Relacing Trick needed.. Threading in a 3/16" lace on to a lacing needle.

DatDuke

DatDuke

Well-Known Member
OK. This weekend, I took a dive into repairing gloves. I used to send them out. But I dont want to spend $40 every time with these small repair jobs, plus Its time to learn when people here are so eager to help.

Starting with the basic, repairing a pair of catcher mitts. My Son starting to throw pretty hard now (15 yrs old). I snapped 2 webs (2 different gloves) while practicing with him. they were old gloves, and prob. needed new laces anyway.

The web laces finally snapped. So I purchased a Wilson lace needle that came with a piece of tan lace. The quality of the Wilson Lace is OK.. nothing like the 1/4" tanner. I cut the ends in a diagonal and proceed to screw it into the needle. I gave it 6 turns, but it barely holds the lace when I thread it through the holes. It came off every time I thread through the holes.

My question: is there a trick keeping the lace threaded so I don't have to use my needle nose every time I fish the needle through? Thanks. I will include some pictures soon. Thanks.
 
DatDuke

DatDuke

Well-Known Member
Middle ofnthe web. Used to be single crosses, now I doubled up on every holes.
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ANNASDAD

ANNASDAD

The Veteran
Hey Duke, definitely not Rous or Davis here. I bought a Tandy super jumbo needle from hobby lobby, I hate that POS! I would think that's the difference in having a high quality glove lacing needle like a Tanners! A couple of months back I re-laced the fingers and web spiral on my daughters Vinci, I had a 1/4" piece of the hardest stiffest Tanner's lace I've ever had, that needle was worthless! I would have been better off punching a hole in the lace and running a piece of mechanics wire through it.

Every time I see a Dirty 30 video, I'm always thinking how in the world does he keep the lace in the needle? It never comes out!
 
DatDuke

DatDuke

Well-Known Member
Yeah.. its pretty amazing how Dirty and that Japanese guy can keep the lace on it. I was going to spend the $4 on a cheap Hobby needle. but decided to spend $12 with the Wilson because it comes with a piece of lace. Luckily, It was enough to fix both catcher mitts. Not sure if the Wilson needle is to blame, cause ASO uses it to relace anything on the fly.
 
ANNASDAD

ANNASDAD

The Veteran
That Tandy needle has very small, very fine machine screw threads, it seems to me that a courser deeper cut thread would hold leather lace better.
 
DatDuke

DatDuke

Well-Known Member
Ok, I will try to see if the local machine shop can thread me a needle with a courser and deeper screw cut.
 
Rous

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
I used a brass Tandy Super Jumbo Perma Lok for a while when I got started and the two biggest issues were the length (not quite long enough to run through a long tunnel) and that the flat part of the tip wouldn't fit through small grommets. I tried a couple aluminum needles and they were useless. I even had a stainless Tanner's that didn't last long. The best ones I have used are the couple stainless needles I got when different SBF members had some made in a machine shop. 5/32" diameter "wire" and 3.5" and 6" long with a course thread. With these, I can certainly say they beat out the Perma-Lok needles, but great needles are hard to find.

Make the angle pretty shallow and you should be able to thread it in further.
 
P

Party mafia

Well-Known Member
Rous said:
I used a brass Tandy Super Jumbo Perma Lok for a while when I got started and the two biggest issues were the length (not quite long enough to run through a long tunnel) and that the flat part of the tip wouldn't fit through small grommets. I tried a couple aluminum needles and they were useless. I even had a stainless Tanner's that didn't last long. The best ones I have used are the couple stainless needles I got when different SBF members had some made in a machine shop. 5/32" diameter "wire" and 3.5" and 6" long with a course thread. With these, I can certainly say they beat out the Perma-Lok needles, but great needles are hard to find.

Make the angle pretty shallow and you should be able to thread it in further.
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Could you post some pictures of the needles that you got from the SBF members? Thanks
 
mpk

mpk

Extra Hitter
I'll say that the lace definitely makes a difference too on how well it holds in the needle. Even some nice thick lace can have a softness that just wont hold in the threads. A few years ago I got some dark brown lace off ebay that was advertised as Tanners that seemed pretty nice but for the life of me I could not get it to hold in the needle. It was just too soft and ripped out of the threads whenever I would try to pull it through any hole. I actually gave up trying to relace my gloves for awhile after that because it was so infuriating. Standard tan or black lace from the rawlings kits should hold pretty tight. Really nice stiff lace like I got from USA Sports Direct is near impossible to pull out if threaded well.

I'm using one of the really nice needles I got from a member on here a few years ago (Dan from Great Lakes Relace, aka Tomasik14) when he had a bunch made. Must be the ones Rous described. If you can find something similar to that, don' t hesitate. I remember it took a long time for them to be made after they were ordered and a bunch of people jumped ship and wanted refunds after paying and then several months of waiting. Sure glad I stuck it out!
 
BretMan

BretMan

Addicted to Softballfans
I used Tanners needles for years, mainly just because that's what I had available. Also had a brass one from Tandy. Getting the lace screwed in could be an issue with either of them. Keep experimenting with the angle you cut the end of the lace. Instead of just cutting an angle, think of shaping the end of the lace like a screw that you're going to thread into a threaded hole.

Making it worse...I do believe that both of those needles have fine threads. With fine threads you have more threads per inch, but you sacrifice some of the depth of the thread. Making it even more worse...it seems like these fine threads in this soft material (aluminum and brass) wear out over time, so then they grip even less.

Like others here have mentioned, I bought one of the "hand made" needles from a SBF member a couple of years ago. These have a course thread, thus a deeper thread. This needle REALLY locks in the lace! I would love to get my hands on a couple more of these.
 
P

Party mafia

Well-Known Member
mpk said:
I'll say that the lace definitely makes a difference too on how well it holds in the needle. Even some nice thick lace can have a softness that just wont hold in the threads. A few years ago I got some dark brown lace off ebay that was advertised as Tanners that seemed pretty nice but for the life of me I could not get it to hold in the needle. It was just too soft and ripped out of the threads whenever I would try to pull it through any hole. I actually gave up trying to relace my gloves for awhile after that because it was so infuriating. Standard tan or black lace from the rawlings kits should hold pretty tight. Really nice stiff lace like I got from USA Sports Direct is near impossible to pull out if threaded well.

I'm using one of the really nice needles I got from a member on here a few years ago (Dan from Great Lakes Relace, aka Tomasik14) when he had a bunch made. Must be the ones Rous described. If you can find something similar to that, don' t hesitate. I remember it took a long time for them to be made after they were ordered and a bunch of people jumped ship and wanted refunds after paying and then several months of waiting. Sure glad I stuck it out!
Click to expand...
you have some pictures of the needles?
 
DatDuke

DatDuke

Well-Known Member
BretMan said:
I used Tanners needles for years, mainly just because that's what I had available. Also had a brass one from Tandy. Getting the lace screwed in could be an issue with either of them. Keep experimenting with the angle you cut the end of the lace. Instead of just cutting an angle, think of shaping the end of the lace like a screw that you're going to thread into a threaded hole.

Making it worse...I do believe that both of those needles have fine threads. With fine threads you have more threads per inch, but you sacrifice some of the depth of the thread. Making it even more worse...it seems like these fine threads in this soft material (aluminum and brass) wear out over time, so then they grip even less.

Like others here have mentioned, I bought one of the "hand made" needles from a SBF member a couple of years ago. These have a course thread, thus a deeper thread. This needle REALLY locks in the lace! I would love to get my hands on a couple more of these.
Click to expand...

If the SBF seller decided to run another batch, we should get an order together to make it worth his time. I will pay up to $10 a needle. and will order multiples.
 
Swinging Bunt

Swinging Bunt

Addicted to Softballfans
Podo and Dirty did a run together that went smooth. Tomasik did another run (different manufacturer) some time after that but had a hold up (lots of delays and lack of communication on his part so forum members got a bit frustrated but they did eventually receive their needles).
 
Drumbum37

Drumbum37

Addicted to Softballfans
Trung has something like 10 pairs of the long and short needle from the run that Tomasik did that he's looking to sell. He's on here occasionally but also on fb. Skillset or something like that is his sn.
 
Rous

Rous

Addicted to Softballfans
Party mafia said:
Could you post some pictures of the needles that you got from the SBF members? Thanks
Click to expand...
The middle one is from an earlier batch that (I think) Dirty30 was involved in. I think it's aluminum. The Tomasik14 batch was made out of stainless.

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ANNASDAD

ANNASDAD

The Veteran
Hey Rous, I may see if my brother-in-law can make me one, would 5/32 or 3/16 diameter be the optimum size piece of stock?
 
DatDuke

DatDuke

Well-Known Member
Drumbum37 said:
Trung has something like 10 pairs of the long and short needle from the run that Tomasik did that he's looking to sell. He's on here occasionally but also on fb. Skillset or something like that is his sn.
Click to expand...

How many people here need needle made? just wondering. if there is only a few of us, it wont make sense to seek a new batch to be made.

If anyone knows Trung's UserID here, please let me know. I will PM him directly. Thanks.
 
mpk

mpk

Extra Hitter
I would actually buy a couple more if the chance arose and they were similar quality. I don't think I'll wear mine out, but it's only a matter of time before I lose it.
 
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