Western Buckle Fabrication

[smays]

Just a general question(or two). I am trying to grasp all aspects of engraving, including fabrication because this is my overall goal. I posted a couple of pic's of some buckles made by Gist and Frontier Buckle company. My question is.. I know these things are handmade, but I have noticed on allot of buckles that the letters are connected. Are they machine cut and soldered on? Most of these buckles are in the $400-$500 range. I wouldnt think that this is relief engraving with raised inlay. Too much time and not enough profit. When I look closely at the buckles, I cant see any solder on the edges of anything. Does anyone have any insight for the rookie?

Thanks,
Shawn Mays
View attachment 425 View attachment 426

 

[Dmitry Martinov]

Greetings smays! I would say this is made by using casting or stamping. Some of detail can be gold or silver plated. Then the engravers finish the work. If to make them fully handmade I dont't thing that they will cost 400$-500$.

 

[smays]

Thanks Dmitry! I'm not sure what casting involves, but most of these type of buckles are very unique. I could see casting for production buckles, but for one of a kind buckles, would that be the case?

 

[Dmitry Martinov]

hi smays! It is usual practice for making that kind of things. I don't want to hurt the guys from Frontier Buckle company, I speak in general. For example there is some event and people ordered some set of buckles. The easiest way is to make the wax master model and cast needed amount of them.

 

[smays]

I got ya..... now, to just find that tutorial on casting! ha! Thanks for the info!

 

[Jim-Iowa]

Shawn: If you can find a Jewelers Supply in the area they should have a catalog that will show the tools and supplies as well as books on the subject. Here in Des Moines I trade with Iowa Jewelers Supply and have the Gorbet Catalog.
About 10 yrs ago I was traveling through Rapid City and toured a Black Hills Gold factory. That alone was worth the trip! Getting to see the entire investment Casting process from hand molding the wax pieces, mounting the parts on trees, pouring the investment blanks to polishing and burnishing the finished product was facinating.
I would go back just to take another tour(I'm sure I missed a lot).

 

[ddushane]

Shawn, Everything is cut & soldered on, These guys are so slick at it, you don't see the solder. Here's a link to a friend of mine that does it. He's really growing the art of belt buckles, concho's, and engraving too. Email him and ask away. He's a great guy, we've done prison ministry in the past together, he's also a heck of cook. Later, Dwayne

http://parduesilversmith.com/

 

[Dmitry Martinov]

to ddushane that the point the images that smays show to us is different from the staff you gave us a link. I know how to make them completely handmade, but the price for this job, even in my country will be doubled minimum. Try this: to make it you will need 1 plate which goes as the back layer. Then saw each letter and each ornament. The most fun is to solder them on first layer. So what is handmade? To make stamp and call this 10 pieces were stamped (handmaded?) or try my way and also say it's handmaded. Well which piece is handmaded? IMHO

 

[ken4c]

shawn,
I would say that the buckle is hand made , as the previous reply said these guys are the best in western buckles. But, I would not say for certain that the buckle is hand made. If I could figure out how to get pictures up, I will show you one that I hand crafted.
Thanks
Ken4c

 

[arnewd]

Shawn,
There are a few different ways to build these types of buckles. Gist will have buckles die struck for mas production where a custom builder will hand cut every letter and scroll and solder them onto a blank. If a builder dose not cut the tab between the letters I consider that a discrace to our proffesion. (LAZY). The figures can be die struck wich the big guys like Gist and Skyline do, but I have been putting together my own, or you can carve your own out of wax and have them cast or you can hand cut them like the letters and shade them. If you do not die strike, you hand saw and solder everything on. There are several different methodes to building these trophy buckles wich I do not have time to go into here. I have been building these types of buckles for 10 years for myself and others. For any help e-mail me at arnewd@aol.com or keep posting here.

 

[cavemans workshop]

Hand made buckle fabrication and Pictures

Hello all. I am new here, thanks to a buddy of mine Mr. Dushane. I have had a couple of folks call seeking info on building buckles. I am more than happy to help when I can. The weather here has been so bad, I have not been in the shop too much. Shawn I have not forgotten the pictures, just been nasty weather and busy at work.
I thonght I would post some pictures of a buckle I finished a few days back. The back is made from 1/8 inch steel. All of the overlays are hand cut silver, with part of the brand in Jewelers bronze. The scrolls are all hand engraved, so please let me know your opinion of it, I am seeking in put and always wasy to improve. I make lots and lots of buckles every year. Unfortunatly, I have gotten in the rut of having to turn out orders, and have gotten somewhat stagnent in trying different things with my engraving. I think it may be time to slow up a bit, and do some things I want to try. I look forward to hearing from you good folks, lots of very fine craftsmen here, and it is an honor to be included with this group.
May God Bless you, as He has me
Mike Pardue
www.parduesilversmith.com

 

[ken dixon]

Do you soft solder on the silver or use silver solder? Thanks Ken

 

[cavemans workshop]

Ken
Hello, I use hard silver solder to put the rope edge, as well as the stone settings in place. I then use stay brite solder to put the scroll overlays on. I did use silver solder for everything. I have since changed to the soft solder. A frien of mine, Wilson Capron makes very high ebd buckles, bits and spurs. Wilson uses the stay brite when soldering to steel. He is a superb craftsman, and I thought if that was good enough for him, I would try it as well. It is much easier to clean up, and it holds very well. I have come to find there are many opinions on this subject. I wont say one is better or worse, thats just what I am doing at this time. Give me a holler back if I can help in any way.
Mike

 

[Sam]

Hello Mike, and welcome aboard! Thanks for participating in the Cafe. Lovely buckles, and the photos are very clear. Cheers! / ~Sam

 

[Norm]

Hi Ken,
I really like the look of your work. Can you tell me how you get the patina colour on the steel and at what point in the process it is done. Thanks for sharing.... it is certainly very much appreciated!

 

[fjkratky]

Hi Mike

I like your work! Can you explain how you dome your buckles?

Thank you!
Frank

 

[cavemans workshop]

Frank
Hello hope your good. I dome my buckles using pipe caps and a press. I have several size pipe caps and use whatever size I need according to the buckle size I am doming. I use the larger cap as the female, and a smaller cap as the male. I line the caps with leather to keep from scuffing things up. I then put the caps in the press and squeeze the whole deal. I have domed them with the pipe caps, a broom stick and hammer. That works well if you dont have a press. Just lay the buckle in the cap, take a broom stick with a rounded end and start shaping. It works very well, its just easier with the press. I also use 1/8 inch steel for the buckle blanks, which is a little harder to hammer out. Please holler if I can help in any way.
God Bless
Mike Pardue
tamp29@aol.com
www.parduesilversmith.com

 

[Norm]

Oooops...my previous message was intended for you Mike!

I really like the look of your work. Can you tell me how you get the patina colour on the steel and at what point in the process it is done. Thanks for sharing.... it is certainly very much appreciated!

 

[cavemans workshop]

Norman
Hello, hope your good. The finish you see on the buckle is done with a cold blue. I use oxpho blue from brownells. The steel has to be very clean, I use T.E.C. also from brownells. Blueing is the last step in finishing out the buckle. The blue wont penitrate the non ferous metal, slver, copper and brass. It will discolor it, but it can be buffed off with no effort and some 0000 steel wool. Just follow the directions on the bottle and you will get good result almost 100 % of the time, just make sure the metal is very clean. Please holler if I can help in any way.
Mike
tamp29@aol.com
www.parduesilversmith.com

 

[JoeCera]

This is not a buckle but I believe it fits the subject.
I make about ten a year all hand engraved. I carved the master.
Comments or questions are welcomed.
Joe Cera