Marking Aligned Holes?

[Doc Reaper]

I make templates out of half inch thick wood stripes that are as wide as the belt I'm making. I used a drill press to drill the holes in the stripe of wood one inch apart. I use a nail that is slightly smaller than the drill bit to keep the nail straight and centered, I insert the nail then lightly tap it to mark the leather. I have different width templates for each belt blank width, about seven different templates I have made years ago! Most are made of cedar that a neighbor cut down in his yard. If you make a template, make it so it last! Quality begets quality!

[Pablo27]

If you are needing template material, Target or Wally World sells flexabe chopping/cutting matts that make good templates. They are in the Kitchen section and run somewhere around $5 for 4 of them and are 12"x15". There are assorted colors in each package so you could use different colors for different sizes, etc.

Paul

[kevinp]

I use two pairs of dividers one set to half the width of the strap and the other set to the hole spacing.

[Chief31794]

I mark a hole with an awl at an accurate location, but I think you said your problem was punching them accurately after marking them right where they should be. I tap the punch lightly and lift it leaving a small impression, then I move the punch if necessary and keep tapping until I get the mark dead center of the punch impression, then I put the punch in the impression, and punch it through. All the slightly offset light impressions are obliterated by the punch.

This works for round holes and ovals.

Chief

[jwallace]

I had some templates made for my watch straps and I still have to work to get my holes lined up straight. However, in my experience, it's a combination of things that contributed to the holes being misaligned.

As others have mentioned, I mark the holes with a nail, then I use my scratch awl to make a proper indentation. Then I use the hole punch itself and press it into the leather just enough to leave a mark. I measure the mark and ensure that it's straight, then punch.

However, I found that punching my holes with the strap faced perpendicular away from my body helped me align things better. When I had it facing parallel with my chest, my holes were almost invariably crooked. Since changing position, they have improved remarkably. I also have seen a great improvement by punching on a marble slab with my self-healing cutting mat on top of it. With this method, I was able to get these holes:

[ramrod]

wing dividers here. i set it for the width of the belt. but i also double check by measuring both sides of the belt. that way you know it is centered.

[taintedelephant]

I was taught a long time ago when drilling a hole in a concrete wall to mark it with a cross bigger than the hole, that way you can see it with your tool in the way. I'm new at this, but it works for me when I need super accuracy. For belts I just draw a circle inside the template, and eyeball it.