Centering Oblong holes for belt making

[AlZilla]

56 minutes ago, Dwight said:

For punching belt holes and not having problems . . . take 2 or 3 hours out of your day and make this little jig.

I like the jig idea. Centered and spaced correctly, all at once.

[DocReaper]

Need more info, how was this jig made, I need a bit more depth

Need more info, how was this jig made, I need a bit more depth

11 hours ago, fredk said:

I use these

;

 

Two pins with a hole centred on them. Fits virtually any size of strap or belt. Just put each pin against the belt and the hole is the centre of the belt.  I've made 3 of them, just for handiness sake 

Swivel it and the centre of the strap or belt can be marked. The circles are at 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch. If you want 3/4 inch between holes move the guide so that the 3/4 circle is over your last hole  

 

 

[billybopp]

13 hours ago, Dwight said:

For punching belt holes and not having problems . . . take 2 or 3 hours out of your day and make this little jig.

It will darn near end all your belt hole problems . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

I made a bigger jig like this years ago, out of thick plastruct plastic sheets, and used chicago screws as the pivot points.   To make it a little more versatile, I sized the centering holes the same size as the other holes, and with a couple more screws that allowed me to add a third arm in the center which can be exchanged for different needs, exactly the same length as the ones at the edge.  Need extra small belt holes? Make a center arm with small holes that fit that small punch.  Need an oblong for the buckle tongue?  Make a center arm, use that oblong to punch the plastic the right size and orientation and your oblong is centered and as straight as you were able to make get the plastic.

You can also make a couple of holes in the edge arms and add a stiff wire pointer to set up hole spacing to help you move the jig the right distance for even holes.

I took the idea so far as to put the design into cad software with a measurement scale on the arms to assist with spacing, and some accessories with the intent of having it laser cut in some nice clear plastic!  Unfortunately, before the laser cut folks could get to my project, they went out of business.  So, for now - my old jig still works even if it doesn't have all the niceties. 

- Bill

[Dwight]

36 minutes ago, billybopp said:

 

You can also make a couple of holes in the edge arms and add a stiff wire pointer to set up hole spacing to help you move the jig the right distance for even holes.

I took the idea so far as to put the design into cad software with a measurement scale on the arms to assist with spacing, and some accessories with the intent of having it laser cut in some nice clear plastic!  Unfortunately, before the laser cut folks could get to my project, they went out of business.  So, for now - my old jig still works even if it doesn't have all the niceties. 

- Bill

Actually if you do it that way . . . it is about identical to the one Weaver Leather sells for some exorbitant fee . . . I don't want anything in my shop  to be intentionally built or made by me that could be interpreted as patent stealing.  

That's why my design did not use the stiff wire pointer . . . theirs does . . . 

But going back to your clear plastic . . . do you actually have the plastic?  And do you have the drawings?

Reason I ask . . . I have a laser engraver that I've never used on plastic / plexiglass.  AND . . . what little I have . . . it is really thin . . . wouldn't work for the thicker belts I make.

I'd be interested in doing a "shared experience" project if you could supply the drawings and plastic.  I'd put it on my machine and see how well . . . or even IF . . . it would work.  We would both learn something from the process.

So far . . . I've cut 3/16 basswood plywood very successfully . . . but that is about all I've cut.  It engraves beautifully.

May God bless,

Dwight

[kgg]

On 11/9/2025 at 1:33 PM, JamesR said:

Yeah I hate messing up a $40 belt blank and I like to find ways for consistent results.

I took another approach to punching oblong holes in leather belts. I 3D printed two simple jigs, one for the belt buckle holes and one for the other end. 

kgg

[billybopp]

23 hours ago, Dwight said:

Actually if you do it that way . . . it is about identical to the one Weaver Leather sells for some exorbitant fee . . . I don't want anything in my shop  to be intentionally built or made by me that could be interpreted as patent stealing.  

That's why my design did not use the stiff wire pointer . . . theirs does . . . 

But going back to your clear plastic . . . do you actually have the plastic?  And do you have the drawings?

Reason I ask . . . I have a laser engraver that I've never used on plastic / plexiglass.  AND . . . what little I have . . . it is really thin . . . wouldn't work for the thicker belts I make.

I'd be interested in doing a "shared experience" project if you could supply the drawings and plastic.  I'd put it on my machine and see how well . . . or even IF . . . it would work.  We would both learn something from the process.

So far . . . I've cut 3/16 basswood plywood very successfully . . . but that is about all I've cut.  It engraves beautifully.

May God bless,

Dwight

Thanks for the offer Dwight!  Sadly, I don't have the plastic and the drawings were lost when my laptop HDD crashed.  Lost a lot of good stuff with that crash including some leather designs that I was working on.

- Bill

[Dwight]

1 hour ago, billybopp said:

Thanks for the offer Dwight!  Sadly, I don't have the plastic and the drawings were lost when my laptop HDD crashed.  Lost a lot of good stuff with that crash including some leather designs that I was working on.

- Bill

Do you still have the HDD??  I've got a buddy that is fantastic at fixing computer stuff.  If you have it . . . I could ask him to take a shot at maybe retrieving the stuff . . . he's usually up for a challenge of most any sort . . . and that would be one.

Lemme know.

May God bless,

Dwight

[bruce johnson]

The old time template trick... Take a strip of leather same width as the strap. Nip off the end to line up with the ends of your strap blank.

For the billet template  punch #3 holes in your desired hole spacing and centered on the template. Put in copper rivets, set the bur, nip the point in two directions to leave a "pyramid shape", and peen the excess shank lightly - leave the point a little higher and "pointier" than you normally would. To use just line it up on the strap with the rivet points down and tap the rivet heads with a small hammer. The dents are your punch marks and it doesn't matter what size punch you use after that. 

For the buckle end template you can space the rivets for the four snap or Chicago screw holes and rivet points at the ends of the slot to align the slot punch. 

I made these templates for belts, headstalls, stirrup leathers, and pretty much anything else that needed repeatability. It takes about 5 minutes to make them and a lifetime won't wear them out.