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Posted
  On 4/18/2018 at 10:26 PM, Gabriel Rasa said:

Well yeah, it was easy enough to make the cardstock pattern symmetrical, but the leather was never as tidy as I wanted after I cut it out, either with shears or with a knife. Possibly I'm just being too fussy about it.

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Until you own a seriously sharp knife, you just don't know what you're missing. Here is a pick of some very firm 7 ounce I through the whole thing with little effort. I just rolled the edge right thru it.KIMG0060-1170x2080.JPG

I'm not paying 80 bucks for a belt!!! It's a strip of leather. How hard could it be? 4 years and 3 grand later.... I have a belt I can finally live with.

Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day.

From Texas but in Bossier City, Louisiana.

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Posted (edited)

I made 2 of them today. I totally agree with fredk, trace the pattern from the book, make a cardboard template, trace it to the leather and cut it. I made mine with a small headknife and they turned out ok. After sanding/bevelling/burnishing the edges noone will notice the difference when you don't lay them on each other. Since mine are going to hold straps on a bag they're the maximum distance apart from each other. When you make a bag like me the least you want to do is spend hours for the shield tabs... 

Bikermutt you overhauled me while writing :-) .. fully agree with what you say

Edited by charon
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Posted

There are a number of ways to approach shields like this.  The English point part is the hardest and most visible, with the rest, where the strap loops around the ring is a little easier and not so visible so you can get away with a little less accuracy there.

In the first three methods, you'll start with a strap that's as wide as the widest part of the shield.

If you're just doing a few, a cutting entirely with a knife by hand is the way to go - it does take practice, but that's what scrap is for isn't it?   LWN member @gmace99 has a video that shows how to make an English point using a knife using just a knife with no template.  

A template such as the one that Tandy sells might be helpful at minimal cost, but will still probably require some practice.  

A moderate number of them would probably justify an English point punch of the right size, but that involves more expense if you don't already have the right size.  There are a few challenges with these too, but still easier than the above methods.  There are a couple of tricks to make aligning the punch easier.  If you put a square across the belt and along the edge, you can put both ends of the punch against the square.  You then can just eyeball its position left/right and not worry about it being at the wrong angle.  If you're handy with wood or plastic, you can make a jig to ensure it's both square and centered to the strap.  

If you have a fat wallet and/or need enough of these to justify the expense ( $100.00s ), you can have a hammer die made or you can get a clicker press and clicker die.

 

For the part of the tab that goes through the ring, it's mostly just a straight cut.  You can just make the transition from shield to tab a square cut and it will work fine, but if you really want the rounded transition you can hand cut with a hobby knife and practice.  You can also make a punch from a piece of pipe and cut an end to ninety degrees and then sharpen the remaining part to cut a smooth inside curve every time!

Hope that helps

- Bill

 

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Posted

You can get a die made for not much more than the price of one of those handle punches.  Now, if you don't have a press, probably not worth it, since the price of the press spoils the deal if you aren't needing one anyway.  Like them boys that buy burnishers for a dremel, then go buy a dremel!  

Got a design in mind?  Send a pattern to Sandy, ask her what she thinks (if you email it, you probably get a cost and time frame same day).  Very knowledgeable (and great sense of humor).

http://intdieco.com/index.html

Ph: (800)856-0834 or (706)754-0921

Fax: (706)754-0922

Email: 
intdieco@windstream.net

JLS  "Observation is 9/10 of the law."

IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.

5 leather patterns

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Posted (edited)

OH --- IF I was purchasing a die for this, I'd be thinking EFFICIENCY.  So I'd likely spend a few bucks more to have it made with the SHIELD ON BOTH ENDS.  Stohlman shows that in the book, so no point going down that again, but this way you could use it with the shield both ends (over a ring or buckle) or simply trim one end if you want the "tab".

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Edited by JLSleather

JLS  "Observation is 9/10 of the law."

IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.

5 leather patterns

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Posted

Wow that‘s real good advice here. If it would be my choice I‘d go for the die. In my region you can get a small press for around $150 and you can use dies up to the size of wallets. Well worth the $$ and the most precise and quickest option. 

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Posted (edited)
  On 4/19/2018 at 2:00 PM, bikermutt07 said:

Until you own a seriously sharp knife, you just don't know what you're missing. Here is a pick of some very firm 7 ounce I through the whole thing with little effort. I just rolled the edge right thru it.KIMG0060-1170x2080.JPG

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this! 1000x this! Hell get an Olfa snap knife and strop the blade you will get a similar enough result. If you knife isnt cutting smoothly it isnt sharp enough. I also like to mirror my sheilds. I feel like the double thick looks more substantial and it has to be more secure than a single rivet. I cut, place my ring glue and clamp then stick it to the leather, and stitch it down. Quick rarely means good. Good is rarely quick.

 

Edited by tomsmith85717
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Posted
  On 4/19/2018 at 2:44 PM, JLSleather said:

  Like them boys that buy burnishers for a dremel, then go buy a dremel!  

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Lets be real they really just wanted a dremel...excuses help some people sleep at night. Also I was dicking about with my dremel ... a tapered diamond bit makes wicked holes for rivets/ Chicago screws in areas where punches are less than ideal.

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Posted

I've got an arbor press (?) that I picked up on sale a while ago at Harbor Freight, but haven't gotten it set up yet. (I'm not shy about buying tools/equipment -- business expenses don't get taxed, eyyy.)

This one, I think: https://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-arbor-press-3552.html

I'm not clear on how to attach dies/stamps/etc to it though? It's just got a flat piece of metal in there now, and no visible way to screw or slot attachments to it.

Posted
  On 4/20/2018 at 11:56 PM, Gabriel Rasa said:

I've got an arbor press (?) that I picked up on sale a while ago at Harbor Freight, but haven't gotten it set up yet. (I'm not shy about buying tools/equipment -- business expenses don't get taxed, eyyy.)

This one, I think: https://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-arbor-press-3552.html

I'm not clear on how to attach dies/stamps/etc to it though? It's just got a flat piece of metal in there now, and no visible way to screw or slot attachments to it.

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Gabriel,  I have the same press and I drilled a 3/8” hole in the end of the ram, then drilled and tapped a hole perpendicular for a set screw.  Most of the stamps, setters etc I use are 3/8” diameter and slide right into the hole in the ram.  Smaller stamps go into a 3/8” bushing and then go in the ram.  Works great!  

Gary

Cowboy 4500, Consew 206RB-4

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