Shotgun belt tutorial

[Boothill Bob]

Howdy..
Here is the tutorial that I promised..

1. Is the meassure that I use
2. Place the template on the belt and mark the slots
3-4. Make your border/tooling

[Boothill Bob]

5-6  Dye all the parts and stitsh the "Shell stop"
7. Rivet the loop at one side
8. Make a loop and put two Shells in it

[Boothill Bob]

9. Pull the loop snug and up trou the next slot
10-11continue to the last one and mark where the rivet will be, and cut the leather
12. Take out the last two Shells and rivet the loop leather

[Boothill Bob]

13. the loops will be able to flex some for the molding
14. This is how it looks at the back

To be continued

[Slowhand Bob]

Really nice Bob and I appreciate your sharing.  I plan to start a new belt very soon and this should do it just right. 

[Camano Ridge]

BHB, thanks for the tutorial. Using your pictures you previously posted and the information you had given me I have made two of your style belts. Customers have been happy with them. However I have sewn my loops. Next time I will try your woven method.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Good tutorial, Henrik. Thanks for posting it.

[Boothill Bob]

You're welcome slowhand Bob, there is more to come...
Camano ridge, thats a nice belt. Glad I could help you, how did you mold the loops, ,they looks nice.
Thanks Marshall, its fun to make tutorials.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I added this one to our How-To thread links right after "Stitched Cartridge Loops." The link says, "Non-stitched Shotgun Belt Tutorial."

[Boothill Bob]

Tjanx Marshall.. I will continue the tutorial there. 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Henrik, just keep it going here. I set up a link to this thread.

[Camano Ridge]

Boothill, after you told me you used a board and a weight and the handle of stamping tools to do your loops with. I went diggin in my shop and found a couple of pieces of wood about 20" long they measured 4 1/2" wide ( I would use 1 x6" in the future to give a little wider area to work with). I found some 5 and 6" long bolts with nuts ( I am going to swithch to wing nuts), drilled holes at the corners of the boards and on each side at the middle and basically made a clamp. I found a 1/4' dowel rod and cut it into two inch pieces. Lay the belt on the bottom board lay a piece of dowel on the loop between the two shells for each loop tighten nuts to clamp down until you have the depth of indetation you want. Here are a couple of pictures of the clamp nothing fancy but seems to work well. Mine is all made out of what I found in my shop so no out of pocket expense even better.

[Kendoo Kid]

This is perfect!
I will be starting one of these as soon as my holsters are done..
Thanks for posting this!

[Boothill Bob]

CR thats a nice idea pard and it seems to work great. What weight donyou use on the loops?

[Camano Ridge]

 Thanks. I have been using 4-5oz leather strip.

[Boothill Bob]

I use that to.. Trying to get the leather stiffer on the loops. Have tryed to wet it an put it in the oven, but its not good enough.  Will maby trye to make them in rawhide.

[Boothill Bob]

15. Here you can see me glue the lining, I use Contact cement.
16. Tap with a mallet between the loops and around the edges so it attach properly.
When the glue is dry you cut the edges and stitch the lining.

[Boothill Bob]

17. Now its time to mold the loops. I wet the loops under the water tap and Place some Tools between the Shells and press some.
18. Place a two by two bord on top of the Tools (make sure they line).
19. Clamp them down and let them drye over night. If you want them stiffer you can wet them again when they dryed and but the belt in the oven on 150degF for about 30-45 minuts, then let it drye in room temp over night. (I like to find a better way to stiff them up).
When its drye you can slick the edges and attach the cape and billet.

[Boothill Bob]

20. This is how the loops looks like. If you take one Shell out you want the outher to stay in the loop even when mooving around on the stage.
21. This is what it looks like when finished. Remember to ad finish of chose to it.

I hope you get use ofthe tutorial. If you have any Q:s just ask, and if you have better idees pls tell us so we can lern.
//BhB

[Bugscuffle]

Thanks Pard! I've been looking for something like this for a while now. I only hope that mine will come out half as nice as your did.