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Main => The Armoury => The Workshop => Topic started by: Sir James A on 2012-02-29, 05:52:04
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If you have purchased unstrapped armor and want to add straps and buckles to it, it is a good beginner project. Here are a few pictures and a quick rundown of how it's done.
Cut your strap out from the leather. Nip the corners, or if you have a strap-end cutter, use that for a nice, curved edge. Next, punch a hole near the end of the strap for the buckle keeper to pass through. I prefer a rotary punch, such as the one pictured below. Next, cut a hole for the strap using a strap-end punch, such as this silver one. Basic strap and one with the punch and slit cut:
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04202545.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04202545.jpg)
Next, grab your buckle and place the keeper through the hole:
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04202646.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04202646.jpg)
Be sure the keeper, if angled, is facing the right direction. Here's a view from a different angle:
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04202707.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04202707.jpg)
Next, punch another hole in the strap so that you can pass a rivet through it. Grab a rivet and washer, placing the rivet through the strap first. Next, place the washer on the "inside" part of the strap. In this picture, the rivet is longer than it should be; trim it down if necessary.
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04202815.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04202815.jpg)
Trimmed down. NOTE: I did leave it a bit too long (first time riveted something in ~10 years and basically forgot how):
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04203024.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04203024.jpg)
Place it over your anvil, rivet set, or other hard metal surface:
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04203113.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04203113.jpg)
Peen the rivet down, working in a circle, starting on the outside. The idea isn't to smash it into submission, but to try to gently form a "mushroom" out of the exposed top area, to hold the washer in place and keep the rivet from coming out. Think of it as trying to turn "l" into "T" and have the top "lip" keep things in place. Now, our buckle side is done, so we just need a strap. Cut a strap to length:
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04204612.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04204612.jpg)
Punch holes for the buckle keeper:
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04204612.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04204612.jpg)
I decided to re-use a rivet hole where the splints were already riveted to the leather. Here's a slightly better set rivet, in the center of the picture, holding on the strap:
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04203646.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04203646.jpg)
Straps and buckles attached:
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04203700.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04203700.jpg)
It works. Huzzah!
(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/th_2012-02-04204637.jpg) (http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t8/jba3/medieval/straps/2012-02-04204637.jpg)
TOOLS:
Strap cutter by Craftool, available here on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Craftool-%C2%AE-Strip-Strap-Cutter/dp/B0036UU0AG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1330494065&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.com/Craftool-%C2%AE-Strip-Strap-Cutter/dp/B0036UU0AG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1330494065&sr=1-1-catcorr)
Rotary punch from Home Depot. They're available in a lot of places, such as Brettuns Village (http://www.brettunsvillage.com/leather/tools/tools.html (http://www.brettunsvillage.com/leather/tools/tools.html)).
Leather is from Brettuns Village Leather (http://www.brettunsvillage.com/leather/ (http://www.brettunsvillage.com/leather/))
Strap slit cutter from somewhere online (can't remember)
Buckles from Tandy Leather
NOTE: I've bought from Brettun's Village multiple times and highly recommend them. They carry leather, leather tools, plastic and rawhide mallets ... lots of stuff for working with leather. I also recommend Tandy Leather; I've only bought from them once, but they have a wide selection of items too. If you can't find it at Brettun's, and you can't find it at Tandy, it might not exist - though both stores have quite a bit of overlap in items, each has some of it's own unique items too, so check both out.
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i also suggest getting a beveler and creasing tool. that go a long way to dress up edges on leather
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I'm tempted to think you wrote this for me, Sir James...knowing that I have strapping issues on some new armor and such. Thank you, sir.
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Excellent post! :)
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i also suggest getting a beveler and creasing tool. that go a long way to dress up edges on leather
Oops, I completely forgot to mention but I do have a beveler (skiver). I got it from Amazon along with the strap cutter. Thanks for mentioning that!
I'm tempted to think you wrote this for me, Sir James...knowing that I have strapping issues on some new armor and such. Thank you, sir.
Bring the leather, we'll get it done. :)
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I learned the hard way to check to make sure you are attaching your buckle the right way when I made my first baldric. I attached the buckle with the bent end the wrong way and had to remove and reattach it. Luckily it the leather was folded over and stitched instead of riveted.
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i also suggest getting a beveler and creasing tool. that go a long way to dress up edges on leather
Oops, I completely forgot to mention but I do have a beveler (skiver). I got it from Amazon along with the strap cutter. Thanks for mentioning that!
I'm tempted to think you wrote this for me, Sir James...knowing that I have strapping issues on some new armor and such. Thank you, sir.
Bring the leather, we'll get it done. :)
Yes, sir! I'll clear out a Saturday sometime in March, let's do it.
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Excellent indeed! ;D
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Well, I blew right past that didn't I? I'll bring it with me so you can see it...I'm not going to do full plate anymore...maybe bracers and elbows, knees and greaves but mostly maille. At least that's what I tell myself nowadays.
A shame really...they're well built well fitted pieces, I tried'm on last night just for the hell of it. The legs, anyway.
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Great post!