside of ball of shoe is the first metatarsal head, and the bulge on outside of ball of shoe is the fifth metatarsal head. b. Make small circles with chalk on both bulges to mark heads on sides of shoe. c. Draw a chalkline across sole of shoe which will designate the wearline. d. There are two types of metatarsal bar. The first is the beveled type which would be used on the shoe of a person who has an immobilized foot which will require a rolling action on bottom of shoe. The other or regular type is used where the foot is not immobilized and would not require a rolling action. It is made by not beveling the material but inserting a skive at the back of the bar to raise it slightly. e. Using the same type of material as the outer sole, cut material for bar. Itshould be 1% inches wide and its length is detennined by the width of the shoe. f. Leave center of bar the same height and bevel both sides approximately one-half of an inch wide. g. Rasp the sole at chalkline area and underside of bar. h. Apply cement to rasped surface on sole and underside of beveled bar and allow to dry. i. Place bar on sole wit.h highest part of bar directly behind the chalkline and press firmly to assure adherence. j . Nail the bar using nails long enough to clinch. k. Sand edges of bar and make them flush with welt and sole (fig. 44). l. Ink and burnish on finisher. Figure 43. The metatarsal bar. Figttre 44. Sanding the edges ot the metatarsal bar. 35. Thomas Heel (fig. 45) a. First, remove the heel pads from both shoes. b. Draw heel breast line with a penc il after placing shoe on a last. c. Remove heel and nails. d. Plug the nail holes " ·ith wooden pegs. e. Mark the inner border of the shank threefourths of an inch from the breast line. f. Dra'Y a curTedline (fig. 46) from the inner border mark to the middle of the heel breast line. g. Make a pattern out of a piece of paper by {>lacing paper on shoe and tracing the outline of the heel. Outline the breast line '"ith curvature of inner border of shank. Allow for an extension of one-fourth of an inch on the outer border and one-eighth of an inch on the inner border. h. Cut pieces of leather or rubber to match the pattern and sand on the bottom so that they will fit the curvature of the heel seats. i. After the sanding has been done, rasp the heel piece and heel seat, and apply cement to the rasped surfaces. The heel piece is then nailed to the shoe. j. In the case of leather heels, it is necessary to build up the heel to standard _eight with additional pieces of leather in the manner described in g through i above for the first lift. k. For rubber heels, use a readymade Thomas heel and shape to conform with the curvature pattern with heel breaster after heel has been nailed to the heel base. l. After the heel has been attached, trim with a lip knife to form the proper beveled edges. The i1mer border is given a lti-inch bevel; the outer border a lj8 -inch bevel; the back of the heel i not beveled at all. m. The heel is then finished on the heel sander and burnished, after which a new heel pad is inserted. Figure 1,5. The Thomas heel. 36. Heel and Sole Wedges a. Heel Wedge (fig. 47). ( 1) Remove heel pad from shoe. (2) Place the shoe on a last and remove the old heel and nails. Figure 46. Marking the curvature ot the Thomas heel. ( 3) Fill nail holes with wooden pegs. ( 4) Mark off two-thirds of th2 width of the heel and cut a piece of leather one-fourth of an inch thick to match the marked-off area on the heel seat. ( 5) Skive the piece of leather so that it has a %-inch outside edge and a feather edge opposite. (6) Rasp the wedge and heel seat before applying rubber cement to both. Allow cement to dry and nail wedge to heel seat. (7) Attach a standard heel over the wedge in the usual way. b. Exterior Sole Wedge. The exterior sole wedge is made and attached as follows : (1) Draw a chalkline across the ball of the shoe where there has been the greatest wear. Mark off two-thirds of the ball area from one edge of the shoe (fig. 48). (2) When the prescription calls for an innerborder wedge, mark off the two-thirds area from that border toward the outer border. ( 3) Reverse the procedure for an outer-border wedge. ( 4) Draw a curved line to encompass the area marked off to entend from the toe down to 1 inch below the \Year line. ( 5) Place a piece of paper over the sole-wedge outline and make a pattern for the wedge. (6) Follow the pattern to cut a wedge from leather or rubber ~'4-inch thick. (8) Rasp and cement the wedge and sole, allo~ving the cement to dry. Then fit the wedge in place against the chalkline. ( 9) Place the shoe on a last and nail the wedge down across the shank end and edges (fig. 49) . Or, if the stitching machine can accommodate the combined sole and wedge, stitch the outside edge. (10) Trim the outside edge of the wedge with a lip knife and finish on the sander and burnisher. FigunJ 1,7. The heel wedge. Figure 1,9. The ezterior sole wedge. Figttre 1,8. Mm·king the sole bet01·e attaching the ext e7·ior sole w edge. c. Inset Sole Wedge. (1) Mark off the wearline and two-thirds (7) Bevel the wedge on a sanding wheel so of the ball area in the same way as for that the outside edge is one-fourth of an the exterior sole wedge, except, the curved inch and the inner edge is one-eighth of line is drawn from the center of the toe an inch in thickness. to 1 inch below the wearline on the shank. (2) Cut a piece of leather or rubber to fit the curved pattern on the sole. (3) Skive the piece of leather or rubber from one-eighth of an inch on the outside edge to a feather edge opposite to form a wedge. ( 4) Open the seam (fig. 50) between the outer and inner sole with a straight knife leaving ample room to insert the wedge. ( 5) Rasp the surfaces of the wedge and inside the opening. ( 6) Apply cement to both sides of the wedge and inside the opening, and allow to dry thoroughly. (7) Insert the wedge and trim the edges. (8) Restitch the opening on the stitching machine. Figure 50. Inserting the inset sole weage. (9) Finish with the sander and burnisher on the finishing machine. 37. Heel Lift The heel lift (fig. 51) can be inserted inside the shoe as a heel pad or added to the heel base under the heel of the shoe. In the latter case proceed as follows : a. Remove the heel pad. b. Remove worn heel and nails. c. Cut a lift from a piece of leather to the prescribed thickness and shape. d. Rasp the underside of the lift and the heel seat. e. Apply cement to the underside of the lift and to the heel seat, and allow to dry thoroughly. f. Nail the lift to the heel seat with nails onefourth of an inch from the edge. q. Attach a standard heel over the lift in the usual way. h. Finish heel and lift with the sander and burnisher on the finishing machine. Figure 51. The heel lift. CHAPTER 5 REPAIR OF LEATHER GOODS 38. Inspecting Leather Goods . All leather goods are inspected for the followmg: a. Dampness. b. Mildew. c. Excessive dryness. d. Excessive oiliness. e. Grease, stains, and dirt. f. Breaks. g. Ripped seams and loose or torn stitching. h. Missing, loose, or faulty meta,llic components. i. Missing or damaged straps. 39. Restoring Leather The following procedures should be observed in restoring leather to its original pliability and polished appearance. a. Removing Dampness. Hang or place a damp leather article in the shade with free circulation of air, and allow to dry thoroughly; do not dry in the sun or close to a direct source of heat such as an open fire, stove, or steam radiator. b. Removing Mildew. Remove mildew by thoroughly wiping with a moist cloth and then allow the item to air dry. c. Removing Excess Dryness. If leather is excessively dry, apply a light coat of neat's-foot oil. d. Removing Excess Oiliness. Wipe leather items with a dry cloth to remove excess oil. e. Rernoving (hease, Stains, and Dirt. (1) Cleaning articles of black leather. Remove hardened grease with a smoothedged scraper; do not use (}'lass or a knife. Then dam pen a sponge in clean, 1 ukewarm water; do not use hot water or allow leather to soak in any water. Sponge the article until all dirt and sweat becomes soft. Rinse the sponge frequently with clean water. Work up a good lather by ·applying sufficient harness soap to the sponge, apply a heavy coat of this lather to the article, and rub continually until all dirt and sweat are removed. Rinse the article well, allow to dry, and apply a light coat of neat's-foot oil. (2) Cleaning articles of russet leather. The procedure is the same as for articles of black leather, except that saddle soap, instead of harness soap, is used. Russet leather requires more frequent oiling than black leather, but care should be taken to avoid excessive oiling. At the final inspection, wipe off any oil on the surface or exuding from the pores of the leather. 40. Hand Sewing Sometimes it is necessary to sew heavy leather seams by hand as it may be difficult or even impossible to sew them by machine. Hand sewing is accomplished with the use of waxed end threads. The preparation of a waxed end (fig. 52) is described below. a. Making a Waxed End. A waxed end is made of Irish flax, which is furnished in balls. (1) Secure the ball in a suitable receptacle and draw thread from the inside of the ball. (2) With the operator seated, place the thread a few inches from the end acrosa the operator's right thigh. (3) Grasp the free end of the thread with the left hand, and with the palm of the right hand, rub the thread downward on the thigh to part the fibers of the thread. ( 4) Grasp the thread with the right hand about 10 inches from its end and give a quick jerk with both hands which will break the thread in such a way that a fine feathery end will exist. Discard the short broken off section of thread. ( 5) Measure off the threa.d to the required length to do the job and break at this point by repeating the operations in (3) and (4) above. (6) Repeat the operations above until a sufficient number of strands have been obtained, except make each strand slightly shorter than the preceding strand. The number of strands required will usually be from three to six, depending on the weight of the thread and the character of the work to be done. (7) Hang all of the strands thus formed over a hook at their middle point and wax the ends for about 6 inches (b below). ( 8) Twist each end of the combined strands by placing on the thigh and rubbing with the palm of the right hand. Then thoroughly wax the entire thread. ( 9) Thread 4 or 5 inches of each end through a needle and turn back. The waxed end is then complete and ready for sewing. b. U8inq Saddler's W am. Saddler's wax is used to make the· thread strong and pliable. The wax seals itself into and around the thread, giving it a smooth surface and allowing it to be pulled through holes without tearing or sticking. It also makes the thread wea:ther-resistant and prolongs its life. Saddler's wax works best in a temperature of about 75° F. Iftoo cold, the wax is brittle and will not adhere to the thread. If too warm, it is soft, sticky, and unfit for use. c. Usinq Finqerstall. To prevent sore fingers, a grained-leather fingerstall is a necessity, as constant sewing with waxed thread is hard on unprotected fingers. d. Skivinq Edqes. Before pieces of leather are handstitched, the edges are skived on the flesh side Figure 52. 111aking a wamed end. to a depth of about one-fourth of an inch. Skiving is particularly necessary when the leather is thick or when several layers are to be joined together. The skiving should consist of short vertical strokes toward the edge, but not along the edge, as this will stretch the leather. Care must be taken to avoid skiving of leather too deeply; not more than one-half the thickness of the leather should be skived off. e. Oementinq Edqes. After the edges have been skived, they are cemented together in order to hold them securely during the hand stitching. The rubber cement is applied very lightly and only up to within an inch of the points where the stitching will start and end. These spaces are not cemented, so that the ends of the thread can be tucked in later. When the seam is finished, 'the spaces are closed up by working in a little cement between the layers of leather with a knife blade. f. Makinq Perforations for Stitches. After the cement has dried, perforations for the handstitches are made at a distance one-eighth to three-eighths of an inch from the edge, depending upon the thickness of the leather. The positions of the stitches are marked with a pricking wheel or stitch marker and the perforations made with an awl. A fid (a conical wooden pin) is used to make the holes larger if necessary. Stitches should be spaced at about the same distance that they are from the edge of the leather. Perforations through cemented edges are made through all layers of leather at the same time. q. Types of Handstitches. The following are the types of handstitches most widely used for leather goods : (1) Saddler's stitch. Since the saddler's stitch (fig. 53) requires the use of both hands, the article to be sewed is placed in a saddler's stitching clamp or vise. Two needles and a thread about three times the length of the seam are required. In making this type of stitch both needles go through the same holes but in opposite directions. The seam is begun by putting the threaded needle through the first hole and pulling through about one-half the length of the waxed end. After putting the second needle through the same hole, the needle in the left hand is passed through a second hole from left to right and the other one passed through it from right to left, both threads being drawn through until taut, and the seam continued by repeating this operation. Upon reaching the end of the thread or the end of the seam, one or two backstitches are taken and both ends cut off. Figure 53. The saddler's stitch. (2) Runnmg stitch. The running stitch (fig. 54) is begun by inserting the threaded needle between two leather edges and through the third or fourth hole from the left. About an inch of thread should remain between the layers of leather, and a little rubber cement is inserted to hold this end in place. After the cement has dried, the needle and thread, which have been dangling from the third or fourth hole, are worked to the left, in one hole and out the next, back to the first hole. The stitching is done to the right through the same holes and continued in one hole and out the next to the end of the seam. When the stitch in t he last hole has been made, two or three backstitches are made to the left, and the needle is brought out between the two layers of leather. About an inch of thread is left at the end, and this end is tucked between the layers of leather, a little rubber cement being used to hold it. Doublestitching through several holes at both end points not only disposes of the ends of the thread but also gives added strength to the seam. h. Using Double Needle. For work around loops and other inaccessible places, it is more convenient to use an improvised needle consisting of a fine brass or copper wire, doubled and slightly twisted, with an eye left at the middle. This can be bent into almost any shape. In sewing with a double needle, it will be necessary to make the awl holes larger. Figure 54. The running stitch. 41 . Machine Sewing In sewing of articles made of soft leather, the use of a sewing machine is the quickest and easiest method. A special needle for stitching leather and a long, loose stitch are used. A thin piece of paper is placed between the leather and the feed of the machine in order to prevent the leather from beino-marked up. Stitching must be done slowly and accurately, as the needle marks cannot be removed, and if mistakes are made, the stitches have to be ripped. Sufficient thread should be left at both the beginning and end of the seam to thread into the sewing machine and work back for a few stitches. 42. Thonging Thonging, a method of fastening together pieces of leather and of joining leather edges, is stronger than hand or machine stitching and adds a decorative effect. A piece of leather lacing or a strip of rawhide is cut to the proper length and the working end trimmed to a point. The lacing may also be stiffened with glue or wrapped tightly with a little tinfoil. Holes are then punched from oneeighth to three-eighths of an inch from the edge, depending upon the thickness of the leather and the size of the article. Types of leather lacings are shown in figure 55. blacking to them with a brush or piece of cloth, brushing with awl haft or hammer handle, and SINGL.I: STRAND RUNNIN:J S T ITCH 0 CD 0 WHIP STITCH 0 F O U R STRAND B R AlDC:O SPIRA L Figu1·e 55. Types ot leather lacings. 43. Finishing Edges a. Articles of Black Leathe?'. The edges of articles of black leather are finished by applying finishing with a piece of cloth. b. Articles of Russet Leather. Edges of articles made of russet leather are finished in the manner prescribed for black leather, except that the edges are slightly dampened instead of being blackened. 44. Repairing Metallic Components a. Cleaning Gold-Finished Components. I nsignia and buttons that have a gold finish are cleaned with ammonia and water. The use of an abrasive is prohibited, as it will remove the plating. b. Restoring Finish on Brass Components. The dark finish on brass metallic components is restored by dipping the parts in a solution of ammonia hydroxide that has been saturated with copper carbonate. Care must be taken to prevent the solution from coming into contact with the leather. c. Oiling Unpainted Components. Unpainted metallic components should be lightly oiled. d . Setting Eyelets in Leather. The eyel~t hole should be made just barely large enough to allow the neck of the eyelet to be worked thr ough it. In the insertion of the eyelet, the ring top is put on the right side of the leather. The point of the eyelet spreader is then inserted between the prongs of the eyelet, the spreader being held perpendicular, and given a sharp blow with the hammer. APPENDIX REFERENCES 1. Army Regulations Bulletins, Lubrication Orders, and 310-1 Modification Work Orders. Military Publications-General Policies. 320-5 Dictionary of United States Army Terms. 310-5 Index of Graphic Training Aids and 320-50 Authorized Abbreviations and Brevity Devices. Codes. 310-7 Index of Tables of Organization and Equipment, Type Tables of Distribu 2. Department of the Army Pamphlets tion, and Tables of Allowances. 108-1 Index of Motion Pictures, Film Strips, 3. Field Manuals Slides, and Phono-Recordings. 21-5 Military Training. 310-1 Index of Administrative Publications. 21-6 Techniques of Military Instruction. 310-2 Index of Blank Forms. 21-30 Military Symbols. 310-3 Index of Doctrinal, Training, and Organizational Publication. 4 . Technical Manual 310-4 Index of Technical Manuals, Technical 10-262 Shoe Repair Machines. By Order of the Secretary of the Army : EARLE G. WHEELER, General, United States Army, Official : Ohief of Staff. J. C. LAMBERT, Major General, United States Army, The Adjutant General. Distribution: Active Army: DCSPER (1) LOGCOMD (2) Dep (OS) (5) ACSI {1) MDW (2) (5) Cen DCSOPS (2) Armies (5) t;SAOSA (2) DCSLOG (2) Corps (2) POE (2) Ofc Res Comp (2) Div (2) USA Corps (3)CARROTC {2) Instl (2) Units organized nnder followingCofSptS (2) USMA {1) TOE's: USCONARC (10) . vc Colleges (2) 10-107 (2) ARADCOM (2) Br Svc Sch {2) except 10-349 (2) ARADCOM Rgn (2) USAQMS (200) 10-448 (2) OS Maj Comd (5) A Dep (5) NG: State AG (3); Div, TOlD 10-22 (1). USAR: Same as active Army except one {1) copy to each unit. For explanation of abbreviations used, see AR 320-50. U.S.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1963 0-711-905