Lining Belts

[venator]

Yes.

Honestly any of the above would work but here's my two cents:

Wheel: I wouldn't use this to mark as generally I find they work best for small twisty things like holsters, in long straight lines I tend to wobble somehow, even if I've grooved the line.

Pricking iron: I might use this if my Contact Cement were very dry and I knew I wouldn't accidentally pull the layers apart as mentioned.

Awl: Hard to go wrong.

Personally after gluing I'd let it dry, then use a creaser to mark my groove for stitching, or cut a groove, mark the actual stitches with a pricking iron in the groove (deep enough to seat the awl) then I'd use the awl for each hole as I stitched.

[Dwight]

Dwight

Hope Im not hijacking this thread

is there a specific reason to use two equal thicknesses as opposed to using a heavier weight on the exterior and a lighter weight on the interior?

No problem, Rick, . . . I use two equal as I cut them side by side from the same piece of leather. I know the dye will be exactly the same, . . . I know the width will be exactly the same, . . . and I do not have to skive one end to make it lay down next to the other one by the buckle.

Also when you burnish, . . . sometimes (seldom really) the thinner one will want to do it's own thing with the burnishing, . . . I know what to expect when both pieces are side by side from the same cow. AND, . . . putting the thinner one on the inside is almost a guaranteed wrinkle patch. The thicker piece outside will not want to give, . . . forcing the inside to wrinkle. Sometimes I get a few small wrinkles in my belts, . . . but I can work them out easier with two equal thicknesses than with one fat / one skinny.

I also only have to stock one size, . . . only have to check one size before accepting the order, . . . and there is no appreciable savings in having a side of 9, . . . side of 7, . . . side of 5, . . . and a side of 3. They are for the most part the same price, . . . so why knock yourself out?

Hope this helps.

May God bless,

Dwight

[rickdroid]

No problem, Rick, . . . I use two equal as I cut them side by side from the same piece of leather. I know the dye will be exactly the same, . . . I know the width will be exactly the same, . . . and I do not have to skive one end to make it lay down next to the other one by the buckle.

Also when you burnish, . . . sometimes (seldom really) the thinner one will want to do it's own thing with the burnishing, . . . I know what to expect when both pieces are side by side from the same cow. AND, . . . putting the thinner one on the inside is almost a guaranteed wrinkle patch. The thicker piece outside will not want to give, . . . forcing the inside to wrinkle. Sometimes I get a few small wrinkles in my belts, . . . but I can work them out easier with two equal thicknesses than with one fat / one skinny.

I also only have to stock one size, . . . only have to check one size before accepting the order, . . . and there is no appreciable savings in having a side of 9, . . . side of 7, . . . side of 5, . . . and a side of 3. They are for the most part the same price, . . . so why knock yourself out?

Hope this helps.

May God bless,

Dwight

That sure does help. I was wondering if there was a method to your madness ;-)

rick

[TinkerTailor]

That sure does help. I was wondering if there was a method to your madness ;-)

rick

Masticating mad methodology makes my muddled mind merry.

[JLSleather]

I don't make 1/4" thick belts unless SPECIFICALLY ASKED, and I haven't been for a long time. My belts are generally right around 3/16" thick -- a 7/8 or 8/9 oz front lined with a 3/4 oz backing.

I "could" use 2 5/6 oz, but i like to get the tooling depth. No problems with wrinkling. Just got an email from a cop with a new belt made of 7/8 + 3/4 oz- loves the way it carries a pistol, mags, cuffs, small flashlight... no worrries. Course, no "fancy" tooling on the duty stuff....

[Dwight]

I don't make 1/4" thick belts unless SPECIFICALLY ASKED, and I haven't been for a long time. My belts are generally right around 3/16" thick -- a 7/8 or 8/9 oz front lined with a 3/4 oz backing.

I "could" use 2 5/6 oz, but i like to get the tooling depth. No problems with wrinkling. Just got an email from a cop with a new belt made of 7/8 + 3/4 oz- loves the way it carries a pistol, mags, cuffs, small flashlight... no worrries. Course, no "fancy" tooling on the duty stuff....

And the tooling part is the big difference between our customer bases. Mine very seldom want tooling, . . . preferring a simple belt.

I might lean more toward your way if I had the customer base, . . . but without it, . . . no need to.

Thanks for bringing up the tooling subject, . . . some of the folks may not have considered it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[byggyns]

regarding your question about stitching:

I grooved the belt all the way around the top piece. I used a round hole at the tip of the belt & worked back down each side with stitching chisels (the diamond shaped Tandy ones).

I ended my stitching right at the end of the full thickness of the top layer- just before the skive from the belt blank started. I rounded the end of my stitch line, and the end of the liner as well. I'll have to post pics when I get home to show what I mean better.

I punched into the top layer before I glued to lay out where the end of the liner would end up. After I glued, trimmed and sanded, I used the awl to put the hole through the liner while stitching. Then I edge beveled, dyed the edge, and burnished.

I used resolene to finish the entire thing at the end.

[byggyns]

Here is the way I finished off the end of my liner

My biggest pet peeve is that I didn't round the stamping design out to the right curve. I stamped before laying out the stitch line.

Also, I'm probably going to make a different keeper, as this one didn't dye or crease like I want. I threw the keeper together as a last minute thing.

Edited January 26, 2016 by byggyns

[Kansan]

Dwight, you mentioned that you use two strips of leather that are the same weight. What weight do you consider to be ideal for this purpose, assuming the end result is some kind of heavy duty belt? 5/6 oz strips... 6/7 oz? I'd like to try it your way for my first lined belt.

Byggyns, I like how your belt came out, the stitching looks good to me. I see what you mean about the curve line of the stitches but would not have noticed it by looking at it. Good job!

[Dwight]

Dwight, you mentioned that you use two strips of leather that are the same weight. What weight do you consider to be ideal for this purpose, assuming the end result is some kind of heavy duty belt? 5/6 oz strips... 6/7 oz? I'd like to try it your way for my first lined belt.

Byggyns, I like how your belt came out, the stitching looks good to me. I see what you mean about the curve line of the stitches but would not have noticed it by looking at it. Good job!

Kansan, . . . IFFFF, . . . I had my druthers, . . . a perfect piece of 6 oz works best for me. That makes a belt that is just over .180 thick. I'll go up to .240 for special belts, . . . but the usual, . . . standard, . . . I like to keep in the .165 to .200 area. It makes a good sturdy belt, . . . yet it is not super thick and fat.

One thing you will want to avoid on belts that will be subject to loads, . . . never sew across the belt. What happens is the sewing becomes a perforation line, . . . and it makes your sewing line THE weak point of the belt.

It's an old trick I picked up from harness, . . . harness makers never sewed across their straps, . . . and while I'll admit never losing a belt to this, . . . I just have made it a habit that I do not do it.

May God bless,

Dwight