Leather expert advice needed for snap installation

[INDY]

I'm looking to see if anyone can give me some info as to what size snaps, what kind of tool to use to apply snaps to a leather belt and where can I find them. I have a Jango ammo belt that I was going to install snaps on.

I have dritz heavy duty snaps and snap pliers, that I have been using to install with straps and elastic webbing. These work great with for this application.

The leather belt is too thick for these snaps.

 

[DL 44 Blaster]

You may want to check out Tandy leather as they'll have the tool you're looking for as well as longer studs to fit your belt. I used a kit found at Home Depot years ago. It was merely a hammer punch and an "anvil" type device. It's a simple design and works perfect. I know I've seen the same thing at Joann Fabric, so it's still a typical system in installing heavy duty snaps.

 

[bleyd]

Have you tried Tandy? I'm sure they make snaps with longer necks(whatever the proper name that goes throught the hole and secures the other side of button.) Best place IMHO to get leatherwork stuff.

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/choosecountry/choosecountry.aspx

edit: lol, we must have posted the same time.

 

[00MrNotWrong00]

If you want to talk to some one first hand you should look up "MadRobot" . His leather work knocked my socks off . I don't know if he just does tooling or what, but a few months ago he posted some pictures of a satchel with the hellboy logo on it that he did and it was very impressive . Man that guys work is awesome.

 

[INDY]

I am not afraid to say that I don't have a clue as to what I am doing here, But I learn from trial and error many times.

I went on Tandy leather, I saw snap and a thing called a setter. I'm guessing that I punch the size hole that I needed in the leather, I would put the snap ends together with the belt in the middle and use this chisel looking thing and hit it with a hammer/mallet to make the snap end fold out and keep it in place.

 

[bleyd]

What I did with my Jedi belt was mark where I wanted to make the hole and used my drill press. I've also used a drill AND dremel in the past but a drillpress makes a more precise cut.

 

[Chiok]

I can't advise on what size snaps to buy, but I can also comment that using a dremel or drill press to pre-drill the holes for the snaps works fine. I drilled a pilot hole and a wood bit to make the whole, in belt-thick leather it makes a very clean hole. Oh, put a scrap of wood underneath of course.

 

[madrobot]

Hey, saw your blurb.

When you do any kind of leather work where snaps are concerned, you need to make sure that your snaps have a long enough neck so when you crush them down, they have enough material to grab the insert properly.

I bought a bunch of one way pulls, and found out to my surprise that they require the metal retainer ring in order to work. Well, to my surprise the leather I was working with was way too thick. So what I did, was I took an hammer, and a small body shop anvil, and mashed the leather down to the right thickness. You can do that, but with conventional snaps, I'd go to wherever you're getting your snaps, and get the ones with the longer necks. Once you have those, assembly will go easier.

If you have a button press, you'll find that your snaps will set a LOT easier, with better results.

I'll be posting a tutorial on a bag I'm making. I'm also currently working on my prop replica bag from Valkyrie.

 

[TK-2126_MD]

One other option that works if the leather or material is to thick u can use a rivit!!!! u get a rivit that is long enough to go through the leather. u will need a washer on the other side so that the rivit head doesnt pop through. works great.