barra

http://www.abbeysaddlery.co.uk/product_listing.cfm?page=3 Barra

On closer inspection. The top, rounded layer is 3/32" thick. That is just because the peice of scrap I used was already that thickness and felt right. The liner is 1/8" thick. I used scrap veg tanned tooling leather. If using bridle the thicknesses might vary slightly. Again to me it is just a what feels/looks right. A Gig bridle I would make a tad heftier. Barra

Andrew. You have posed a very good question. My honest answer is I don't know. The reason I say this is because in all the time I have been involved in the Saddlery trade I have never really referred to bridle/harness leather by weight. It has always been a visual/experience/feel thing as to what peice of leather is suitable for a certain job. I live in a metric society and when I read posts here about this leather is X Ounces etc. I have a hard time visualising what that is. When I get home I will revisit this question and see If I can come up with a more suitable reference. Andrew.

Andrew. The filler is rounded with a fairly large sized edger. No need for it to be perfectly domed shaped. Andrew

Rounding browbands and/or Nosebands was mentioned the other day so I thought I would give a quick down and dirty demo. Now this is as rough as guts and was done in a few minutes with scraps off the floor just for demo purposes. I would normally use a different machine but did not want to unthread it, so the tension is out of whack. Pic 1 is my homemade rounding block. It is made from scrap wood cut with a circular saw at 45 degrees. The scraps are mounted on a board to form a V shape and this is covered with leather. The one block can be used for narrow straps right up to 4" wide. Pic 2. The leather is moistened and something smooth is used to rub the leather firmly in the block. Pic 3. A filler scrap is glued down the middle and a slightly wider liner is used. I never bothered gluing it down and just stitched it in place freehand. Pic 4. After stitching, any track marks are rubbed. The liner is trimmed, edges bevelled and burnished. Barra

Sharp is the Airforce Medical Officers tongue lashing when they found out I once removed my own Post Op stitches with a head knife and a round awl. Barra

http://ronstools.com/products.htm Barra

Suffice to say. Bottle of imitation crap was drop kicked out the door like a Ben Graham Superbowl punt. Barra

Well I got home this arvo and checked the mail. Amongst the mail with little clear windows (Grrrrrrrr) was a card saying I had a parcel to pick up at the local post office. I also had to go and visit my bank as they could not organise a Piss up in a brewery, so I was not in the best of moods. When I arrived at the Post office I was told I was at the wrong one. What Govt mentally defective beauracrat puts 2 Post offices on the same street. Finally I get to the correct Post Office and get the mystery parcel. What has all this got to do with pancakes for breakfast. The parcel contained a bottle of delicious Pure Canadian maple syrup.. I would therefore like to publicly thank two Saddle Tree makers from Alberta Canada for such a delightful surprise. Yours in gastronomical delight. Barra

China. See below left where it says browse. Click that and find the pic you want to upload from your computer. Then click upload and the pic will appear in the white box above as manage current attachments and then the number you have attached.. Avoid really large pics as some folk are on dial up. Pic attached for demo purposes. Barra

I'm hearing ya Roo. It's drier than a dead dingo's donga here in Adelaide. Hey look what happened to Mr. Whippy just the other day. Barra Ice_cream.bmp Ice_cream.bmp

Goodonya Tony. Sam Kekovich would be proud. Barra http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtWVJikNnx4

I also forgot to add loop sticks/irons to the list. In the youtube you see loop sticks in use. I had a full set many years ago but they are now long gone. I have now just cut strips of old but firm and stout leather, the width of common strapping. These I use to block loops as well as to set my plough guage as I don't trust the incriments on it. Barra

Rub up the threads from time to time as you stitch with brown paper. Paper lunch bags or supermarket shopping bags work OK. Barra

Lace. Here are some pics of the common tools I would use to make an English bridle. Some you could get by without and some can be home made. Back row edge stain Plough guage. Draw guages appear to be more common in Nth America Blued cut tacks Next row Saddlers tack hammer Bone burnisher No. 1 edge tool wooden burnisher. Can use the handle of a tool like the edger Square homemade loop clam. This is used to make slide loops and is inserted into your clams/stitching horse Round knife pricking wheel (or use a stitch marker/overstitch wheel) Compass/dividers Screw creaser. It is eay to make a creaser by cutting grooves into the handle of a straight knife Leather strop board I forgot to add a pic of a crew/slot punch Next row The blue cloth is my canvas rub rag. On the rag is from L to R Single creaser/tickler Awl overstich wheel Straight knife 5/8" inlet buckle, 1/2" inlet buckle, Pelham hook Acouple of punches Lead block for protecting punches as you punch hole (or use whatever else you use to protect punches) The second pic is my clams ( or use a stitching horse/pony) When making a bridle, the reins must be cut from the initial few inches of the side/back When you cut out a strap, one end will always be better/firmer than the other. point this end The general sequence of preparing strapping is to 1. cut and shape. Point the ends etc 2. take the edge off 3. Stain and polish the straps 4. Crease However I edge, stain and polish and then mark out my holes and punch and Then crease. I have found over the years I get better results this way as punching holes after creasing distorts the nice crease job you have done. When you cut out the buckle slots, scoop out a little dish of leather at the ends of the slots. This is done to avoid a lump where the buckle tonque is. When I stitch bridle work I back stitch. This is just the way I was taught and not commonly seen these days. A few general rules of thumb Cheek length is going to depend on the bit you use. Generally speaking then the bridle is put together, the bit should form about three creases in the horses lip and then the buckles should be in line with the horses eye. Nose bands sit 2-3 finger widths below the cheek bone. I might get off my backside and make a bridle and take a few pics with explanations. Here is a nice little youtube clip to wet your appetite http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=fTDhLlu13V0

It has often been said that the person who can invent that capability will be richer than Bill Gates. Barra

Just a little diagram to show left and right twist. S = right and Z = left twist. Barra

Pricking irons and wheels. When I was taught the saddlery trade we used pricking irons to mark out our stitch length. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 stitches per inch (SPI) were the common sizes. When I bought my tools form a retiring saddler he had pricking wheels. I had never seen these before, but now quite like them. From the pics. Pic 1 is my pricking wheel carriage with a 6 SPI wheel. Pic 2 is a pricking wheel on it's own before it is attached to the carriage. Pic 3 is a pricking iron. As mentioned either version is simply to mark out your stitch interval and is not intended to make holes, that is what you awl is for. Pic 4 is probably blurry a bit but I hope it shows how the pricking wheel (or iron) lays down the marks at a 45 degree angle. The bottom row of marks has been made with a common stitch marker/over stitch wheel. The combination of the mark at 45 degrees and pushing your diamond blade awl thru at the correct angle (forming a kind of parallelogram shape) helps to lay your stitches at an angle. This is indicative of good hand stitching. Slightly side tracking here and getting away from the pricking iron. The correct placement of your awl is crucial. I have seen some of the old timers form beautifully laid down stitches completly by eye. That is they could stitch 6, 7, 8 SPI etc consistantly without stitch marks of any kind. One more thing. Pricking irons and wheels are as dear as poison brand new so unless you venture past hobbyist or have plenty of moolah, I'd start out with the overstitch wheel and concentrate on using the awl at the correct angle. Just my 2 Bobs worth Barra

Insert their bits into the jaws of a stitching horse and ever so slowly apply pressure to the pedal. Then make scrotum money pouches.

I think the size is going to depend on what you usually make. Make the length large enough so that leather does not drape over the edge of the bench as this can marr. I to have the odd back problem and when it comes to my benches my rule of thumb is to have the height so that when I am using a tool there is no bending. Well just enough of a bend so that you put some effort into the tool. When making a bench. I grab a common tool I use, like a tickler or creaser, stand up straight and then hold the tool so the fore arm is parallel to the ground. The bench height is ever so slightly lower than this. As for width. I have all my common tools that I use all the time racked on a back board. The width of the bench is made so that I can easily reach tools without over extending. I like wooden (pine) topped benches. This is mainly because it is easy to come by for me. Lot's of folk like the polyethylene (cutting board) bench tops. Barra

A Canadian Cone huh. We might have attended a few of the same piss up's, ala Fincastle International nights. Barra (Australian P3 world and lover of all things Moose Milk)

http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/airforce/job...eSupportFitter/ Here's what I do to fill in the day and nights, and weekends and Xmas day. being one of the bosses I don't get to do a lot of hands on at the bench these days but I still like to get behind the sewing machines and play. I find it the best stress relief from the grind of a managerial position. Barra

I recently soaked some brass swage buckles in vinegar to clean them up. Some I forgot about and left them in a few days. Came out looking antique. Barra

I too studied Steve's blog when first trying this stamp. I find I get the best results if I lay out the borders the length of the tool plus about a third. I then cut the borders and stamp one complete row (not alternating side to side). I start by forming the corners so you get that sort of heart shaped pattern going and then start in the centre and make one impression. Measure from one of the corner impressions to the centre one and stamp in the middle of the two. Keep dividing the distance between impressions. Once I have gone round completely, I stamp the opposing side in the middle of the opposite row. I have found this helps me with spacing and avoids having to fudge in the last couple of impressions on a row. I'd be interested in how others do it. Barra

Thanks for posting that link Steve. Aside from the saddlemaking pages, there are numerous interesting links. The wannabe pages are a hoot. Making for a great Saturday morning read. Again thanks. Barra