GordonA

Hi Tony. Yeah a disc would probably be the ticket. The pipe is 3" and 3 1/2", as one piece slides into the other for up down adjusment. Gordon

Here is the whole thing in the current configuration. I'd really like to build a new one on a barbers chair, or at least a slightly larger base. This one is standing on an old Chevy fly wheel weighted down with shot bags. The nice thing about this is it's portability. The ball is a 2".

Hi Kevin, I use two basic stands, a draw down and my main work stand. The one you asked about is the main work stand which will hold a tree in multiple positions. I'll see what pics I might have of it. It is an amalgamation of a couple of different stands that I used for inspiration. It has a Stolman style "Old George" clamp mounted atop of a trailer hitch ball held in a clamping fixture. I recently re-built the bottom clamp using the acme screw half of a Jorgenson pipe clamp. This works even better as the clamping motion is more parallel. Now let me look for a picture. I'll Take a better pic of the new clamp set up and post it. These three pics are of a strainer going in. The first shows 2 types of strainer. One that I make, and the other commercially available. The folks at Sheridan Leather Outfitters can set you up with good strainers, and most anything else you need for that matter.

Hi' If you can get ahold of a copy of F.O.Bairds "Leather Secrets", there is a good illustration of a 2 strand over one under one braid which is the typical braid for this kind of but joint. Also best results are obtained by joining the pieces with a series of simple stiches with thread, placeing the awl holes about 1/4" from the edges. Then when you do the braiding the 2 pieces won't try to slip one on top of the other. The trick is in nt having these stiches to far from the edges along this but joint. GA

Hi Don, First let me congratulate you on getting this project done. I don't know what your experience level is. That said though, you have accomplished a challenging procedure. From the pics the binding looks good, and you got the whole thing put back together and ready to ride. As to be expected- Keith has pegged it. Their is not much to add. It's to bad we can't see his hands here. Here is a pic of a ground seat without the hand hole cut out yet. Things to note are the smooth transitions in all the curves, the flattish area forward of the cantle for the riders pin bones to sit on (this area is really important, note how far forward it extends. Thats what Keith is talking about to aid the riders balance in the seat), and how the main curve from cantle to base of fork is a continuous and gentle curve, with no abrupt changes bumps or humps. Getting the strainer prepped is important to all of this, but the real work is in the sculpting of the leather pieces that go on top. What ever kind of tool you use to do this sculpting, it has to be surgically sharp and properly adjusted properly so that it won't gouge or chop unevenly. A good medium cut wood carvers rasp is nice for evening the whole job out as a final step in the carving, as it works like a carpenters plane to level the surface. Hope this helps. GA

Leather factory has brass with a raised star, if memory serves. Other wise, yeah Weaver or Walsall. You can view Walsals offerings on line. For Weaver you need a catalog. You can contact them by calling 1-800-weaver-1. They require a tax I.D.# Hope this helps. GA

Hi John. In Cody you can get screws from Fastenal out north of the Powel highway before you leave town,(can't think of the street name). McFeelys is also a great source. Sheridan Leather Outfitters in Sheridan, WY has stainless nails, (ring shank, twist & plain), sold by the pound and in different lengths. I also really like a ceramic coated star head screw that I get from the local Ace store in Cody. They are self tapping and hold very well. Hope this helps.

"I use a 2" or so of metal flat stock the same thickness as the inside of the slider, this is the anvil for the rivets. " This is simmilar to what I do. I've made a piece of steel for the anvil that has a small dimple made with a 3/16s drill bit to peen the rivet initially. Then I follow up with the non dimpled part of the anvil to planish the rivet flat. This allows for a little more meat from the rivet.

This is the method that I use, and I believe it to be very accurate. I have a center finding ruler that I lay on the bars behind the cantle that the square is set on. However, without a second reference point to triangulate from I wouldn't be able to rely on this point on the cantle to line up riggings side to side. This second point can be more difficult to locate. I like to use the center of the horn at the base, or the center of the seat at the hand hole. I find this by measuring up from the widest point of the front pad of the bars on both sides with a large pair of dividers. I've found that by triangulating from these 2 points I can accurately locate the off side rigging using the triangle from the near side. This is how students of orienteering transfer compass readings from a map to the real landscape. The distances we are talking about on a saddle are so short that any margin of error is extremely small, making this a good method if laid out with care. After its all said and done I rely on my eye. If it looks off balance I keep working it until it measures and looks right. Just a thought about rigging placement; Before we started roping from saddles the overwhelming majority of rigging placements was center fired or 5/8s. I don't think that the pull from the horn can be discounted in this conversation. It would be my hope that any tree maker is taking into account the pull of the rope on the horn when placing the horn in relation to the front pads of the bars. On the trees that I am using the center of the horns base has always lined up with the widest part of the front pad if not slightly behind. This helps the horse absorb the shock from a rope. With the tree maker that I am using this allows me to use the center of the horns base as an obvious location for a full rigging, provided that the tree has been properly leveled. A plumb bob is helpfull here. Gordon