Belts

[Drehlon]

ATTN Everyone: I'm just recovering from a hard drive crash. HORRIBLE!! I no longer have my belt tutorial, but I am re-writing it. As soon as it's done I can get it out to whoever wants it. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. (This is why I stopped posting!)

[Schph Gochi]

yikes....

sorry to hear that you crashed....I hope that you continue to recover quickly....

just hope that your computer continues to feel better...the rest will take care of itself...

good to have you back!

[Drehlon]

Thanks

[Calaveylon Angavel]

BTW, nice to meet you! I hope that your astromech can clear up your computer problems quickly.
I'd like to see your tutorial.

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

Welcome back Drehlon,
Sorry to hear your harddrive crashed. I loosk forward to seeing your belt turoiral. It'llhelp me construct them.:-)
Mynn

[admin]

Ditto here too!

[Drehlon]

Thanks everyone. I'll get this thing redone by the weekend, and have it out to all who want it by next week. Just a reminder, it has NO pictures, but it's still very easy to understand.

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

That's alright a good costumer can "see" what you'er descibing.
:-)

Jauhzmynn

[Drehlon]

I finally have my belt tutorial redone, and a few of you have already gotten it. Anyone else need it? E-mail me, and I'll get it to ya!

[admin]

Thanks Jedi Drehlon,
You have a very interesting belt tutorial. One I shall keep and gleam much from.

[JediKai]

I'm new here and have read through the pages of messages on belts.

I've made 2 belts. These are the only leather projects I've ever done but figured it out as I was sufficiently motivated. The only merchant whose Jedi belts I liked is not making them for the while.

The first belt was OK but not quite as movie-accurate as I wanted. I wanted a Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan style from Ep I. However, there is a wide variety of belt styles, so one has options, including using one's own style.

I have a photo tutorial on making the belt public.fotki.com/kait/star_wars/
along with other photos and tutorials.

Someone asked how to put the holes in the leather....if you have $8, buy a leather punch ((there is a photo of one in my tutorial), as someone else suggested. It makes it very easy to do holes of exactly the same size. It's not probably worth it if this is the only leather project you're going to do, though. But once you've make one belt, you'll possibly make more for friends!

[xavior]

thanx 4 the link, kai, but that tutorial is a little confusing. hey drehlon, what word processors do you have?

[Drehlon]

I've got Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 and a program called Notepad that came with my computer. I wrote my tutorial using the Corel program. A bit too late, I realize that not everyone has it and therefore not everyone will be able to read the tutorial. So, I have it here:

Jedi Belt Tutorial

What you need:

2: metal D-rings, Wal-Mart, $0.96 each
1: Black (or Brown) 3/4" wide belt, Wal-Mart, $9.96 each
1: Black (or Brown) 3" wide belt, Wal-Mart, $9.96 each
1: Pop-rivet gun with rivets, Wal-mart, $6.99 each
8: Pentech Liquid Gel Metal Tip Inkpens, Wal-mart, $1.76 each
8: ½" dia. "Pearl" style round buttons, Wal-Mart, $2.00
1: Measuring tape
1: Tube of Super-Glue
1: Hammer
1: 1/8" dia. nail

Please note: Be sure to get all holes you punch as close to the center of your piece as possible, ALWAYS punch ALL holes from the outside (the side that will show) in, and ALWAYS with ALL rivets, use the washers included in the rivet gun kit as a backing for BOTH SIDES of the rivet.

Step 1: Take the two D-rings and separate the pieces so that you are left with only the two D's.

Step 2: Cut a 2-1/2" piece off of the 3/4" wide belt

Step 3: Using the hammer and nail, punch a hole into each end of the 2-1/2" piece, ½" in from each end.



Step 4: Punch another set of holes on each end ½" in from this first set. It should look something like this: =.=.========.=.= with (=) representing the leather and (.) representing the holes.

Step 5: Take one of the D's from Step 1 and wrap one end of the leather piece from Step 4 around the FLAT edge of the D. Line up the two holes on that end. Use a 1/8" rivet and washers, and rivet the end around the D. It should look something like this:
=.=.========D

Step 6: Repeat Step 5 for the opposite end. It should now look something like this: D========D except that the first D will be backwards (I can't type it that way!!). This is your completed buckle!

Step 7: With the remaining 3/4" wide belt cut two 12" long strips. On one end of each strip, punch holes as described in Steps 3-4. You should have two strips that look like this: ============.=.=

Step 8: On the opposite end of each strip, punch a hole as described in Step 3. Your two strips should now look like this: =.===========.=.=

Step 9: Take one of the ½" strips and wrap the end with the two holes around the D on one end of your completed buckle section from Step 6. Using the method described in Step 5, rivet the 12" strip to the buckle. It will look like this: =.===========D==D Remember, on this tutorial the first D is backwards.




Step 10: Repeat Step 9 for the other 12" strip. You'll have an assembly that looks like this:
=.===========D==D============.=
This is your completed "thin belt assembly"!



Step 11: Take the 3" wide belt and use the measuring tape to find the center. Now take your completed "thin belt assembly" and lay it over the 3" wide belt, lining up the center of the thin belt assembly with the center of the 3" wide belt as closely as possible.

Step 12: Using the holes in the thin belt assembly from Step 8 as a guide, punch a hole at each end of the assembly straight through to the 3" wide belt, and on through it as well.

Step 13: Use the riveting technique described in Step 5 and rivet the thin belt assembly to the 3" wide belt.

Step 14: Take the lids off of the Pentech pens and use the Super-Glue to attach a button to the bottom of each of the lids.

Step 15: AFTER THE GLUE IS DRIED, paint the lids the color of your choice. These are now your "food capsules"!

That's it! Just put the belt on so that the real buckle is in the back and your home-made buckle is in the front, and then hang your food capsules on your new belt, and you're ready to go!

[Leda EmBorr]

Kai, Thanx for posting the link to your photo tutorial. I'm in the process of making a belt, pouches and food capsules. Up till now I've been waering a just wide, store bought belt with like, cell phone cases attatched to it. I won't mention what I made the food capsules out of here in a co-ed forum! I'm going to get those rivets from the Tandy Leather site, and I'm still looking for a buckle that looks like Obi'Wan's. I have a hole puncher and riveter which I bought to use with the Cub Scouts. I'll post a pic when it's done!Hopefully it will be in time for I-Con.

[Drehlon]

Hey Leda, on a buckle for your belt the closest thing I could find when I made mine was a metal D-ring as described in the tutorial posted here. I may have to update that tutorial, though, because I'm thinking about re-working my belt to make it more accurate.