Tips/advice needed for laying out spots.

[jeeperaz]

All,

I need help with laying out spots. Just trying to eyeball where the next spot goes is not working for me.

I'm trying to layout your basic decorative shapes like diamonds and circles... or even a straight row of spots, but my spacing and alignment is crap.

I'm a noob at this so any tips or advice(no matter how basic) is most appreciated. Also, is there a good tool to mark where to punch or slice the slots for the prongs of the spots?

Regards, from Phoenix,

Lars

Edited December 15, 2009 by jeeperaz

[whinewine]

All,

I need help with laying out spots. Just trying to eyeball where the next spot goes is not working for me.

I'm trying to layout your basic decorative shapes like diamonds and circles... or even a straight row of spots, but my spacing and alignment is crap.

I'm a noob at this so any tips or advice(no matter how basic) is most appreciated. Also, is there a good tool to mark where to punch or slice the slots for the prongs of the spots?

Regards, from Phoenix,

Lars

Lars,

Tandy has (had?) a craftaid for laying out grids & one for laying out bling/spots. Your nearest tandy should be able to help you & maybe show you how if you're close enough to stop.

russ

[pete]

is there any reason that you can't just use a compass for circles, a ruler for straight lines, and a piece of posterboard? Use it as a template, poke your holes with the spots and when they are spaced and lines up, place it on your project .

Maybe I don't really understand your question and problem but if you could elaborate a bit more then we can help more.

pete

[jeeperaz]

is there any reason that you can't just use a compass for circles, a ruler for straight lines, and a piece of posterboard? Use it as a template, poke your holes with the spots and when they are spaced and lines up, place it on your project .

Maybe I don't really understand your question and problem but if you could elaborate a bit more then we can help more.

pete

You understood right. These are the type of ideas I was looking for.

Lars,

Tandy has (had?) a craftaid for laying out grids & one for laying out bling/spots. Your nearest tandy should be able to help you & maybe show you how if you're close enough to stop.

russ

Thanks. Fortunately, I have a Tandy about 1 mile away. I'll see what they have.

[thecapgunkid]

All,

I need help with laying out spots. Just trying to eyeball where the next spot goes is not working for me.

I'm trying to layout your basic decorative shapes like diamonds and circles... or even a straight row of spots, but my spacing and alignment is crap.

I'm a noob at this so any tips or advice(no matter how basic) is most appreciated. Also, is there a good tool to mark where to punch or slice the slots for the prongs of the spots?

Regards, from Phoenix,

Lars

Bob Brown, one of the old time gunbelt makers for cowboy heroes, gave me these tips which I have used ever since.

You will need a divider with one of them little screw thingies that allows you to hold it fast.

Take a look at your project. Let's say you wanna lay in your spots every inch.

Set your divider to one inch. On a gunbelt, I start at the buckle and work toward the back of the holster and then again from the billet toward the front of the holster. You have a little margin for error that way.

Pencil...but don't draw or scribe a line, you don't want any residuals here.

walk the divider down the line and make your marks.

Now take your divider and line it up so that it is the exact distance between the prongs on the spot...let's say 3/8 inch..

put one prong on the very first mark you made, and mark the other hole next to it. This marks both holes for your first spot.

Now set the divider back to one inch. Put the left point of the divider in the SECOND mark you made....not the first, but the second that defines the 3/8 inch distance.

Walk it again down the line. You'll notice that, with each stroke, you are completing one set of holes for each spot.

Try to use a curved awl to make your holes, because the flattened blade of the curved awl accomodates the shaft of the spot without leaving a gap.

Obviousy this desrcibes hand setting spots for the poor...but, then again, I was poor when Mr. Brown taught me...and he did it over the phone because, although I spoke to him two or three times, I never had the pleasure.

Hope this helps

Don't shoot yore eye out, kid

The Capgun Kid