A Quandary Over Buckles

A place for pics and tutorials on making Soft Kit (clothing and accessories like buckles and cloak pins).

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Elleth
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Elleth »

aaaand the tongues can be successfully made, at least in bronze. Which I think means it's also likely they'll work in steel, though I've not tried those yet.
As soon as I get a spare weekend in the workshop, I'll cut these apart and stick a couple on my needwallet to start. I can't wait for sunny days again so I can get my bedroll straps dyed!
merf-tinybuckles-tongues-tree.jpg
merf-tinybuckles-tongues-tree.jpg (74.12 KiB) Viewed 16834 times
I've also got a few quiver buckle test prints on the way, and hope to have that design finalized within a few weeks.

After some reflection, I think I may most all of these publicly available with a link back here for a bit of forum PR, but do a couple members-only designs in the future. Maybe a cloakpin or stamp or something. :)
Persona: Aerlinneth, Dúnedain of Amon Lendel c. TA 3010.
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Peter Remling
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Peter Remling »

Very nice. Save that center mold piece, drill a couple of holes and it will make a nice belt mount or pouch decoration.
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Manveruon »

Elleth wrote: After some reflection, I think I may most all of these publicly available with a link back here for a bit of forum PR, but do a couple members-only designs in the future. Maybe a cloakpin or stamp or something. :)
I would absolutely LOVE this! I've been wanting a really nice Dunedain star brooch for a while, and I had some ideas for one that I've been meaning to sketch out in case I ever came across a way to actually produce one. I'd love to lend a hand to the design process if you ever decide to do that!
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Elleth
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Elleth »

Still no time to work on my little buckles, but I did try a liver of sulfur soak on my quiver hardware. It really takes the patina nicely. Some of that may be a more modern metal composition (I don't know details) - some I think is just my technique is getting better. I'd tried the same treatment on the buckles I made for Ursus' snapsack, but ended up losing most of it. These might also wear off a bit where they're rubbed, but I think all of them - his handmade pieces and my shapeways casts - will weather in nicely over time. The patina treatment just gives everything a nice head start:
merf-buckles-quiver-patina.jpg
merf-buckles-quiver-patina.jpg (118.73 KiB) Viewed 16804 times
I also scaled down a belt buckle I did on commission to try myself: the original was for a 2" strap, but for mine I scaled down to 1" - unfortunately I didn't think to adjust the size of the tongue, which I think is too delicate at this size to work well. Still I can use the frame as is and craft a new tongue later:
merf-buckles-belt-small.jpg
merf-buckles-belt-small.jpg (50.31 KiB) Viewed 16804 times
(The tongue is still attached to the frame: that's an artifact of the shapeways ordering process. It still needs to be cut off and mounted properly. On in this case, cut off, discarded, and replaced with a sturdier one)


Onward!
I'm so excited to finally start getting my quiver together - it's been months!
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Kortoso
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Kortoso »

Elleth, I am curious about the "Strap Anchor" and "Strap Connector" pieces. Are these meant to work together like a pair of D-rings?
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Elleth
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Elleth »

Ah! no, but I see how it could look that way.
It will be clearer when it's all assembled, but my design is based off of Urthgard's, with that "ladder" down the back to hold strapping.

In my version, the Connector (shaped like a "II") connects the strap running through those ladders to the quiver itself at the top and bottom of the quiver.

Then, mounted ON that strap at top and bottom are the two Anchors (shaped like a "D") that provide a mounting point for the shoulder strap at top and bottom.

It's admittedly not as efficient as it could be: I was aiming to make it fairly easy to replace the "ladder" strap if/when it wore out without damaging the quiver proper. That might be overthinking it, but as with so many things I've built for this hobby - done and good enough beats perfect and still on the workbench.

plus frankly I figured the hardware designs could be repurposed for all sorts of things. I may end up making an Ursus-style goatskin skinny snapsack and using those "d-ring" anchors for it. :)
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Kortoso
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Kortoso »

Oh, it's a "belt keeper". Thnx. :wink:
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Elleth
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Elleth »

Some pieces arrived today, and I finally got a chance to do some finishing work on at least a couple of the small buckles!

First, the sword belt buckle:
merf-buckles-ranger-swordbelt-with-plate.jpg
merf-buckles-ranger-swordbelt-with-plate.jpg (66.14 KiB) Viewed 16764 times
You'll see even the "polished nickel steel" option really isn't that polished. At first I was worried that spongy texture might go all the way through the metal, but at least in a couple places I was able to sand down to a smooth face. So I think it'll work: just a lot more sanding and polishing than I was expecting before it's ready to mount to a belt. The tongue and backplate are simple stainless I think: I was expecting those to be a little rough.

The baseplate came out a little big: it doesn't *quite* fit into the recess on the back of the buckle. Given how Shapeways can sometimes "snap" the sizing a bit I don't think I'll mess with the model anymore: just sand the edges until they fit. As to the tongues - rough, but I'm happy. The metal I think will handle being heated and bent around the center post just fine. Once it's all done I'll post another picture.


The little bronze buckles work beautifully. They're a bit of a pain to remove from the tree, but it's not bad. The tongues are really easy to remove from their base: just a little nip to crease the metal and you can bend them right off: at least in bronze.

There's also more "loop" area than you need on the bottom side of the tongue, so I just kept nipping away a bit at a time till I had enough to bend it around without issue. T

My Dunedain needwallet just got a lot more Dunedain, at least to my eye:
merf-buckles-needwallet.jpg
merf-buckles-needwallet.jpg (93.52 KiB) Viewed 16764 times
I didn't break out the patina solution for this: I think I'll just see how they darken with use over the next year or so. If I really thought I'd meet orcs in the woods it'd be a different story of course. :)

I'm getting close to the end of my runs. I'm waiting on (hopefully the last) test print on my quiver buckle, then a couple small decorative pieces: but I think I'm about there!
Persona: Aerlinneth, Dúnedain of Amon Lendel c. TA 3010.
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Udwin
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Udwin »

I dig 'em! Just compared to the ones these are replacing--which I didn't think were all that bad--but yeah, now they definitely have a bit more Dunedain flair. Very shiny!(for now ; )
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caedmon
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by caedmon »

I am blown away with the quality of your modeling. what app are you using to do the bevels?
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Elleth
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Elleth »

Thank you caedmon!

I use 123D Design - it's a very pared down application, but its default tools allow a fair amount of expressiveness: what you see is the result of tinkering with chamfers and fillets on a simple extrusion, for the most part. That said, I think I've more learned to work within what that application allows as I have really pushed it to do what I want. I'm sure someone with more time and energy would go farther with a more professional design package.

One of these days I'll have to write up the process: the only real place a practiced hand is needed is the bezier curves for the profile: the rest is fairly rote. It's just that even the simplest 3D of apps has a fairly steep learning curve.
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Elleth
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Elleth »

aaand the finalist test prints for the quiver strap buckle arrived today! I'm going to use the slightly fancier version - it's mostly the same profile as my existing buckles, but with that top divot that calls back to Faramir's quiver strap. I think I've trimmed it down enough now. The other is a simple elongated "D" buckle frame I thought I'd give a try at the same time. Both are sized to a 1.25" strap - I'll be using a darkened bronze frame with a steel tongue - pictures when complete.
merf-buckles-quiver-buckle-finalists.jpg
merf-buckles-quiver-buckle-finalists.jpg (103.53 KiB) Viewed 16670 times
And speaking of pictures - Kortoso, here's a better look at what's going on with the quiver hardware in back. The "II" piece - what you called the keeper - connects the "ladder strap" that goes down the spine of the quiver with an anchor on the quiver itself. The "D" piece is then sewn into that strap, and is where the shoulder strap will mount.
merf-quiver-hardware-installed.jpg
merf-quiver-hardware-installed.jpg (41.63 KiB) Viewed 16670 times
So far, so good! Thanks guys for all the feedback, this is fun! :)
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Peter Remling
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Peter Remling »

Really like the new ones !
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Kortoso »

Elleth wrote:And speaking of pictures - Kortoso, here's a better look at what's going on with the quiver hardware in back. The "II" piece - what you called the keeper - connects the "ladder strap" that goes down the spine of the quiver with an anchor on the quiver itself. The "D" piece is then sewn into that strap, and is where the shoulder strap will mount.

merf-quiver-hardware-installed.jpg

So far, so good! Thanks guys for all the feedback, this is fun! :)
Thank you, that explains it!
There are no safe paths in this part of the world. Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now, and in for all sorts of fun wherever you go.
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Elleth
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Re: A Quandary Over Buckles

Post by Elleth »

Quiver buckles in bronze came this morning - very happy! :)

I made them a tight fit for a 1.25" strap, figuring I could taper the tail a bit if I wanted more room. I wanted to avoid the wide pokey wings of the film buckles, and I think this profile is a nice compromise between flair and function. The tongue is still on the way: I ordered those in steel for (I hope) a bit more durability. We'll see.
merf-quiver-buckles-bronze-01.jpg
merf-quiver-buckles-bronze-01.jpg (35.23 KiB) Viewed 16470 times
Sometime in the next couple weeks I'll give these the liver of sulfur treatment to match the rest of the hardware, then work on the strap. I've got the quiver about 2/3 sewn up as well, so with good fortune I can be trekking with it within a couple weeks - finally!


Also, I think these frames could be scaled up without issue to 1.5" if anyone takes an interest.

Finally, I got an email from Shapeways the other day saying they're reworking their pricing structure on cast metals. I THINK this means that most of the buckles in bronze/brass/silver will go down in price in about a week. We'll see.


Edit - tounges arrived in stainless steel. Their QA team caught a manufacturing error which delayed the order a bit, but they went above and beyond and sent a corrected version out next day air. I'm very very pleased with how they came out. They seem quite sturdy! Hopefully this time next week my quiver will done and ready to go!
merf-dunedain-quiver-buckle-tongues.jpg
merf-dunedain-quiver-buckle-tongues.jpg (61.54 KiB) Viewed 16368 times
Persona: Aerlinneth, Dúnedain of Amon Lendel c. TA 3010.
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