Beautiful job, on some very tough material!
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If you have a Dremel, or even a regular drill, you can get a very small drill bit, and mark out your sewing spacing, and drill the holes. A whole lot easier than using a hot needle.
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Not primitive, but neither is a metal rasp, or electric sander.
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And if our ancestors had them, they would would have used them.
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You can get some very small diameter drill bits.
That is a beautiful job. Lets see some more.
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Wayne