I hate maths!

[tombear]

OK folks
heres were i demonstrate I am a drooling idiot.

I have printed off a pattern for a even simpler shoe having discovered last night that my mutant short, mega wide high instepped flippers do not work with the simple turn shoe design I had spent the morning making a pattern for.

I've printed off this pattern

http://www.kelticos.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1199

and the centre line is 5 and 7/8 inches where as to fit my foot it needs to exactly 10 inches. The question thats been casuing me to tear my hair out is what percentage do i need to expand the A4 sheet to so that the center line will be 10"?

Normally I'd do a best guess and then measure whats printed off, alter the percentage and repeat until I get what i want. Unfortunately I will be having to use the print shop across the road as the library no longer does A3 'and messing them about isn't really on.

Confused of Waterfoot...

 

[British Red]

and the centre line is 5 and 7/8 inches where as to fit my foot it needs to exactly 10 inches. The question thats been casuing me to tear my hair out is what percentage do i need to expand the A4 sheet to so that the center line will be 10"?

Confused of Waterfoot...

Increase by 70.2% chap

 

[tombear]

Thank you!

I can't even blame being of the calculator generation as I couldn't work one of those either!

ATB

Tom

 

[brozier]

British Red is right, though the new size might be shown as 170.2% depending on how your software/photocopier works....

Cheers
Bryan

 

[tombear]

A excellent point as I am quite capable of going over there and asking for 70.2% rather than expand by 70.2%.

I've got some about 2.5mm veg tanned leather to make them from and a big tub of my beeswax, mutton tallow, neetsfoot and resin leather dressing to treat them with. The really hard part will be talking herself into learning naarlbinding and making me some socks to go with! That may involve me making her that linen shirt she's wanted ever since I made a couple for myself and wouldnt let her steal one!

ATB

Tom

 

[Tony]

Good luck with it Tom

 

[Dunx]

Fyi for next time

Size after / size before x 100 = the percentage of the original

 

[DaveBromley]

It would be much easier to work out if you converted it to metric lol

Dave

 

[Oldwoodyrock]

Being footwear, the 'shoe' will fit much better if you just trace your foot, and make the pattern. Doing this will endure the shoe will fit your foot. If you just enlarge a pattern for some body else's foot, it will not fit. No maths at all.
Woody

 

[tombear]

Cheers all for your input!

i cut them out last night and sewed the heal on the left one, will do a better job on the right as the first one looks a bit "experimental" . However when I tried to lace up the first one the rubbish Leather thong (for bead work, I realy should have known better) just kept snapping. Now I don't have suitable leather left to cut my own and lack a tool to do the job well anyway (I appreciate I could improvise or make one) so where can you buy really strong brown / natural thongs or boot laces? I've bought leather laces in the past that have snapped the first time I pulled them tight so I know to avoid some brands lready. There's plenty on eBay but that would currently be a shot in the dark.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Here's as far as I've got, need to proof them and rig the lacing, I don't fancy using the nylon cord I have as I suspect it will chew through the leather. Before the rubbish lacing snapped the one I tried on properly fitted well. Need to rig laces to go around the ankle flaps as well of course. Theres slots which haven't shown up well on the pic

atb

Tom

 

[Zingmo]

Those look great. Will you treat different parts of the leather in different ways? So the shoes are softer in some parts and tougher or more waterproof in others?

I do find your projects fascinating. Thanks for posting.

Z

 

[demographic]

In future I'd be tempted to use millimetres as the metric system is a lot simpler to do maths in.

 

[Jared]

Or for the lazy, use wolframalpha

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%2810+inches+-+5+7%2F8+inches%29+%2F+%285+7%2F8+inches%29+as+percentage

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

In future I'd be tempted to use millimetres as the metric system is a lot simpler to do maths in.

Uhu. One of the reasons it came in !

I still love fractions though eg kids are amazed I can do 7 divided by 3, without a calculator.

 

[tombear]

Finished them less treating the leather, I found some polished flax string which seams to work, I did rip one hole by yanking on the lace as if It was in a Doc Martin but a piece of leather and a few stitches solved that.

As to treating the leather differently to make the sole tougher I did think of just doing the bottom with just the tallow and wax and the uppers with neets foot first then the tallow and wax, partly to darken the leather as well as making it softer. Any thoughts folks?

for some reason it never enters my head to use metric except mm which I mentally treat as 1/25 ths" I will try to convert in future.

ATB

Tom

 

[Toddy]

If you melt beeswax and brush it on the sole it'll harden it with the heat. For some reason the beeswax also makes the shoes non slip on wet grass.
No idea why, just the comments from some Viking re-enactors.
Maybe check with Eric Methven first ?

atb,
Mary

 

[tombear]

Cheers Mary , that sounds logical and if I do that first it will stop the neets foot spreading from the uppers and softening the sole. Going to make some sewn wool udones to go inside next, think I will do the gaffer tape over a old sock method to make the pattern.

Herself gave me a very old fashioned look when I suggested learning to naalbind would be fun....

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

This bit may be of more general interest as it can be used to make felt or wool liners for wellies or what every.

The make a pattern for the udones and not having a sock I wished to sacrifice for once I places a thin plastic bag over my foot and covered it with a layer of gaffer tape.

I then, with help, drew on the lines which would make up the pattern pieces, the sole the toes and the ankle area and carefully cut along the seam at the back of the ankle and slipped the lot off my foot. Once off the foot I touched up and corrected were required the panel lines were and then cut out the sections. These of coarse have no seam allowance. I'll now go and have a root through my fabric stash to find some suitable material which i will then mark out on the bias as i want the parts to be as stretchy as possible.

More later

ATb

Tom

 

[tombear]

Well, made one tonight out of the remains of a old CC41 blanket and cut the parts of the other. Unfortunately my hugely high instep means i couldn't have it tight on the ankle part and still be able to get it on so after some experimenting I have resorted to having it split up the back seam with a couple of pairs of tapes to keep it closed. I've plenty of material so I'll try making some short slipper types which will hope fully slip on.

ATB

Tom