How to Make Wood Belt Buckles
Retail belt buckles are designed to appeal to the general public--but you are not the general public, you are a unique individual with your own style. Don't settle for a generic belt buckle when you can craft your our customized wooden belt buckle. With a few carving tools and woodworking supplies, you can be your own belt-buckle designer, producing belt buckles created with you in mind. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wood block
- Work mat
- Reusable adhesive, such as Sticky-Tack
- Craft stone
- Pencil
- Wood-carving hand tools
- Glue adhesive
- Wood filler
- Cloth
- Polyurethane
- Paint brush
- Belt blanks
- Safety goggles
Instructions
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Instructions
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1
Purchase a flat-sided stone to use as the emblem on the buckle. Try stone or craft stores, the home decor section of your local department store or online. You may even find something that has been crafted to look like a stone. Purchase the belt buckle hardware and belt blanks, either locally or online. The belt buckle will have an extension that you insert through the holes in the strap to adjust for the waist size. Select a wood block from your local home improvement retail store. Ask the attendant in the wood shop section to cut the block to the following dimensions: 3 1/2 inches wide, 2 1/2 inches high and 1/2 inch in depth.
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2
Put the wood on a work mat. Use reusable adhesive to place the stone where you want it to be encased. Trace the outline of the stone on the wood with a pencil and then set aside.
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3
Make a space for the stone to be encased. Using wood-carving handtools, carve out and chisel the wood to fit the stone. Refer to the stone as a guide for depth. The stone should fit tightly within the space, however small gaps around the edges are fine. You can fill them in later.
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4
Put the belt buckle together. Use glue adhesive to secure belt buckle hardware onto the smooth back of the wood block. Use glue adhesive to secure the stone into the carved space on the front of the belt buckle. Let the adhesive dry for about four hours.
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5
Fill all the gaps surrounding the encased stone with wood filler. Use a clean cloth to wipe away excess wood filler from the stone.
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6
Apply two coats of the polyurethane to the wood only, keeping the stone free of polyurethane. Apply the first coat, wait 24 hours, and then apply a second coat. Attach the belt blanks according to their package instructions.
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Tips & Warnings
For lasting results allow the finished work to sit undisturbed for 24 hours to ensure that both the glue and polyurethane are completely dry and all pieces are fully secured before wearing.
Other design ideas include carving your initials or your name into the wood block instead of encasing a stone.
Wear safety goggles when you carve the stone to protect your eyes.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
