My First Gun Belt

[wizard of tragacanth]

Finished my first gun belt. It was also my first project using vinegaroon (vinegar black).

The gun belt was made for a friend. It is 32", 2" wide, single ply (I don't have a machine), 12 oz. cow hide. Since the leather is thick and the Tandy buckle is rather massive, I used oval holes. They are spaced 3/4" apart.

This was the first time that I had used an oval punch. I should have sought advice on this forum about how to keep the oval holes parallel to the edges of the belt but I recklessly forged ahead with a silly idea. I put blue painters tape across the belt, such that the top edge of the tape was at the center-line of the belt. Then I tried to follow that line by eye-balling the oval punch head. Well, it didn't work well. A couple of holes were skewed, tilted from the center line. When I removed the tape, it took a little hide with it. I was not happy about that. Later, in an attempt to correct the tilted holes, I cased the leather, inserted an oval punch and twisted it to straighten it out. It actually worked pretty well but I don't know if they will stay that way or later relax back to their tilted state.

The vinegaroon was my first batch, brewed for two weeks. It worked great. I had no problem with that. However, I did three dips with the belt, which pretty much soaked it. Now the smell is pretty strong. Next time, I will dip it and wait 30 seconds or so to see if the leather gets dark enough with a single dip. Then, if need be, I will dip it again. Hopefully, I can get the deep black with less saturation and less remaining smell. Also, I only let it air out for a day before I put the top-coat on, so I would imagine that that only sealed in the smell and now will take even longer for the smell to dissipate... if ever. I may be making it sound a little worse than it is. You can really only smell it if it is an inch from your nose, it's not like it stinks up the room.

Questions, comments or advice are all welcome.

Nick

Edited September 19, 2011 by wizard of tragacanth

[Guy W]

looks nice. i have a question about building belts. those 2 spots behind the buckle. are those snaps or rivets or some other hardware i'm not aware of? I'd like to try and make one at some point but dunno exactly what to use. good job on it.

Edited September 19, 2011 by Guy W

[wizard of tragacanth]

Hey Guy,

Those are Chicago screws. They are two piece screws that you can get in different sizes. On the back side of the belt you would see a slotted head for the screw. You can get them in lengths such as 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" depending on the thickness of your belt or other project. I got mine at Tandy.

You could use snaps or rivets but I think most people on this forum use Chicago screws because they are a better solution, overall.

Nick

[Guy W]

thanks for the info on the chicago screws. if you do it again what are you plans for the holes based on what you learned from the first try?

[markush]

Hey Guy,

Those are Chicago screws. They are two piece screws that you can get in different sizes. On the back side of the belt you would see a slotted head for the screw. You can get them in lengths such as 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" depending on the thickness of your belt or other project. I got mine at Tandy.

You could use snaps or rivets but I think most people on this forum use Chicago screws because they are a better solution, overall.

Nick

The screws also let you change out the buckle. Your vinegaroon will darked as it sits, one dip was most likely enough. I let it sit until it darkens to the black I want, usually 2-4 minutes, before I give it the baking soda bath which will neutralize the vinegaroon. And keep in mind that the light rub with the neatsfoot oil is going to give it that little bit of extra darkness also. It looks like a good sturdy belt for sure!

[wizard of tragacanth]

thanks for the info on the chicago screws. if you do it again what are you plans for the holes based on what you learned from the first try?

Some day, I will get a bench mounted punch press but until I do, I will probably use a ruler and an awl to mark the two ends of the ovals on the center-line of the belt. OTOH, I may take the easy way out and just make round holes!

[wizard of tragacanth]

The screws also let you change out the buckle. Your vinegaroon will darked as it sits, one dip was most likely enough. I let it sit until it darkens to the black I want, usually 2-4 minutes, before I give it the baking soda bath which will neutralize the vinegaroon. And keep in mind that the light rub with the neatsfoot oil is going to give it that little bit of extra darkness also. It looks like a good sturdy belt for sure!

Thanks markush, I will definitely try to use only a single dip next time and give the 'roon time to color up the leather.