Frankenbelt!!?

[RKCrowe]

Greetings,

 I was looking for some advice/suggestions about belts.

My friend bought a belt that is too big and asked me to shorten it. Yep, sure can, no problem...then I received the belt.

  The belt is filigree from the tip of the billet to about 3 - 4 inches from the buckle. There is not enough space between the filigree to trim from the billet and I need to shorten it more then what’s at the buckle end.

With the filigree, I don’t think a typical; cut, skive and glue will be strong enough, or is it? Or the best way?

So, I was thinking about cutting the buckle end off, remove a section of the filigree and re-attach the buckle end using a “ <-“. split the buckle end, “v”  skive the filigree part glue and stitch. ?

My concern is that the belt is only about 1/8” thick, so would that make a strong enough joint? 

Any suggestions or alternative ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 Thank you for your consideration and time. Have a great day!

Richard

[Dwight]

I would leave the buckle as is, . . . and take off the necessary from the other end.

The "new" end will not look exactly as the other one did, . . . but carefully cutting in the circle ending in the two dots between the eyes, . . . proper beveling and burnishing and very few folks would ever look twice at it.   

May God bless,

Dwight

[JLSleather]

Yup, second this.  Take it off the "smart" end, make it look consistent as possible.  If you takin' 3.5 " or so off, then cut 2" off on the end, then use that end piece as a template to get the same curve back on the new end.

Edited May 19, 2019 by JLSleather

[RKCrowe]

Thank you. 

I can see that working better then what I was thinking. 

Richard

[chuck123wapati]

you could make it as a western ranger style with sewn on billets for the buckle and adjustment.

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by chuck123wapati
ADDED RANGER

[RKCrowe]

Thank you. I do like that idea.