Belt Makers ~ What Kind Of Daily Volume?

[ShortBBL]

Hopefully somebody out here makes a lot of belts and can give me a realistic idea here.

I'm curious as to what quantities of belts a guy could expect to complete in a days time.... or a weeks time seeing as you might want to do several production type steps at a time.

If you use a machine for the stitching, but do the rest of the work by hand (except the burnishing) and are not doing any carving or stamping, can you expect to make 6 or 8 per day, more, less?

I want to make high quality gun belts using double layers at 6/7 oz ea. roughly.

Thanks for the thoughts on this.

[kevinhopkins]

Hi... I appreciate the question, but really, to get an answer that would be realistic, you need to provide some more info. Actually, as much as possible. Load us up here, and i'm sure someone will be able to help. if not, contact me, and I'll do my best.

[David Genadek]

I plan on 20 minutes a belt or 3 per hour and you should be prettty safe on plain belts.

David Genadek

[ShortBBL]

I plan on 20 minutes a belt or 3 per hour and you should be prettty safe on plain belts.

David Genadek

Sounds like some top shelf stuff!

[hidepounder]

It takes me two to three days to make a top quality belt

[terrahyd]

I agree with Bob;; I allow 40hr's for a tooled ,lined & laced belt.. But I get caught up in details, so 30hr's is about right;;;Doc...

[awharness]

I think SHortbbl and David are refering to just plan belts, with just a crease or a two layer belt, Not a tooled belt. I will agree, with David, I shoot for about three an hour depending on how side tracked I get...

-Andrew

[Shorts]

Gun belts seem to take me forever. Looking at my build notes total time is just under 3hrs. The parts that really drag in my build is thinning the hole end then edging and burnishing. I sit and think angry thoughts that entire time I do those

The only time stitching is a problem is 1. running out of thread and 2. dropping a stitch

Edited July 8, 2010 by Shorts

[David Genadek]

Sounds like some top shelf stuff!

Yes I generally sold them to very high end retail stores like Billy Martins.

[David Genadek]

Gun belts seem to take me forever. Looking at my build notes total time is just under 3hrs. The parts that really drag in my build is thinning the hole end then edging and burnishing. I sit and think angry thoughts that entire time I do those

The only time stitching is a problem is 1. running out of thread and 2. dropping a stitch

I have attached two pictures one of some beaded belts which I did lot of and they took 45 min and each one had to be taylored to the beads so they were pretty picky. The carved belt I have less than eight hours in including draw time. I could have spent a few more hours on the carving if I wanted too.

To ERG Edge Rub and Goop I figure 6 min a belt. If your thinnning your end by hand a good bench skiver would pay for itself in no time. A bell knife makes life even better and is worth the investment if your trying to make a living. When I worked for Ellis Barnes at the Belt factory he drilled a saying of Stohlmans in to my head ; "It is not good enough to be good. It is not good enough to be fast. You have to good and fast."

[Shorts]

I have attached two pictures one of some beaded belts which I did lot of and they took 45 min and each one had to be taylored to the beads so they were pretty picky. The carved belt I have less than eight hours in including draw time. I could have spent a few more hours on the carving if I wanted too.

To ERG Edge Rub and Goop I figure 6 min a belt. If your thinnning your end by hand a good bench skiver would pay for itself in no time. A bell knife makes life even better and is worth the investment if your trying to make a living. When I worked for Ellis Barnes at the Belt factory he drilled a saying of Stohlmans in to my head ; "It is not good enough to be good. It is not good enough to be fast. You have to good and fast."

Well I don't work at a belt factory, probably a good thing.

My one hand and I take a little more time I guess. I'm going to step off this thread. I've been in a bad mood for a few days. I'd sure hate to get my bad mood on something else.

[David Genadek]

Well I don't work at a belt factory, probably a good thing.

My one hand and I take a little more time I guess. I'm going to step off this thread. I've been in a bad mood for a few days. I'd sure hate to get my bad mood on something else.

I'm not trying to anger anyone. Consider the difference between three hours and a half hour and how it would effect your bottom line. It is really the difference between working for wages and having a viable business. All it takes is letting go of some emotional attachments so if anger will help you do that then that is good. Anger is much better than despair.

I just looked up my timings for doing the edges for a saddle (very well done edges) and that took my help about 50 minutes for all the edges on a saddle. I've trained a lot of people and most people can easily get up to speed if given the help and opportunity but the biggest hurdle is to believe it can be done.

David Genadek

[Shorts]

I'm not trying to anger anyone. Consider the difference between three hours and a half hour and how it would effect your bottom line. It is really the difference between working for wages and having a viable business. All it takes is letting go of some emotional attachments so if anger will help you do that then that is good. Anger is much better than despair.

I just looked up my timings for doing the edges for a saddle (very well done edges) and that took my help about 50 minutes for all the edges on a saddle. I've trained a lot of people and most people can easily get up to speed if given the help and opportunity but the biggest hurdle is to believe it can be done.

David Genadek

Show me how its done. One hand it.

[David Genadek]

Show me how its done. One hand it.

I would be happy to unfortuantly I'm in MN and I don't have any Texas trips planned at the moment. Get involved in your locl leather guild and try to make it to some of the leather shows as there are many that can help you with this. See if you can find Bill Gomer he isn't that far from you.

David Genadek

[Shorts]

I would be happy to unfortuantly I'm in MN and I don't have any Texas trips planned at the moment. Get involved in your locl leather guild and try to make it to some of the leather shows as there are many that can help you with this. See if you can find Bill Gomer he isn't that far from you.

David Genadek

I think you're just scared to try it in your own shop.

[Shorts]

Oh and don't be too hard on yourself if you have a little trouble at first. There's a bit of a learning curve so if you need tips and secrets, feel free to ask away. I'd be glad to help you get it right.

[David Genadek]

I think you're just scared to try it in your own shop.

People visit all the time I have no problem with that. In fact we have a guild meeting here tomorrow night and I will often complete a whole project during the meeting so people know it can be done.

The two attached belts were done at a guild meeting. One I had stamped earlier in the day so I could show the dying but the natural one was from scratch. I didn't use my normal belt sewing machine as I have it another shop but everyone got to see a lined basket stamped belt from start to finish.

David Genadek

[rdb]

ShortBBL, I've been known to make a belt or two.

As to your original question, being able to make 6-8 double layer gunbelts in a day...Yes, that is a reasonable goal, especially with a few production type methods. You can cut all the blanks at one time, skive and slot all, etc.

A way to look at things is to figure how long each step actually takes you. Cutting the blank, skiving the end, slots and screw holes, edge beveling, edge creasing, ink and burnishing, making the loop, dyeing if necessary, finishing, gluing, sewing by machine, final buckle install. If you are set up properly, none of these steps take longer than 5 minutes, and most under that.

2-3 plain belts in an hour, yes again. A basket stamped belt with sewn liner, yes again.

I can easily see how some carved, and laced, or buckstitched belts can go on for days. The originality of the design, the intricacies of the carving, the style of lacing, or even hand stitching. Some might work up faster, some need a bit more time and love.