Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Daughter in the workshop

I realized after reading a comment on my last post, that I forgot to blog about when Laura was with me in the shop in December 2017. We helped each other make leather belts for two of her friends as Christmas presents.

One belt was made out of the super bright candy apple red artificial looking leather, because Laura knew that the one friend had a matching something (bag, shoes, coat etc). I can't remember what it was. I never took any pictures of the belt because I really don't think that the leather is pretty. But the friend was happy with the gift, so it was a success.

The other belt was a bit more interesting in my point of view.

The girl who was going to receive it is very active in horse riding. I think she has been accepted to the "Team Denmark" which means that she is downright good.
I have often thought that it could be interesting to make a belt that would look like a saddle girth. It would be a way of showing that you like horses, but in a subtle way, so only other people who know horse stuff would be able to recognize the design.

A saddle girth usually has got two or three buckles rather than one very wide buckle.
Kind of like a support belt for weight lifting.

Laura and I settled on a 2" wide belt, because that could still work as a regular belt in the loops of a set of pants. both ends were slit and buckles were mounted and holes were cut.

Laura helped in beveling the edges of the leather and in polishing the final belt with some leather grease.
She was afraid that she would miss the spot when peening the rivets, so I did that part.
Finally she burned MMXVII on the back of the belt.

One day Laura told me, that her friend had been asked by a relative, if she was wearing a saddle girth? So apparently the design worked as intended.

Using a compass to mark the ends of the belt.

Saddle girth belt.

Last hole is in use and I am holding my breath...




6 comments:

  1. Awesome, great little projects to do together. Enjoy these moments.
    Pretty cool idea about that last belt.

    Bob, babysitting grandkid and puppies.
    PS Jonas, you can breath now :-)

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    1. Hi Bob.

      I tell you it was in the middle of the stomach, so I am a bit uncertain how I managed to smile at the camera.

      Babysitting sounds like a cozy thing to do. Way better than waiting in the middle of the North Sea with 128 pipes for part of a new pipeline.

      Best regards
      Jonas

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  2. Jonas,

    Good story. It is always good to help your kids make something, even better when it works as planned.

    BTW, I went to my blacksmith this morning to pick up some tent stakes he made for me. While there three of his horses came up to the fence, two were some of the most beautiful horses I've ever seen. Just stunning, he said one was a retired race horse, it looked as if it could still run.

    ken

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    1. Hi Ken

      You are correct that it is really nice when stuff goes as planned whenever the kids are involved. I can get by a set back, but the kids take it harder, and it should above all be fun for them to be in the shop and have a good experience with making something.

      I am pretty sure that a retired race horse can still run! Just because a Lamborghini is 2 years old it is still faster than a Ford F150 :-)

      When we put our horses on the grazing paddock in the spring for the first time after the winter, they behave like yearlings again. "dance" around while you lead them, and as soon as you let go they just explode and run of like they were born to do. That is a fantastic sight.

      If your grand peanuts are even remotely interested in horses, just taking them to pat a horse and perhaps feeding it a carrot is a great thing to do.

      Best regards
      Jonas

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  3. Following your previous post, one part of this one made me laugh. Leather ought to look like leather, which is *not* candy apple red. :) Great post, thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hi Jeff.

      This red leather is hideous!
      The surface is some plastic coated appearance and the colour is.. well candy apple red.. A not vary natural shiny look on an otherwise nice material.

      But the good thing was that Laura's friend was thrilled with the belt, and that was the most important thing.

      Brgds
      Jonas

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