how do I figure curve

[robertsm53]

Hi folks, new guy here.
I have made a couple of holsters for my wife, and they turned out ok for a beginner I guess,  but I would like to make a pistol belt with a curve built in to better fit her hips and not slide down like the flat style of belt tends to do.   I plan on using the buscadero style for a start with a straight draw for both sides, with the slots cut  in it for the holsters.  Is there an easy way to get the curve right or at least close?  I was thinking of just cut and tape cardboard till I get it  close.  Any suggestions  or hints would be greatly appreciated.

[GunClick Rick]

This may help a little



http://www.kirkpatrickleather.com/double-rigs/tequila-ladies-rig-160

[Blackey Cole]

Get with Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal Magazine and get a copy of the article on making a fitting belt.  It is for positioning everything correctly on a Buscadero Belt.  The Lady Taquela Belt is made differently.  The main piece is made so that it will work for most women.  It is like an opened up staple then the billet and chafe are made to various lengths and screwed on to the belt to fit the individual women.  It is made to buckle in the rear.  I would make a fitting belt using two main pieces one right and left that connects using three Sam Brown Studs like the one in the article.  THen figure out the billet and chafe length from their I would make the angles similar to those of a single Buscadero "L" shape angle then connect the two using the SAM Brown Studs then Attache the Billets so you have a proper fitting belt.  After that slide on the two drop down holster hangers to the correct place for her draw.  Make   everything so that when you take the belt off you can put everything in the correct place.  Then make a paper pattern off that for her so when you need to make additional belts in the future you have the pattern already.  Use that paper pattern to layout you belt on the leather.  To figure out the angle and placement measure straight across the front the for the angle take a measurement where the top of the belt will ride and then measure where the bottom edge of the belt will ride on the hips the difference is the angle you will need for this person.  A males hip difference is around 3 or 4 inches but a females is a lot more usually.  I hope this helps once you have the fitting belt made for the men and another for the women all you have to do is piece it together with everything needed and check the size align the drop loops and make a paper pattern for the clients folder and you lay it out on leather and cut the leather out, tool it, sew it and color it.  I hope it helps.

[Slowhand Bob]

Probably the best layout patterns for a Buscadero, of which I am familiar, are the ones in the Will Ghormley Black Canyon Rig pattern pack.  I personally like the style even batter than those demoed in the Bianchi videos.  They are very easily understood and easy to custom fit to most anyone.  You can go to Wills web site and check them out.

[Slowhand Bob]

You can find a small image here and I think it is good enough to show the amount of curvature built into the belt.  There is a one gun layout and a two gun layout included also.  Unlike most available patterns, Will adds one extra element to laying out the holster position, most just add one expansion cut at the rear which simply distorts the fit, pulling holster placement further towards the front as waist size increases.  http://www.willghormley-maker.com/OWC2.html

[Long Juan]

My daughter, Sterling Sage, and I are making a buscadero rig for her from Will's pattern.  It is not finished yet or I would post photos.  We started with Will's belt pattern and made a brown paper cut-out according to the pattern and accompanying instructions.  We tried it on her waist.  We then started cutting, modifying and taping the brown paper parttern until we had one that seemed to fit pretty well.  We used it to make a new brown paper pattern and started over, making a few more minor modifications.  Among other things she wants to wear it with the buckle to the rear.  That meant we had to modify the location of the slots for the holsters.  We transferred the second brown paper pattern to mylar and then traced it on the leather.  We cut out the leather and the belt appears to fit very well.  Chape and billet not permanently attached yet, as our divsion of labor has my daughter doing the tooling and she has been busy at work.  When she is finished tooling, I will assemble.  Then the acid test - how does the rig fit?  Her/our hope is that she can wear and show off the rig at a match the third weekend in October. 

[Wolf Tracker]

These are not my words but I got it from another leather forum from a member named Dwight. Hope it helps.

Take a flexible aluminum 48 inch rule, . . . bend it so it flexes about 6 inches in the middle (looks like a 48 inch Robin Hood bow). Tape a string to it at each end so you can keep the bow in it.

Trace that bow on a large piece of brown wrapping paper or something similar. Set your pencil divider/compass at the width of the belt and trace outside of the first line the width of the belt, . . . cut this out and see how it fits for your pattern.

You may have to flex it deeper than 6 inches or less, . . . to get the effect you want. This is the John Bianchi technique for getting the right cut on one of his Western gun belts.

[Massive]

The curve is a custom fit thing depending on your shape. Sometimes you can get an idea from an existing belt, that has stretched over the years.  One has to also eyeball it as well since it can be bent around belt loops etc...

One technique is to use tape.  wear something that fits really well, then use masking or duct tape to build  layers of tape. around the body.  tape on the bias to conform to the curve, and in the opposite direction to set them.  Tape with low stretch, like making tape is good. 

Next set the shape of the belt. Draw parallel lines on the tape with a laser lever (3 bucks at the dollar store).  Or adjust the height of a table top with books etc... so that twirling around a marker held level will lay a marker line.  This will give you two waterlines.  But one may want to draw some shape to them.  The Kirkpatrick rig was pretty level. You can also  then draw on other features of the belt, or at least indicate placement.  When you have it the way you want it slit it and carefully remove it. 

It may pay to apply the base level across your thigh a few times, to make it less tacky so the tape will hold but not be too difficult to remove.

There are lots of ways of making patterns.  You could extract the info from a pair of pants.  Laser the level, and mark with a marker, then transfer to a pattern.  You could do the outline with detailing tape, or use a dressmaker's marker that fades after a few hours, or use a permanent marker on some old pants.  You can then extract the info you need with standard pattern techniques.  You could also take a old pair of pants, and build on them with tape, mark the layout, then  cut the pants up.  With pants you can lay your current gun belt where you want it and trace that outline onto the pants.  Also remember the curvature doesn't have to be symmetrical if your gunbelt is on the diagonal.



Another option for women is a dress dummy.  Some ladies make these out of... Yes, tape.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsXOxxZhBbI&feature=related

You can use this approach as indicated to make a belt pattern, or to make a dummy that you can fit to.