pete Report post Posted September 7, 2007 I'm curious. There are a lot of you out there I'm sure that buy blanks rather than cutting your own. I had a few simple belts to make so I called Tandy and ordered them. I noticed after I tooled them that they are all 1/16th over. The 2" and 1 1/2" buckles that I ordered were scant but awfully close but the belts wouldn't fit even after I edged and slicked them. Checked the Tandy catalogue and sure enough they say the blanks are 1/16" over. WHY DO THEY DO THIS?????? Why isn't a 2" blank 2"!!!!!!!! someone must know. There are lot's of brainiacs here pete Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsenette Report post Posted September 7, 2007 i'm not a leather person...but...i do know wood...and i'd like to see if my theory is correct... at the lumber yard when you buy a 2X4...you're really buying (roughly) a 1 15/16' by almost 4'...this is because of the width of the blade used in the milling process i wonder (and this is theory) if the "belt blank" industry does this in reverse...adding an extra 16th to account for possible shrinkage (possibly from whatever process you'll be doing on the belt when you get it) or to allow for some customizations and things? or possibly it's a function of the stamping process (i'd imagine that these are die stamped blanks made in mass production)...like...if they tried to stamp exactly at 2" the flex of the leather would end up giving you less than 2"...or maybe their die IS set at exactly 2" but the afore mentioned flex accounts for the extra material being left behind? all theory and conjecture...disregard everything if it's wrong Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BruceGibson Report post Posted September 7, 2007 I cut all mine 1/16" UNDER. The buckles are right on, so if I cut my stuff the same dimension, it won't fit through. The 1/16" undercut allows just enough space. Going over doesn't make any sense to me at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Art Report post Posted September 7, 2007 Wood is cut oversize to allow for drying, they are pretty accurate with this and almost all dried unfinished lumber for dimensional sizes is indeed dimensionally correct, in other words a 2x4 is 2" by 4" however when finished you usually lose 1/8" per side for hardwoods and 1/4" per side for softwoods. Not a lot to due with blade size more to do with the setting on the planer. Almost all softwoods are finished on 4 sides. but a lot of hardwoods are only finished on one of the wider sides. I have no idea why they would add another 1/16" to a cut size, when I get something cut at Weaver it is usually spot on or maybe just a hair over which I use-up edging and slicking. But Tandy advertises it or at least describes it so they must know something we don't. Art i'm not a leather person...but...i do know wood...and i'd like to see if my theory is correct...at the lumber yard when you buy a 2X4...you're really buying (roughly) a 1 15/16' by almost 4'...this is because of the width of the blade used in the milling process i wonder (and this is theory) if the "belt blank" industry does this in reverse...adding an extra 16th to account for possible shrinkage (possibly from whatever process you'll be doing on the belt when you get it) or to allow for some customizations and things? or possibly it's a function of the stamping process (i'd imagine that these are die stamped blanks made in mass production)...like...if they tried to stamp exactly at 2" the flex of the leather would end up giving you less than 2"...or maybe their die IS set at exactly 2" but the afore mentioned flex accounts for the extra material being left behind? all theory and conjecture...disregard everything if it's wrong Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Washroad Report post Posted September 7, 2007 Tandy advertises that their belt blanks are 1/16" under. I've found that true on some that I wish weren't (like the one I'm doing now, it's supposed to be 1 3/4" but measured 1 11/16"). Hmmmmm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
abn Report post Posted September 7, 2007 Pete, All I use are Tandy belt blanks for my belts, and I've found that Tandy's measurements on width are a bit "rough". I bought five or six blanks a few years back that were right on. The most recent blanks were 1/8" undersized -- all ten of them -- so a 1-1/4" blank was actually 1-1/8". I was somewhat irritated that it was off this much, but finished the belt and it looked okay. I'd be really if I finished a belt, like you did, and found out the buckle didn't fit due to Tandy's poor measurement. The lesson I learned is to always buy blanks in the store, and carry along a small ruler so you know what you're getting. -Alex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Johanna Report post Posted September 7, 2007 In the Tandy stores the straps are cut with a regular strap cutter, and it's easier to place an old strap in it to set to measure, than to try to use the measuring marks provided. Straps are cut short a 1/16th because the because the buckles are usually true, and the blanks won't fit otherwise. If you got some that were over, it was probably an oversight by the employeee that cut the straps, nothing else. At least you can always make something narrower- I would rather sell someone a strap that was a little over than a little short. Johanna Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
