Tapering a Belt

[ABC3]

I am going to try to make a tapered belt. One that goes from an 1 1/2" to 1" in front. How do you manage to get the tapering exact on both sides?

I'm sure it's not "rocket science" but I've tried to do it free hand and it doesn't look good so far.

[hidepounder]

Tom,

Make a pattern of the taper yu want to use, from cardboard or plastic...then use it to transfer your taper to your leather. You can always turn it over so that both tapers are the same. You can also use an end punch to create the taper...press it onto the leather to make a mark to follow, or actually use it as a punch. I have plastic patterns I've made...I place them where I want the taper to begin...mark them...then continue the taper with a set of dividers along each side.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[barra]

Work out the part of the belt you want 1.5 and the part you want 1". To me the distance from the wide to the narrow is a bit of a by eye thing. You want it to be a gradual blended in taper and not abrupt. As an example taper it in over say 2". Set you compass/dividers to 1/4" and scribe a line down each side (taking into account the distance you want to work in your taper). I use my round knife and work the taper in over an aesthetically pleasing distance but you can ever so lightly scribe in a faint straight line between the wide and narrow areas. Just use this faint straight line to guide you in blending in the cut.

Some people use a large round punch to get the effect like in the pic.

Barra

Edited April 6, 2009 by barra

[ABC3]

I was thinking of a very gradual taper. But I get your point. The dividers would work very well. Why didn't I think of that.