Happy Pi Day
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Any topic is acceptable, and topic drift is permissible.
Re: Happy Pi Day
Now that you mentioned it, I recall that was one thing mom liked about the deep well. She could fill it in the morning and let it cook all day until supper time. Then just lift out the sections and serve. It sure does sound like the precursor to crock pots. I have one and don't use it very often. It's not a matter of cost because I think the crock pot burning all day uses more electricity than 30 minutes on the cook top. Of course that all depends on how hot you like to cook things. There are only certain kinds of meals the crock pot does well, and I guess we don't eat a lot of one pot meals. I must say that I have a crock pot recipe for pork chops that is unbelievably delectable.
Re: Happy Pi Day
My wife got one of those, dang forgot the name, souffees or something like that.
It's just a device that heats water when you hang it in a pot.
You keep your food in a plastic bag in the pot of water.
Even so, the end product tastes like boiled meats which I pretty much hate, hi hi.
Souse Chef?
I used to use a pressure cooker quite a bit, but only to speed up the cooking time for some things I would normally boil, like potatoes. But now the frau, she makes good use of the pressure cooker for making canned tomatoes. So it's a good thing I bought the big one that held like 7 jars. We didn't have a good crop of tomatoes this year so no canning tomatoes.
It's just a device that heats water when you hang it in a pot.
You keep your food in a plastic bag in the pot of water.
Even so, the end product tastes like boiled meats which I pretty much hate, hi hi.
Souse Chef?
I used to use a pressure cooker quite a bit, but only to speed up the cooking time for some things I would normally boil, like potatoes. But now the frau, she makes good use of the pressure cooker for making canned tomatoes. So it's a good thing I bought the big one that held like 7 jars. We didn't have a good crop of tomatoes this year so no canning tomatoes.
Re: Happy Pi Day
A pressure cooker is one more childhood memory of my mom's cooking techniques. I recall watching it spit out steam from a dancing valve on top of the cover. It seems contrary to what a pressure cooker does, i.e., cook under pressure. Why let the steam out if the idea is to have pressure? I guess it might have been a regulator to keep the pressure at a certain level. There was a meter on the pot too, but don't recall much about what it was for.
It just so happens we have a new pressure cooker sitting in the pantry; never been used. I think it was supposed to be a gift to a relative but somehow never got delivered. I can't think of how I would use that cooker because I do not do any canning at all. Perhaps if I were not so lazy I'd do some research on the Internet regarding what to do with a pressure cooker. To me it's just a gimmick, much like the air fryer. Nice gadgets but leaning toward being useless.
It just so happens we have a new pressure cooker sitting in the pantry; never been used. I think it was supposed to be a gift to a relative but somehow never got delivered. I can't think of how I would use that cooker because I do not do any canning at all. Perhaps if I were not so lazy I'd do some research on the Internet regarding what to do with a pressure cooker. To me it's just a gimmick, much like the air fryer. Nice gadgets but leaning toward being useless.
Re: Happy Pi Day
The weight is to maintain the pressure at the desired pressure for what you are cooking.
If that hole gets clogged, it could blow the lid off the pressure cooker.
Which is why most of them today have a secondary safety valve or blow out ring on them.
I also read that many now have 10 different safety features on them.
I've seen a few pictures of the aftermath of a pressure cooker blowing its lid, and it wasn't a pretty sight.
When I helped out in the canning factory, the autoclaves were actually pressure cookers.
Since the product is cooked in the sealed cans, the pressure in the autoclave keeps the cans from exploding.
Needless to say, the pressure in these things are much higher than a pressure cooker.
The idea is to keep the pressure outside the can the same as the pressure inside the can.
And actually, they are much safer than a pressure cooker, even at the high pressure, because there is no way to remove the lid until the pressure inside is back down to zero and the temperature back down below the scalding point.
Our autoclaves were fairly small, only held like 400 cans, while the big ones at canning companies hold thousands of cans.
If that hole gets clogged, it could blow the lid off the pressure cooker.
Which is why most of them today have a secondary safety valve or blow out ring on them.
I also read that many now have 10 different safety features on them.
I've seen a few pictures of the aftermath of a pressure cooker blowing its lid, and it wasn't a pretty sight.
When I helped out in the canning factory, the autoclaves were actually pressure cookers.
Since the product is cooked in the sealed cans, the pressure in the autoclave keeps the cans from exploding.
Needless to say, the pressure in these things are much higher than a pressure cooker.
The idea is to keep the pressure outside the can the same as the pressure inside the can.
And actually, they are much safer than a pressure cooker, even at the high pressure, because there is no way to remove the lid until the pressure inside is back down to zero and the temperature back down below the scalding point.
Our autoclaves were fairly small, only held like 400 cans, while the big ones at canning companies hold thousands of cans.
Re: Happy Pi Day
Mom's pressure cooker had that rubber gasket kind of thing in the lid that would probably blow off if the pressure inside was too great. I guess the heat from the stove top is what controlled the amount of pressure allowed to build up inside the pot. That explains why it could be dangerous if you didn't have a safety valve built in somehow. I am pretty sure the one we have stashed in the pantry is a stand alone cooker. It probably has all that built in safety that you read about. Since the techniques and advantages of cooking under pressure are all mysterious to me, I don't think I'll be doing any of that kind of cooking in the near future. I'm still trying to get hard boiled eggs down pat. 
Re: Happy Pi Day
I hear ya! When my aunt first moved to Denver Colorado, no matter how good of a cook she was, nothing turned out right for her up there. Then she found out about pressure cookers and bought four of them, one for each burner. She learned from other ladies what pressure to use for normal mid-west cooking. But then she learned how to best use those pressure cookers. Cutting a lot of time off of preparing a meal.
How much faster does a pressure cooker cook?
In the pressure cooker, food cooks approximately 30 percent quicker than steaming, braising, boiling and other conventional methods of cooking. Studies have revealed that pressure cookers use between 50 and 70 percent less energy than conventional cooking, resulting from the shorter cooking times.
Other than making potato salad or mashed potatoes, I prefer baked potatoes.
Heck, sometimes I will bake potatoes to use to make mashed potatoes, seems they taste better.
Mom used to drive us nuts. She would boil a potato for like ten minutes, then put them in the oven to bake.
But I will say this, we never had a dry mealy baked potato that way.
How much faster does a pressure cooker cook?
In the pressure cooker, food cooks approximately 30 percent quicker than steaming, braising, boiling and other conventional methods of cooking. Studies have revealed that pressure cookers use between 50 and 70 percent less energy than conventional cooking, resulting from the shorter cooking times.
Other than making potato salad or mashed potatoes, I prefer baked potatoes.
Heck, sometimes I will bake potatoes to use to make mashed potatoes, seems they taste better.
Mom used to drive us nuts. She would boil a potato for like ten minutes, then put them in the oven to bake.
But I will say this, we never had a dry mealy baked potato that way.
Re: Happy Pi Day
Let me tell you about cooking in Colorado ...
Many years ago after my daughter was first married we visited her and her Army Captain husband in Colorado Springs. I loved the Springs area because I was super impressed with Cheyenne Mountain, the stronghold of NORAD. I was hoping the SIL would be able to get me a tour inside the NORAD base, but no such thing could be arranged. I got to ride Sherman tanks instead on the base in which he was an officer.
One night while visiting the daughter it was decided that I would prepare the meal. I don't recall exactly what I was making, but it was fairly simple. The first thing I had to do was boil a pot of water. It normally takes 5-7 minutes for things to start bubbling, but after twice that time nothing was going on. This unexpected delay, of course, threw off my timing and nothing went right after that. It took nearly half an hour for that pot of water to come to a roiling boil. Nothing else seemed to cook the familiar way either. Somehow I did manage to make what I intended, but it took a lot longer than anticipated.
The problem was the elevation. It's about 6000 feet above sea level in Colorado Springs and about 700 feet around here. That mile high difference has a remarkable effect upon the boiling point of liquids. Cooking in a pressure cooker eliminates the barometric effects of the atmosphere in that it creates it's own pressurized environment. My guess is that 15 psi is the ideal and can easily be measured inside a pot built for that purpose. Maintaining that ideal pressure will even out the cooking time over various land elevations. But no cook I know of intentionally tries to accomplish that feat. They just know how long it takes to cook something. The shorter time in the pressure cooker is due to the controlled environment. It takes just as much energy to raise the liquid temperature in a pressure cooker as it does on an open stove top. The difference is that the shorter cook time uses less energy.
My wife thinks I"m crazy but I like to use Idaho potatoes for all potato recipes. Once in a while I'll go with Yukon Gold just to be different. The trick to getting perfect potatoes is that they should be baked until they reach an internal temperature of 210 F. I have a digital instant read thermometer for that purpose and know what times to use in the microwave. It may require a second short zap to get the temperature right, but the effort is well worth it. Perfect mashed or baked taters every time.
Many years ago after my daughter was first married we visited her and her Army Captain husband in Colorado Springs. I loved the Springs area because I was super impressed with Cheyenne Mountain, the stronghold of NORAD. I was hoping the SIL would be able to get me a tour inside the NORAD base, but no such thing could be arranged. I got to ride Sherman tanks instead on the base in which he was an officer.
One night while visiting the daughter it was decided that I would prepare the meal. I don't recall exactly what I was making, but it was fairly simple. The first thing I had to do was boil a pot of water. It normally takes 5-7 minutes for things to start bubbling, but after twice that time nothing was going on. This unexpected delay, of course, threw off my timing and nothing went right after that. It took nearly half an hour for that pot of water to come to a roiling boil. Nothing else seemed to cook the familiar way either. Somehow I did manage to make what I intended, but it took a lot longer than anticipated.
The problem was the elevation. It's about 6000 feet above sea level in Colorado Springs and about 700 feet around here. That mile high difference has a remarkable effect upon the boiling point of liquids. Cooking in a pressure cooker eliminates the barometric effects of the atmosphere in that it creates it's own pressurized environment. My guess is that 15 psi is the ideal and can easily be measured inside a pot built for that purpose. Maintaining that ideal pressure will even out the cooking time over various land elevations. But no cook I know of intentionally tries to accomplish that feat. They just know how long it takes to cook something. The shorter time in the pressure cooker is due to the controlled environment. It takes just as much energy to raise the liquid temperature in a pressure cooker as it does on an open stove top. The difference is that the shorter cook time uses less energy.
My wife thinks I"m crazy but I like to use Idaho potatoes for all potato recipes. Once in a while I'll go with Yukon Gold just to be different. The trick to getting perfect potatoes is that they should be baked until they reach an internal temperature of 210 F. I have a digital instant read thermometer for that purpose and know what times to use in the microwave. It may require a second short zap to get the temperature right, but the effort is well worth it. Perfect mashed or baked taters every time.
Re: Happy Pi Day
Many eons ago, when I owned a restaurant, we had a machine just for making baked potatoes.
It only held 12 potatoes, but then we normally only served about 8 to 10 per evening anyhow.
Even so, it had a drawer underneath where you placed the baked potatoes, and they could hold there for hours without changing how they tasted, and they didn't dry out either.
There was a specific process to using this baker also. Each potato was oiled, salted, then wrapped with aluminum foil.
Inside the machine, the 3 rows of potatoes sat on like rollers, but they only turned 1/4 turn once every 10 minutes or so, not continuous like a hot dog roller table.
Considering it was a baker, it is amazing how little fuel it used. It was a gas unit. They also came in electric. Well, this one had electric also, to run the motors and the timer clocks, but that power was non-descript in usage, something like 4 watts or less, except when the motor turned for 3 seconds, then it used 17 watts. Not sure what the gas igniters used.
We opted for the gas unit only because the deep fryers used the two large electrical outlets, and we had like 4 unused gas outlets on that same wall.
It only held 12 potatoes, but then we normally only served about 8 to 10 per evening anyhow.
Even so, it had a drawer underneath where you placed the baked potatoes, and they could hold there for hours without changing how they tasted, and they didn't dry out either.
There was a specific process to using this baker also. Each potato was oiled, salted, then wrapped with aluminum foil.
Inside the machine, the 3 rows of potatoes sat on like rollers, but they only turned 1/4 turn once every 10 minutes or so, not continuous like a hot dog roller table.
Considering it was a baker, it is amazing how little fuel it used. It was a gas unit. They also came in electric. Well, this one had electric also, to run the motors and the timer clocks, but that power was non-descript in usage, something like 4 watts or less, except when the motor turned for 3 seconds, then it used 17 watts. Not sure what the gas igniters used.
We opted for the gas unit only because the deep fryers used the two large electrical outlets, and we had like 4 unused gas outlets on that same wall.
Re: Happy Pi Day
I have noted the foil wrapped baked potatoes when I order them at restaurants. I didn't realize they were coated with oil, however. When doing "baked" potatoes in an air fryer, the instructions for that say to coat with a light film of oil, but I never read that about microwaved taters. The only instruction there is to poke holes in the potato with a fork so that the moisture may escape. Otherwise you end up with steamed potatoes instead of baked potatoes. I think that idea came from grilling potatoes where the skins are expected to be hard and slightly burnt. Turning the potato during microwave cooking is important to accomplish an evenly baked spud. I only flip it once which seems to be enough for our tastes. I have noted that the nuked potato can sit at least 15 minutes in the microwave after it reaches the desired 210F. Maybe it's like steak where it helps to rest the food after cooking.
Re: Happy Pi Day
Ah, Bernoulli laws... Pressure makes things act differently. Bread grows better, planes need to fly faster and make wider turns, and things cook slower because of that. The point is that the water boils when the vapor pressure induced by increasing temperature makes it boil at lower temperatures the higher you climb. At sea level, at 1.0 ATM, water boils at 100 degrees centigrade or 212 Fahrenheit. Here in Mexico City, at 2240 meters or 7350 feet and about 0.7 ATM, water boils at 92° centigrade or 198° Fahrenheit... Maybe the stove was acting differently apart of the altitude difference, but I'm not who to nail down the issue.The problem was the elevation. It's about 6000 feet above sea level in Colorado Springs and about 700 feet around here. That mile high difference has a remarkable effect upon the boiling point of liquids
¿Did you feel dizzy or a bit more tired than usual during your visit to your daughter? That's height sickness, and also works in reverse...
Re: Happy Pi Day
Thank you for the comments about Bernoulli and his law. I can't argue physics but I can assure you that I noticed something exactly opposite to what Bernoulli claimed. LOL While I noticed a big difference in cooking times, my daughter didn't think there was anything unusual going on. It could all very well have been due to the kitchen appliances and not the atmosphere. I only know that I was confused by it all.
The confusion, I believe, was not caused by air sickness. I was warned in advance of the possible side effects but to be honest I don't recall suffering in any way. That doesn't mean I was not affected. I simply did not experience anything of significance that I could trace back to higher elevations. The cooking I did was after we had been in Colorado Springs a few days. I'd guess that I was acclimated to the environment by then. Maybe not. I'm easily confused no matter where I'm at.
The confusion, I believe, was not caused by air sickness. I was warned in advance of the possible side effects but to be honest I don't recall suffering in any way. That doesn't mean I was not affected. I simply did not experience anything of significance that I could trace back to higher elevations. The cooking I did was after we had been in Colorado Springs a few days. I'd guess that I was acclimated to the environment by then. Maybe not. I'm easily confused no matter where I'm at.
Re: Happy Pi Day
The time we drove to the top of Mount Evans, which is a little taller than Pikes Peak, and not as commercialized at the time. My mom got so dizzy she stayed in the car for at least 10 minutes before venturing into the tourist trap.
Coming back down didn't affect my mom, but my sister was in great pain, said it felt like her head was going to explode.
We tried to show her how to swallow hard which helps, but nothing seemed to work for her.
The reason my aunt and uncle moved to Denver in the first place had to do with his allergies or something like that.
He never had any more problems after they moved there, at least not for the next 40 years or so.
Besides tires and automotive belts, Gates Rubber made all kinds of trinkets, many used for their own advertising purposes.
Every year around Christmas time, starting in the early 1950's, they would mail the family a big box of things made by Gates Rubber. My brother and I got a whole farm tractor set one year, all made from rubber, but with some metal, like the tire axles and movable parts mounting points. After that, it was usually advertising type items, some of them quite elaborate.
Mom got an antique cook stove decoration she kept in her curio cabinet for years.
Most of the things dad got, he found a use for at his work place.
Apparently, they had a lab where they experimented with different formula's for their rubber compounds, which caused a lot of waste to get rid of, and rather than toss it out, they used it to make toys and trinkets and advertising stuff.
One thing of interest is, rubber is white, until they add the lamp black to it to protect it from UV rays.
In the late 1960's, a company came out with a synthetic tire, and I was just dumb enough to get a set for my car.
I had a 1966 Impala SS 396 (bored out to 406), it was maroon in color, and their maroon tire matched it perfectly.
Trouble is, they had poor traction, and wore out way too fast. You couldn't burn rubber with them either, and if you tried, all it did was grind, or melt the tire down and ruin it real fast.
I did keep them on the car for about 8 months, and when winter rolled around, I replaced them with my snow tires, and then in the spring bought normal tires again.
Coming back down didn't affect my mom, but my sister was in great pain, said it felt like her head was going to explode.
We tried to show her how to swallow hard which helps, but nothing seemed to work for her.
The reason my aunt and uncle moved to Denver in the first place had to do with his allergies or something like that.
He never had any more problems after they moved there, at least not for the next 40 years or so.
Besides tires and automotive belts, Gates Rubber made all kinds of trinkets, many used for their own advertising purposes.
Every year around Christmas time, starting in the early 1950's, they would mail the family a big box of things made by Gates Rubber. My brother and I got a whole farm tractor set one year, all made from rubber, but with some metal, like the tire axles and movable parts mounting points. After that, it was usually advertising type items, some of them quite elaborate.
Mom got an antique cook stove decoration she kept in her curio cabinet for years.
Most of the things dad got, he found a use for at his work place.
Apparently, they had a lab where they experimented with different formula's for their rubber compounds, which caused a lot of waste to get rid of, and rather than toss it out, they used it to make toys and trinkets and advertising stuff.
One thing of interest is, rubber is white, until they add the lamp black to it to protect it from UV rays.
In the late 1960's, a company came out with a synthetic tire, and I was just dumb enough to get a set for my car.
I had a 1966 Impala SS 396 (bored out to 406), it was maroon in color, and their maroon tire matched it perfectly.
Trouble is, they had poor traction, and wore out way too fast. You couldn't burn rubber with them either, and if you tried, all it did was grind, or melt the tire down and ruin it real fast.
I did keep them on the car for about 8 months, and when winter rolled around, I replaced them with my snow tires, and then in the spring bought normal tires again.
Re: Happy Pi Day
I can understand why a company would want to put their waste materials to good use. Gates Rubber was obviously on the cutting edge of protecting the environment. All that advertising they did with the scraps was likely a good tax write off, but the things they gave away for free must have been a fairly high expense. Making the molds to form those rubber toys can't be trivial.
I had a pair of Maphisto boots with rubber soles for many years. In fact the rubber was so old that it started to dry out and crack which required putting new soles on the boots. Maphisto was, and is, still in business and had a shoe repair service. They wanted something like $90 to resole the boots which I thought was probably reasonable if they were going to put pure rubber on them again. Well, they claimed that they tried but could not find any rubber similar to the original, and I agreed to go with their best substitute. Whatever it is, it's not like the rubber soles. I could walk on glare ice and not slip with the original soles. The reason they lasted as long as they did was due to me not wearing them but a couple times a year. Daily use would easily have worn them out in one year's worth of walking. All I can say is that there is nothing like live rubber, if you can get it.
I had a pair of Maphisto boots with rubber soles for many years. In fact the rubber was so old that it started to dry out and crack which required putting new soles on the boots. Maphisto was, and is, still in business and had a shoe repair service. They wanted something like $90 to resole the boots which I thought was probably reasonable if they were going to put pure rubber on them again. Well, they claimed that they tried but could not find any rubber similar to the original, and I agreed to go with their best substitute. Whatever it is, it's not like the rubber soles. I could walk on glare ice and not slip with the original soles. The reason they lasted as long as they did was due to me not wearing them but a couple times a year. Daily use would easily have worn them out in one year's worth of walking. All I can say is that there is nothing like live rubber, if you can get it.
Re: Happy Pi Day
There are curious effects due to altitude change... Whenever I have to go sea level, there's always a slight euphoria due to that extra 40% of oxygen in each breath. Sleep takes effort, since there's always an extra bit of hyperventilation, even when relaxed. I use to go out to walk a bit to try burning out the extra drive... As if everything were inside an hyperbaric chamber.
Re: Happy Pi Day
You can laugh, but for most of my adult life, I used car tire treads to resole my own boots.
Thick tire treads I would use on the heels, and thinner treads on the soles.
And if I could get a hold of the tread from one of those space saver spares, I used those on the soles of my dress shoes.
I had to be careful not to grab hold on any that had the steel belts in them, because they would tear up the sides of your pants leg real fast, but they did last forever, hi hi.
For the past 20 years, I've worn Ariat Boots with the special cushion insole and hydraulic inner heel to absorb shocks.
I think they forgot to put the double sleeve on one of them, because my summer boots the heels squeak as the piston goes up and down when I walk.
Of all the boots I've owned over the years, Ariat Boots are the only one you don't have to break in for a year before wearing them for every day.
When I got new boots, I only wore them for dress, which was about one day per week during their first year.
I normally used Mink Oil on dress boots, and Saddle Soap on work boots.
But those dress boots when they became everyday boots, I still had to use mink oil on them since that is how they started out.
I've got it down to a science now. I wear oiled boots in the winter, and soaped boots in the summer!
Thick tire treads I would use on the heels, and thinner treads on the soles.
And if I could get a hold of the tread from one of those space saver spares, I used those on the soles of my dress shoes.
I had to be careful not to grab hold on any that had the steel belts in them, because they would tear up the sides of your pants leg real fast, but they did last forever, hi hi.
For the past 20 years, I've worn Ariat Boots with the special cushion insole and hydraulic inner heel to absorb shocks.
I think they forgot to put the double sleeve on one of them, because my summer boots the heels squeak as the piston goes up and down when I walk.
Of all the boots I've owned over the years, Ariat Boots are the only one you don't have to break in for a year before wearing them for every day.
When I got new boots, I only wore them for dress, which was about one day per week during their first year.
I normally used Mink Oil on dress boots, and Saddle Soap on work boots.
But those dress boots when they became everyday boots, I still had to use mink oil on them since that is how they started out.
I've got it down to a science now. I wear oiled boots in the winter, and soaped boots in the summer!
Re: Happy Pi Day
Replacing the soles on your boots with tire threads is an absolutely brilliant idea. Labor intensive as all get out, but brilliant. Back in the old days with leather soles, a high powered sewing machine was necessary to attach the soles to the uppers. Now I don't see any threads at all on the soft shoes I tend to wear. Even some of the high priced leather shoes seem to have glued on soles. The Maphisto's I mentioned above had to have the soles sewn in place, which is why they charged so much to do the job, I'm sure. But that seems to be a rare occurrence.
I've heard of people using saddle soap on their leathers, but I don't think I've seen mink oil as a conditioner. It sounds terribly expensive.
What do you use to cut those tire threads into shape? I can't imagine a knife that would do it.
I've heard of people using saddle soap on their leathers, but I don't think I've seen mink oil as a conditioner. It sounds terribly expensive.
What do you use to cut those tire threads into shape? I can't imagine a knife that would do it.
Re: Happy Pi Day
My Ariat boots LOOK LIKE they are sewed to the sole, but they are not. They are only sewed to a backing rubber, then the sole is glued to that, except for the top of the boot which is sewed all the way through. Good thing too because that glue comes use, if they use glue at all. I had one pair fixed and all the guy did was use a hot flat piece of metal he slid around the seam then clamped it down.
Mink Oil is only about a buck more than good shoe polish, but I don't know if it really is real mink oil, hi hi
Actually, a good saddle soap costs more than a tin of mink oil.
Even so, I've not found the type of saddle soap we used on the farm.
I've seen bars of glycerin soap for personal use that have the same color, but they are not the same thing.
Mink Oil makes water bead up on leather while keeping it pliable, but you must have lined boots our it will cause the boots to stain your socks, and/or feet, hi hi.
Saddle soap does not keep water out of the leather, but only keeps it from turning hard and cracking.
But it only works on raw leather, not on finished leather that you would use polish on.
It also turns leather darker and darker until it is nearly black.
Ironic that most winter boots are oiled, but not summer boots, except you want summer boots to breathe better.
Because in the rainy seasons, those soaped boots will get wet inside and out, hi hi.
I would cut my soles from tire treads to the approximate shape using a band saw.
Then after they were sewed on, I would use a belt grinder to grind them down to the shape of the welts edges.
I had a couple of nice hand stitching awls that made the job fairly easy.
I recently bought a couple more and they were nothing more than Chinese junk.
So cheap that when you pushed down on the needle, it would come through the backing plate into the spool of waxed thread.
I'm sure you know what a leather punch looks like for making holes in leather.
They make a similar device with a hardened steel pin and wider jaws that are used to make the starter hole for thick materials. But if you don't have that, you can always use a tempered nail with a hammer to make the holes, so the needles will pass through easily.
The trick in getting a good seam is how you do the sewing, so you are pulling the looped thread up into the sole, but not out the top of the sole. You want the loops just under the bottom street side of the sole. This way as the bobbin thread wears out, you still have a good lock between the welt and the sole.
Mink Oil is only about a buck more than good shoe polish, but I don't know if it really is real mink oil, hi hi
Actually, a good saddle soap costs more than a tin of mink oil.
Even so, I've not found the type of saddle soap we used on the farm.
I've seen bars of glycerin soap for personal use that have the same color, but they are not the same thing.
Mink Oil makes water bead up on leather while keeping it pliable, but you must have lined boots our it will cause the boots to stain your socks, and/or feet, hi hi.
Saddle soap does not keep water out of the leather, but only keeps it from turning hard and cracking.
But it only works on raw leather, not on finished leather that you would use polish on.
It also turns leather darker and darker until it is nearly black.
Ironic that most winter boots are oiled, but not summer boots, except you want summer boots to breathe better.
Because in the rainy seasons, those soaped boots will get wet inside and out, hi hi.
I would cut my soles from tire treads to the approximate shape using a band saw.
Then after they were sewed on, I would use a belt grinder to grind them down to the shape of the welts edges.
I had a couple of nice hand stitching awls that made the job fairly easy.
I recently bought a couple more and they were nothing more than Chinese junk.
So cheap that when you pushed down on the needle, it would come through the backing plate into the spool of waxed thread.
I'm sure you know what a leather punch looks like for making holes in leather.
They make a similar device with a hardened steel pin and wider jaws that are used to make the starter hole for thick materials. But if you don't have that, you can always use a tempered nail with a hammer to make the holes, so the needles will pass through easily.
The trick in getting a good seam is how you do the sewing, so you are pulling the looped thread up into the sole, but not out the top of the sole. You want the loops just under the bottom street side of the sole. This way as the bobbin thread wears out, you still have a good lock between the welt and the sole.
Re: Happy Pi Day
You described the process very well, and it is just as I thought. A lot of work. Anything that is high quality does not come easily. To me it would not be worth the effort to maintain my own leather shoes. I've never worked with leather and am sure I would only make things worse if I attempted a repair. Then, too, I don't wear leather boots. Mom got me a pair when I was a kid but I recall not liking the feel and never got any after that.
Re: Happy Pi Day
I've probably worn boots since I was around 7 years old. I loved the fact I didn't have to tie them.
The only drawback was for Katholik SKEWL, I had to wear brown saddle shoes, and the girls black n white saddle shoes.
But when I got to high school, as long as I had a white shirt, slacks, and a tie, they didn't pay attention to our feet. So having boots was a plus for me. In public school they didn't care what we wore as long as it didn't have a buckle on the back to ruin the desks. Gym class, or Phys Ed, I had some sneakers that you didn't tie. This was long before Velcro was invented. It had a wide strap you passed through a slot, then folded it back to the other side where you pushed it down and back up again and it locked it in place pretty good. Much faster they tie shoes, and no laces to trip over. If I recall, they were made by Red Ball Shoe company, and cost less than Keds.
The only drawback was for Katholik SKEWL, I had to wear brown saddle shoes, and the girls black n white saddle shoes.
But when I got to high school, as long as I had a white shirt, slacks, and a tie, they didn't pay attention to our feet. So having boots was a plus for me. In public school they didn't care what we wore as long as it didn't have a buckle on the back to ruin the desks. Gym class, or Phys Ed, I had some sneakers that you didn't tie. This was long before Velcro was invented. It had a wide strap you passed through a slot, then folded it back to the other side where you pushed it down and back up again and it locked it in place pretty good. Much faster they tie shoes, and no laces to trip over. If I recall, they were made by Red Ball Shoe company, and cost less than Keds.
Re: Happy Pi Day
It's true that boots have no laces, typically, although I have a pair of air insulated and laced rubber boots I've used for ice fishing. The advantage of the laces is that the boot can be easily put on when the laces are loose. I guess this is only an advantage for shoes taller than an ankle boot, which is the case for most decent boots. Removing boots can also be a bit of a struggle that is avoidable with laces. I must agree that laces are prone to tripping over if you don't use the proper length. Most of the new shoes I've purchased during the last 20 years have excessively long laces which appear to be designed to trip over. In the last year or two I've found a place that will custom cut laces to my specifications and put brass or steel aglets on them for a small price. These laces are extravagant and I can understand why people who make shoes by the thousands would not do it. I can also understand their need to use a single stock length of lace in order to reduce costs. I can't understand why they are not interested in customer satisfaction.
I've seen those laceless shoes of which you speak. They could be easier to use than laces, but I wonder if the shoe fits as well with a strap verses full length laces. I've not been able to wear loafers all my life because they rub on my heel and eventually cause blistering. Lately that does not seem to be the case. My foot must have changed shape. Perhaps for casual wear loafers is the answer. For dress and for work, nothing beats laced shoes on my old feet.
I've seen those laceless shoes of which you speak. They could be easier to use than laces, but I wonder if the shoe fits as well with a strap verses full length laces. I've not been able to wear loafers all my life because they rub on my heel and eventually cause blistering. Lately that does not seem to be the case. My foot must have changed shape. Perhaps for casual wear loafers is the answer. For dress and for work, nothing beats laced shoes on my old feet.