How do I splice the suede lining on a western gun belt?

[Chick41]

When I line my western gunbelts I use suede, glued and sewn, I can only find a source for double shoulders and if the belt is too long I need to splice the lining. I've been doing this with a baseball stitch to hold the two pieces together until it's glued, which works good up until I need to trim the excess lining. When I trim the lining, I have to cut the threads at the end of the stitch line, which means the stitch line has no finish. It's glued down, but my concern is over time the thread may pull and the spliced edge could lift.

If anyone could suggest a better way, I'm all ears

[Dwight]

I've done some pretty big gun belts (one was a 53 when he ordered it . . . 56 when he came to pick it up 6 weeks later) lol...........

But I've never had to splice the outside or the liner.  Just buy leather that is big enough . . . cures that problem.

Double shoulders are fine for the holsters . . . use side leather for the belts . . . I tend to try to use the higher up leather for the outside piece . . . line it with the lower leather down near the belly.  

Don't really understand your glue problem . . . if you use contact cement . . . they go together right now . . . it is done . . . trim and sand the edges . . . stitch it and you have a belt.

May God bless,

Dwight

 

[Danne]

Also wouldn't Nubuck or Alcantara be more durable over time? (I get if you don't want to use Alcantara though, because it's not leather) but at the same time it's reason it's used in car interiors (even in the most exclusive brands)

Edited August 12, 2020 by Danne

[Chick41]

11 hours ago, Dwight said:

use side leather for the belts

As I stated I can't find anything other than double shoulders. Sides would be the obvious solution. Where do I get them???

[battlemunky]

1 hour ago, Chick41 said:

As I stated I can't find anything other than double shoulders. Sides would be the obvious solution. Where do I get them???

You could overlap the lining piece. Skive the flesh side on the one piece and the hair side on the other and glue them together. Like a lap joint but with feathered edges instead of a step. Sewing the liner along the top and bottom as usual will hold it all down. I'd cut it a bit wider than the belt and then trim off the overhang to make your edges neat.

[Dwight]

2 hours ago, Chick41 said:

As I stated I can't find anything other than double shoulders. Sides would be the obvious solution. Where do I get them???

Both Tandy Leather factory and Weaver Leather in Berlin, Ohio . . . they accept credit card orders . . . 

I've never gotten a bad piece of leather from Weaver . . . Tandy leather can sometimes be just not quite what I was looking for . . . but I can usually make it work.

They both sell sides . . . as well as ST leather in St. Louis.  I've not dealt with them in a few years . . . but would guess they are still in business . . . see them mentioned from time to time.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Chick41]

On 8/12/2020 at 11:08 PM, Dwight said:

Tandy Leather factory and Weaver Leather in Berlin, Ohio

I'm in Canada, and deal with tandy a fair amount, but they only carry double shoulders here. As for Weaver, I'd need to ship across the border, not impossible just more difficult, their bends are only up to 52 inches, I saw no sides listed.

On 8/12/2020 at 10:53 PM, battlemunky said:

You could overlap the lining piece. Skive the flesh side on the one piece and the hair side on the other and glue them together. Like a lap joint but with feathered edges instead of a step. Sewing the liner along the top and bottom as usual will hold it all down. I'd cut it a bit wider than the belt and then trim off the overhang to make your edges neat.

Thanks for this idea. I might give it a try.

[Chick41]

Thanks for everyone's comments. Muchly appreciated.

[Rahere]

Just on tip on contact cement - use Renia Colle de Cologne, the stuff used to put soles on. We've had a headache in rubber for some time, chlorinated material won't glue, because the chlorine fills the holes in the polymer tangles normal rubber cement keys into. That stuff manages it. It's expensive, but lasts.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Rahere