Finally got my endbands to line up right on a text block

I've been fighting with sewing endbands for months and they always looked sloppy. Tried dampening the thread just a little before pulling tight and it made a huge difference - no more gaps on the curves. Anyone else got a trick for keeping them even on the turn-in?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel2142mo ago

Oh man, the damp thread trick is a game changer. I had a similar breakthrough when I started using a piece of wax paper under my work to keep the thread from catching on the spine. It's such a tiny thing but it stops those annoying little snags that throw off the tension. I still get uneven spots sometimes on the turn-in but I found if I hold the thread at a real shallow angle with my left thumb while pulling it tight, it sort of self-corrects the spacing.

thea7042mo ago

Huh, the wax paper trick is clever. I had a similar issue with snagging and ended up switching to a finer needle - it's a size 10 or 11, and the smaller hole lets the thread slide through way smoother. Also started wetting just the last inch or so of thread with a damp sponge before threading, keeps it from fraying at the needle eye. Took a few tries to get the shallow thumb angle down, but once it clicks, the tension really does even out pretty nice.

dylanh9726d ago

Honestly, the whole shallow angle thing reminds me of this one time I was trying to re-sole a pair of boots. I had this cheap awl from a hardware store and the thread kept catching on the leather. I ended up rubbing a little candle wax on the thread and it slid through like butter. @daniel214 you're right about the snags throwing things off, that little bit of friction really messes with how tight everything pulls together.