iconbadgta
New Member
Hello!
I don't know if this is the correct place to show off some of my creations but here goes!
I am BIG into pro wrestling and championship belts! Basically the belts are the "props" of the wrestling field and are some of the most beautiful things ever done.
Real belts like I do are identical to the exact same materials used on TV! They start with a sheet of .153" thick zinc and transfer the design onto it by a UV light transfer process.
From there once the design transferred onto the plate they place it into a chemical acid etching machine that sprays an acid that is eating away at the zinc until the final design is "cut" into the zinc near a .080" depth and thus a plate is born!
From that point the plates are cut out with a CNC machine then sharp edges are removed with a belt sander. Once that is done they then get curved to better fit the waist and then studs get added to the back of them so they can be attached to leather. Once all that is done they get polished and sent out for 24kt gold plating.
Now after all of that is done a leather craftsman will paint the appropriate areas that need be with a gloss enamel model paint such as Testors model paint and begin the leathering process by tooling and attaching the plates to leather. Once ready the leather is dyed to the correct colors, plates attached, and then the backing is glued on and trimmed.
Viola! A belt is born!
There is a lot that goes into a belt. My end is the artistic side of meticulous recreating the actual design that will make it accurate to what was used on TV many years ago.. Without accuracy then there would be no reason to even try to make it.. Right?
Anyway, below is more pics of some of the belts I have done as well as a few pics of the art files that make belts.
Best regards,
Adam
I don't know if this is the correct place to show off some of my creations but here goes!
I am BIG into pro wrestling and championship belts! Basically the belts are the "props" of the wrestling field and are some of the most beautiful things ever done.
Real belts like I do are identical to the exact same materials used on TV! They start with a sheet of .153" thick zinc and transfer the design onto it by a UV light transfer process.
From there once the design transferred onto the plate they place it into a chemical acid etching machine that sprays an acid that is eating away at the zinc until the final design is "cut" into the zinc near a .080" depth and thus a plate is born!
From that point the plates are cut out with a CNC machine then sharp edges are removed with a belt sander. Once that is done they then get curved to better fit the waist and then studs get added to the back of them so they can be attached to leather. Once all that is done they get polished and sent out for 24kt gold plating.
Now after all of that is done a leather craftsman will paint the appropriate areas that need be with a gloss enamel model paint such as Testors model paint and begin the leathering process by tooling and attaching the plates to leather. Once ready the leather is dyed to the correct colors, plates attached, and then the backing is glued on and trimmed.
Viola! A belt is born!
There is a lot that goes into a belt. My end is the artistic side of meticulous recreating the actual design that will make it accurate to what was used on TV many years ago.. Without accuracy then there would be no reason to even try to make it.. Right?
Anyway, below is more pics of some of the belts I have done as well as a few pics of the art files that make belts.
Best regards,
Adam
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