Carry belt layout.

[drof99]

I've recently made a heavier belt to carry my gun on and want to make another one. The first one I made came out good and I've been using every day since completion. I'd like to make another one of these that is just a little more fancier. I am wondering what is the best way to put some stamping on the belt. I'm throwing around the idea of a new border tool I just bought or a new basket weave tool. Here is my question. After I run my stitching groover around the outside for my stitches, how close should the stamping be to the stitching? I have a tool that will put another border (swivel knife goes into it) around the belt. I would like to use this tool so that I can get a uniform shape around the outside of the pattern. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Shorts]

drof99, in the 'How do I do That' section IIRC there is a belt tutorial. It builds a belt with stamping. If you haven't gone through it yet, it might give you some ideas.

I've never stamped anything so I can't point you in the right direction. I would guess, only if I had too!, that you'd line up your stamps with the groove/stitch line. You could give yourself a dash of room and put the stamp just inside the line

[hidepounder]

drof99,

I typically use the same margin from my stitch line to the edge of the belt as from the stitch line to the edge of tooling. I think 3/16" is a good distance from the edge for a stitch line. If you want to create a cut border, I recommend using a pair of dividers to make a deep line that you can then cut with your swivel knife. In my opinion, a gauge placed on the swivel knife is difficult to use. I think you are more likely to slip or run off your cut line with the gauge than by cutting freehand or using a staightedge as a guide. Just my opinion, others may disagree...

Bob

[drof99]

Nice how to shorts. I picked up a few things. Here's a couple other questions now that I think of it. The belt I am making is made with a 8 oz. and a 4 oz. liner. If I want to stamp the belt when is the best time? I'm thinking I should go ahead and cement the two straps together before stamping. This way it would help with stretch and keep both sides the same. Does that sound like a good way to do it? Thanks for the measurement hidepounder! The way I understand it I should groove a slot for my stitching and them make another groove for a border. If it matters at all the belt I'm making is 1 1/2" wide. I'm thinking I'd like to run the second border line very lightly. Just enough so that I have a straight edge to follow for my border tooling. After that I think I'd like to run the new triangle type basket weave tool I got on the inside of that. Does all this sound like a decent plan to you guys?

[Bree]

  hidepounder said:

drof99,

I typically use the same margin from my stitch line to the edge of the belt as from the stitch line to the edge of tooling. I think 3/16" is a good distance from the edge for a stitch line. If you want to create a cut border, I recommend using a pair of dividers to make a deep line that you can then cut with your swivel knife. In my opinion, a gauge placed on the swivel knife is difficult to use. I think you are more likely to slip or run off your cut line with the gauge than by cutting freehand or using a staightedge as a guide. Just my opinion, others may disagree...

Bob

Bob...

I think you are right. I have one of the original aluminum Tandy swivel knife gauges and I trashed a belt with it. I keep it as a souvenir piece of a motorcycle trip to Arkansas where a leatherworker gave it to me. But I won't use it. It's too chancey at least for someone like me!