My First Gun Belt- All Advice Welcome

[Emmo]

Thanks Dwight, sounds like the .6 mm Slam would work.  Perhaps I'll drop down to a Size 4 (004) needle.  I probably should order a pack of size 4 & 2 John James needles.  garpl, I'll check out Egyptian Leather as well.  Thanks everyone for the advice and comments.  

[CaptQuirk]

6 spi should be fine. same for the 2 layers of 5-7oz leather. Make sure you use a good glue, as the layers tend to shift and separate with weaker contact cements. And what Dwight says about hand stitching is true. Hand stitching belts is a chore. Pick out several good movies, or cds... you're going to be there a while. I started doing a 58" belt the other day. Only 4' left to go.

Another thought that might not have been mentioned, is cutting your belt on a curve. My first western gunbelt was cut straight, and it tends to slide straight over my hips. Cutting it on a curve will give it a bit of a tapered effect, helping to keep it in place.

[Emmo]

Thanks CaptQuirk.  I have Weldwood contact cement and had planned to use that.  I had not read anything about cutting the leather on a curve, I'll have to read up on that.  Thanks for the heads up.  Ya'll are starting to make me a little nervous about the ambitious sewing project.  Maybe I'll switch and make my first belt just a good heavy work belt and use one layer of the 8/9 oz side.  Sooner or later though, I'll have to sew that belt.  As my old boss use to say, as he left my with new project, "no step for a stepper".  Thanks agian all.  Emmo

[Eddie Q]

Emmo, I,ve hand sewn a few belts, 10-11 0z lined with 1.5-2 Oz oink oink with eithe artificial senew or 1mm waxed linen. it's not bad at all took me about 3hs everytime .

I just acquired a Singer 111W153 which seems good for belt, just have to make table for it.  Good luck Buddy !!!

[LumpenDoodle2]

I refuse to hand sew belts on the principle that I have a life (somewhere).   I have no objection to hand sewing holsters, but belts............     

I admire those with the patience to do so, though.

[snubbyfan]

I've got a belt stitcher, it's called my wife:

 

[silverwingit]

I think you'd be better off using 0.8 mm or even thicker on a heavy-use item like a gun belt. The thread the lady is using in the video is probably 1.0 mm in diameter.

Michelle

[byggyns]

I'll agree with the above that you may want a heavier thread. I used the twisted Tandy thread on the one I did, in about 1.0mm. I think the slam thread will be good, I enjoy using Tiger thread & Nigel's review tells me it should work similarly. I have a 40" waist, & I took about 4-5 hours to do mine. I was binging "Orphan Black" at the time to keep me entertained.

[CaptQuirk]

On 1/25/2017 at 2:05 AM, LumpenDoodle2 said:

I refuse to hand sew belts on the principle that I have a life (somewhere).   I have no objection to hand sewing holsters, but belts............     

I admire those with the patience to do so, though.

I used to have a life... it's amazing how much more time you have on your hands when you move to the wilderness.  @byggyns, I just did a 56" belt by hand, all in all, it took me about 5 days.

[Sorcerer1]

I hand sewed one , by the time I was done I had gained 10 lbs and it did not fit .