When you notice that the belt does not fit your waist circumference, you may be struck by a moment of frustration and grab a knife or a pair of scissors to drill that missing hole; however, there are more appropriate methods for doing this job. The best tool to use is a leather punch pliers, but you can also make a clean hole with an electric drill and even a Phillips screwdriver.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Drill a High Precision Hole
Step 1. Purchase a leather die cutter
If you want to get a perfect and clean new belt hole then this is the right tool. It usually costs no more than 10 euros and is available in all hardware and home improvement stores.
- Bring the belt with you when you go to the store to buy the pliers, so as to compare the size of the hole that is formed with this tool compared to the existing ones. The tip of the tool should pass through the belt holes with some difficulty.
- If you have more than one belt to adjust, then look for a rotary die cutter, as it has several different sized bits mounted on a wheel.
Step 2. Mark the point where you need to drill the hole
Use a ruler or tape measure to measure the distance between the holes, then write this value past the last existing hole. Make a dot with a permanent marker so that it can be a reference for the die cutter.
- "Protecting" the leather from the marker with tape is not a good idea because the tape itself could damage it. The safest thing to do is to mark the point directly on the belt.
- If you are making a belt from scratch, be aware that the holes are normally 1.5 cm apart on models up to 1 cm wide and 3 cm on models wider than 2.5 cm.
Step 3. Position the belt
Insert it between the two jaws of the pliers, so that the point you marked is between the blades. Use a heavy object to hold the belt tight, or ask a friend to help you by stretching it in front of you.
Step 4. Squeeze the caliper firmly
Press the two handles of the tool firmly. To puncture thick belts, you need strong hands or someone to help you by rotating the belt back and forth (always keeping it taut) while you squeeze the pliers. When you feel that the die cutter blades have pierced the leather in full thickness, let go and the hole should be made.
If there is any leather residue left in the hole, use a toothpick to push it out
Method 2 of 2: Drill a Hole Quickly
Step 1. Make a mark where you want the hole
Use a ruler to measure the distance between the holes and then report the value beyond the last hole. With a marker, draw a mark where you want to puncture the belt.
If your priority is to wear the belt comfortably, then wrap it around your waist and make a mark with the marker just where you would like to insert the buckle
Step 2. Keep the belt in place
Use a heavy object on each end to secure it. The area you will drill should be resting on top of a block of wood or other hard, flat surface.
Step 3. Consider using a power drill
If you have one, then you can use it for this purpose with the caveat of being very cautious. Follow these tips to get a clean-edged hole:
- Insert the drill bits by hand into the holes already present. Choose the tip that can effortlessly enter holes but touch the edges.
- It would be advisable to use bits for wood, because they have a pin on the top for centering. If you use a smooth tip you will need to create a small hole in the leather, to hold it in place exactly where you want to drill. You can use a nail or a sharp knife for this.
- Drill by operating the tool with short pulses, especially in the early stages.
- Make sure you put an object of sufficient thickness behind your belt, something you are not afraid of ruining.
- You could also choose to cut out the other end, once it has penetrated far enough, instead of drilling a perfect hole.
Step 4. Try a pointed object
In this case, an awl would be a suitable tool, but any sharp metal stick is fine, even a Phillips screwdriver. Push the awl into the leather and then hit it several times with a hammer or sledgehammer. This method takes longer than the others and you won't get a clean hole in the end.
- If the belt is quite thin you could use a nail, which will create a fairly neat hole, but if you are looking for a quick fix, use a screw that can be pushed through the thickness of the leather by simply screwing it in.
- As in the previous step, be careful not to scratch the underlying surface.
Advice
- You can also buy a punch pliers that punch oval holes, but be aware that in this case the difference between oval and round holes will be very noticeable.
- If you are making a belt from scratch, then you will also need an "English punch plier" to create a hole for the buckle to insert.
