Belt Sander or Block Sander

[ABC3]

Do most of you find that you need to sand your liner & belt after glued or holsters to get your leather even & smooth? Maybe it's just me lately - but I can't seem to cut a straight line so that both sides match up. Sanding has become a norm around my shop. Any suggestions?

[Dwight]

Do most of you find that you need to sand your liner & belt after glued or holsters to get your leather even & smooth? Maybe it's just me lately - but I can't seem to cut a straight line so that both sides match up. Sanding has become a norm around my shop. Any suggestions?

I'm probably out of the ordinary on this, . . . but I always plan on sanding the edges smooth, . . . and when they happen to line up right, . . . it's a pleasant surprize. I used to try, . . . and fail regularly, to get it all to line up, . . . finally figured it wasn't worth all the hassle & worry when I've got at least 7 different sanding tools and a trash bin. Now I just sand it 'till it's right, . . . or pitch it and start over.

May God bless,

Dwight

[TwinOaks]

With all the flexibility of leather it's hard to keep it from stretching even a little bit. I suppose I could tape all the pieces, then cut, then spend additional time lining everything up....or just cut the dang thing out a little oversized and trim the edges once assembled. I've been thinking of a sander, too, but can't justify the expense right now.

Edited March 8, 2009 by TwinOaks

[Hennessy]

I'm probably out of the ordinary on this, . . . but I always plan on sanding the edges smooth, . . . and when they happen to line up right, . . . it's a pleasant surprize. I used to try, . . . and fail regularly, to get it all to line up, . . . finally figured it wasn't worth all the hassle & worry when I've got at least 7 different sanding tools and a trash bin. Now I just sand it 'till it's right, . . . or pitch it and start over.

May God bless,

Dwight

i had a large finish machine out of a shoe repair shop,several size sanding wheels and a vacumn dust remover and ground all types of edges for 30 years.i couldn't get anywhere near th edge without.now i have a drum attached to a drill,tied down to table and continue to finish with good edges anything that i care to make. pete

[Tac]

I sand just about every seam I make where two pieces of leather are joined to create an edge... It's the only way that I can get them to turn out even remotely well.

I use a sanding drum that chucks into my drill press. Works wonderfully.

-Tac

[rhall]

I have an oscilating table sander that you can change drum diam..but by using a gum cleaner it lasts forever..also excellant control.I have not figured a better way to do it!Now that I mfgd those redwood grooved wheels for the buffer everything go's very fast.Gum trag and four min and I am done!

[ABC3]

I'm glad I'm not the only one having problems with this. I thought it was just me not being able to cut a straight strap.

[Brushpopper]

I cut pretty accurately but even so I need to use a Dremel 300 with a small sanding drum to get a satisfactory main holster seam. The Dremel is great - you have good control with it.

[tonyc1]

If I ever want a belt 101% matching edges I glue the back on and then run it through my strap cutter with the knives set at the width I want. I make the blank a quarter of an inch wider than the belt I want and the cutter takes an eighth of an inch off either side and they match perfectly.

Tony.

[ABC3]

tonyc1;

That's the way to do it right - if you have a strap cutter.

Edited March 8, 2009 by Hobby Tom