Custom Fabrication for Belt Making – Anyone Using 3D Printers or Lasers?

[charleneanswers]

Hey everyone,
I’ve been working on some custom fabrication ideas to make my leather belt projects a bit easier and more repeatable.

So far, I’ve used a 3D printer to make edge beveling guides and a punch spacing jig, and I’m thinking of using a laser cutter to create acrylic templates for consistent belt tip shapes and buckle slots.

Curious—anyone else using 3D printing or laser cutting to assist with leather belts or other projects? Would love to see how others are blending tech with traditional work!

[Hildebrand]

I use 3d Printing to make 1 off stamps.  I have been doing some prizes for events and I was able to get the logo from the event and 3d print a stamp to customize the prize.  I did not print the makers stamp just the Mark Allen Hampton Stamp on the left.

Todd

Edited 21 hours ago by Hildebrand
Add text.

[charleneanswers]

That's awesome! Do you use TPU or a different material for the stamp face? Also curious—how do you ensure the right depth and clarity for the imprint?

Edited 20 hours ago by charleneanswers

[Hildebrand]

I just use regular PLA, for the depth I just experimented a couple times.  I am not sure how many mm I am pressing it in.  I will try to remember to take a picture of the stamp itself tonight and measure the depth on it.

Todd

[dikman]

Todd, I'm curious about your process for making that stamp as I'm assuming you either scanned the logo or photographed it?  How did you turn it into the .stl file?

[kgg]

8 hours ago, charleneanswers said:

Curious—anyone else using 3D printing or laser cutting to assist with leather belts or other projects?

Yes I use my 3D printer ( Bambu Lab x 1 Carbon ) for belt hole guides, stamps, table top attachments for Juki LS-341 and Juki TSC-441 clones, binding attachments, templates, hand press guides, molds for wet forming to name a few and on various other prototype items before turning it into a piece of equipment. I find 3D design and printing opens up avenues where something isn't available, it's more cost effective to 3D print or both. Stamps why pay $50 for a stamp when you can do it for 50 cents or less.

kgg

Edited 18 hours ago by kgg

[fredk]

I bought a resin 3D printer mainly for the purpose of making stamps. 

Its a white elephant right now 

[Dwight]

8 hours ago, fredk said:

I bought a resin 3D printer mainly for the purpose of making stamps. 

Its a white elephant right now 

What does one of those run . . . and what is the learning curve??

May God bless,

Dwight

[fredk]

About £/$200.  Its not hard to learn to use it. I think the resin gives a better print, less noticeable print lines, which don't  matter at all for stamp making but I wanted it for printing DnD figures as well so a better sharpness was needed than I could get with the filament printers. Plus there are environment friendly resins, ie water based.

Resin printers are safer than filament types. The filament type heats a coil of plastic and lays it down. If the plastic gets stuck it can overheat and start burning giving off toxic fumes and potentially setting fire to your building - it has happened. The resin does not need heating at all

Takes the same time to print as a filament printer. But it prints your subject upside down by dipping in & out of a vat of resin. You don't know if the print is a success or has failed until the end when it finally raises the print clear of the vat

The printing is very temperature sensitive. The printer,  the resin and the room has to be at a constant 22* or more

One thing more, Ppl are put off 3D printing because it 'takes 3 hours 45 minutes' (as an example) to print. Bu you are not sitting there very minute. You set it to print and go for lunch/make a belt/get a coffee

hth

[chuck123wapati]

18 hours ago, charleneanswers said:

 

Curious—anyone else using 3D printing or laser cutting to assist with leather belts or other projects?

yes, go to Walmart, they have a bunch hanging on the rack.