Model Horse Leather Halter
Introduction: Model Horse Leather Halter
I have always loved horses and have amassed a decent sized collection of model horses. Its been awhile but I wanted to pick back up making tack for my models. I thought of how hard it was for me when I was younger to find good model tack instructions so, I thought I would do my part and share what I've learned.
These instructions are for a fairly detailed leather halter. It is very easy to simplify the design and there are several parts that are easy to replace with something simpler. Experiment and see what you want and what works best for you.
Good Luck!!
Supplies
-Leather lace or ribbon
-Craft wire (22 gage)
-*Optional* Jump rings
-Glue (hot glue, tacky glue etc)
-Craft knife or scissors
-Jewelry Pliers (needle nose and round nose)
-Model horse
Step 1: Gather Refrences
I tried my best to make this as accurate to real life as possible, So I found some reference photos. These instructions will cover how to make a detailed leather halter but can be easily altered to make simpler versions. Its best to find some with different angles and some with halters on horses and some without. This will make it easier to size it properly.
Step 2: Prep Work (Leather Lace)
This step is dependent on the material you are using (if its ribbon go right ahead and jump the the next step) and the size of model you use. I made this halter for a Classic size <PERSON> horse (1:12 scale) and my leather lace was the wrong size. To fix this I used my craft knife to CAREFULLY thin the backside of the lace (also called skiving). The lace was also a little bit too wide so I laid it flat and used a ruler to make a straight cut to thin it down.
Step 3: The Hardware
There are five different types of hardware needed for the leather halter (not all are entirely necessary for a simpler halter).
-square cheekpieces (2)
-rings (3)
-d-rings (1)
-buckles (3)
-hooks (1)
Square Cheekpieces
To make the square pieces it is easiest to take the needle nose pliers and grab the end of your wire. Bend the wire to make a 90°. Take the pliers and grab the long tail of the wire, I keep one side of the pliers flush with the already bent portion to help keep the all the sides the same length. Bend the wire to a 90° again and repeat these steps until it forms a square. Cut the wire near the square. Make another.
Rings
If you don't have jump rings in a size that looks correct in relation to your model it is easy to make a couple. Take the wire and either wrap it around one side of the round-nosed pliers or wrap it around another round object. 316
I used the ink cartridge of a pen I had lying around. Cut the excess wire and make two more.
D-Ring
This is easiest to make if you have needle nosed pliers. Take the end of the wire and clamp it in the pliers. Pull the rest of the wire around the top of the pliers and down. Cut off the excess wire.
Buckles
The best way to describe how to make these is start by making a square piece but don't cut the tail of the wire. Instead make part of another square using one edge of the first as the fourth edge of the second. Cut the excess and repeat two more times
Hook
This is probably the most difficult to make. Start by grabbing the end of the wire with the tip of the needle nose pliers and bending the tail to about a 45° angle. Grab the tail right at the bend, and bend the rest of the tail to meet the end. Now straighten the tail. A little bit away from where the wire forms a sort of triangle shape use the round nosed pliers or something else small and round to bend the wire around. Don't wrap it all the way like with the rings. Cut the excess wire. Grab the hook part with the pliers and twist it 90°.
Step 4: The Nosepiece
Take one of the squares and thread a piece of lace through. Fold a little of the leather over. Make sure the wrong sides, or the less pretty sides, are touching. Use some glue to stick this tab to the other side.
Using a reference picture place it on one side of the model and measure where the square will need to be on the other side. Before cutting the lace make sure to add a little extra to make the tab for gluing the square on.
The side of the lace that the tabs are glued to should always be against the horse. 421