Belt Hole Centering?

[LowRent]

Belt hole centering?

I've been reading through the forums for days. I've also used the search function (but I can't escape the feeling that I'm somehow missing a conspicuous thread). I haven't found any threads addressing technique(s) to center and evenly space holes in belts. The holes I'm referring to are the ones through which the tongue from the buckle would pass.

Can someone explain it or point me in the right direction?

Thanks.

[UKRay]

Belt hole centering?

I've been reading through the forums for days. I've also used the search function (but I can't escape the feeling that I'm somehow missing a conspicuous thread). I haven't found any threads addressing technique(s) to center and evenly space holes in belts. The holes I'm referring to are the ones through which the tongue from the buckle would pass.

Can someone explain it or point me in the right direction?

Thanks.

Use a pair of dividers to find the middle of your belt strip, mark where you want the first hole to go and then simply measure along the belt with a ruler and mark where you want the rest of the holes to be.

Hope this helps,

Ray

[Luke Hatley]

The next time you are at Tandy pick up the book, "Making Belts"

by Al Stolhman

But for me ..... Measure 7" from the end of the belt. that is the waist size

then 2 holes to the left, then 2 holes to the right. the 5 holes are little less

than 1" apart.

[Billsotx]

What Luke said is pretty much SOP, that book is worth the $$$. For me, gunbelts never stop stretching, so I punch 7 holes, 3/4" on centers; I put four inside of the center most hole to compensate a little for the stretch. If you're making more than one belt, make up some templates from manilla folders, then you just align the template tip with the tip of the belt; mark your holes with an awl or scribe and punch them out. If you're going into real heavy production, make your templates from a piece of polymer trash. I always save all those senior-proof packages that frustrate my baby-boomer friends ... lol!

[LowRent]

Use a pair of dividers to find the middle of your belt strip, mark where you want the first hole to go and then simply measure along the belt with a ruler and mark where you want the rest of the holes to be.

Hope this helps,

Ray

Ray,

Thanks for your input. So, if I understand you correctly, you're advising to find the center. Maybe make a line that bisects two centered points. Once I've got this line I then eye-ball the line with my hole punching tool for centering. Spacing comes down to marking with a ruler.

I'll give this a shot. I've struggled more with the centering than with the even spacing.

[Rawhide]

Ray,

Thanks for your input. So, if I understand you correctly, you're advising to find the center. Maybe make a line that bisects two centered points. Once I've got this line I then eye-ball the line with my hole punching tool for centering. Spacing comes down to marking with a ruler.

I'll give this a shot. I've struggled more with the centering than with the even spacing.

That's almost right. Take the dividers and find the center of the belt by adjusting the legs until you can touch the exact same point on the belt from both sides of it. In other words one leg of the dividers will be touching the side of the belt, the other in the center, then switch sides. If they touch the same point on the belt you're good, if not, adjust in or out accordingly and repeat.

Once you have the center, use the divider at that spacing to scribe a very light line in the center of the belt where the the holes will go. Now place a mark where the most used hole will go. adjust the dividers to about 3/4" apart and place one point on the mark just made and mark on the centerline with the other point, on both sides of the initial mark, now you should have 3 marks on the centerline. mark one more time 3/4" outside these last two marks and now you should have 5 marks total on the centerline.

A little tip when punching your holes. Don't try to center the punch over the mark...you'll never get consistent holes, because you can't see it if you cover it up. Line the hole punch up using the edge of it on the marks. Be sure to punch on the same side of the mark for all holes.

Hope this helps.

[LowRent]

Rawhide,

Thanks. Every little detail helps, e.g. making marks but just touching the marks with the hole punch rather than taking them out with the punch.

[jeeperaz]

A little tip when punching your holes. Don't try to center the punch over the mark...you'll never get consistent holes, because you can't see it if you cover it up. Line the hole punch up using the edge of it on the marks. Be sure to punch on the same side of the mark for all holes.

Hope this helps.

Nice tip!

[UKRay]

I'm with Luke and Marlon all the way - but one more thing you might find useful is to use a red pen to mark the holes with. When you come to stain and finish the belt, the red will generally vanish into the dye job whilst a black mark is there for good.

Ray

[whinewine]

If you also happen to have a center-finding ruler, that will make very quick work of it.

russ

[UKRay]

If you also happen to have a center-finding ruler, that will make very quick work of it.

russ

Go on, Russ, I'll bite - what is a center-finding ruler? Have you got a picture of one?

Ray

[Suze]

Go on, Russ, I'll bite - what is a center-finding ruler? Have you got a picture of one?

Ray

Ive got one of these -- handy little thing

the zero is at the center of the ruler and mine has holes at each inch mark.

6- 5- 4- 3- 2- 1- 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6

can't remember where I got it at though.

[celticleather]

Here's a pdf of one that I made many moons ago! It's not 100% accurate, but OK for most purposes. I printed it onto clear film, and cut it off along the top line. I guess it would work equally well if pasted onto a piece of thin card.

Having made it, I still tend to use the dividers method!

Terry

Centre.pdf

Centre.pdf

[whinewine]

Go on, Russ, I'll bite - what is a center-finding ruler? Have you got a picture of one?

Ray

Actually i don't Ray, but Suze has described it perfectly. The middle of the ruler is 0 & on either side is an equal set of marks: 1", 2", etc, along with fractional " marks. Basically, if you put it so that the marks are equal on both sides, your zero is your center mark. My son is looking for one also & I just have mine, that I got years ago. Perhaps a store that specializes in drafting equipment, of a specialty woodworking online store might carry them.

Actually, I just googled it & you can find them at http://www.dickblick.com among other places

russ

Edited March 27, 2010 by whinewine