bruce johnson

I saw one on Ebay a few weeks ago with some Stohlmans, that was kind of cool. I will find one of the ones I have left and see if we can upload it as a PDF. It might be a day or two.

Allen, There should be no allowance or adjustment in the belt length for buckles. The leather has to go around your waist and past the buckle fold no matter what the buckle reach is. All the buckle heel-to-tongue length tells you is where to punch the holes. I have a strap like Harry's for measuring marked off in inches. I get two measurements from it. The first is the waist size which is the fold end to where it starts to overlap and the second is the amount of overlap they want. The waist measurement gives me a reference for punching holes. The overlap length gives me the rest of the story. Some customers want the tip to just clear the keeper and others want 6 inches past the fold. On some wholesale belts I made the seller didn't want any holes punched. They sized them by the amount of overlap the customer wanted, and then punched them according to the buckle reach. It works for stamped belts without conchos or inlays. One thing they found was that most people with a choice would only want one hole smaller than they wore. Kind of a vanity thing to not have two holes sticking out looking like they had gained weight right off the bat or put on a thicker shirt or tucked sweater and "GASP!" - 3 holes showing.

I've got one from Ron Edmonds that I have been well satisfied with. I would not get the overhead laser arm deal again probably. I definitely swear by the cantle sewing attachment that raises the back up (and you can "hang" the saddle to one side or the other) rather than tip the stand. Heres the link to his site - Ron's Tools . Iam not sure of anyone else selling them commercially.

Tony, Thanks for the input. I sold the Adler a couple years ago. It was an Adler 205-64, and I am not sure if they could use the shims. I am pretty sure the 205-370 uses them. I pretty much set it up to run 346 or 277 thread and never went smaller with that machine. Once we got the race shimmed out, it never gave me much trouble other than breaking a needle now and again.

If this link works, it should take to you to the intro page for the Elko gear show page. Elko Gear Show

Barra, Envious here, I wish I knew tree makers that sent me maple syrup. I had to have Log Cabin on the buckwheats because we are out of the the real stuff, but then again now I need more buckwheat mix anyway. I wonder if they send that out too.

Doug, I would call the Artisan guys for their input. I am not sure of the hook clearances and bottom feed dogs and whatever in the 4000. Actually thinking about this a little more, if you do get some needle deflection, then because the piece is raised up by the plate, it would magnify the amount of deflection at the hook and be more prone to missing. Also the thread may be binding in the groove and not looping like it should. I would try a new needle and make sure there is not more bevel on one side than the other that is causing it to deflect. Then check the looping with the same weight leather on a flat plate vs. the stirrup plate. On my Adler when I first got it, it would sew great on soft leather and up to about 13 oz combined weights of veg tan. If it got heavier it would start to skip. The hook was just far enough from the needle that if I got any deflection in the heavier leather, it would occassionally miss. We ended up and shimmed the bobbin race out and brought the hook closer to the needle and eliminated the problem. I don't know about other Adlers but if mine skipped, it fed a kink into the thread and made it harder to loop on the next stitch and things went south in a hurry. Skip two and you were done.

I do it like Greg. I like the tool for cutting borders alright. I stuck a cheap knife with a blade in it and have about a $12 setup in it. It works well enough for that. The big key is not to overtighten the screws. It can crack the frame.

Skip, My neighbor used Masters. Masters will bond to some oilier leather that maybe the Barge doesn't. I was used to Barge and knew how it behaved and when I made a run somewhere I'd pick up some of each and save the HL fees. I bought 8 or 10 gallons when it went out. Now he is using Renia, and I am on the last of the Barge and liking the Renia too. I also have some SAR that is working alright. My experience with the Barge is that it will work on wet leather, but you have to put it on dry leather and then wet from the other side. If I put it on wet leather it never binds and eventually will roll off like rubber cement. For my groundseats I go this tip from a boot repair guy. Put the Barge on dry leather - two thin coats best. Let the Barge dry, and then you can drop the soles or groundseat pieces, whatever in water. They can soak and sink, doesn't matter. Then take them out, let them sweat and hit the Barge with heat. It tacks right back up and you can stick them down and mold or press and they will hold. You can have some Barged pieces that dry out and hit them the next day and they will tack up. You can also use a little heat to separate Barged pieces cleaner too. I haven't played around with the other cements enough to know if they will behave like this, but in my hands the Weldwood took longer to tack and wasn't very heat responsive.

I have missed this thread. I am on some other related and unrelated forums that deal with cements. The thing with the new Barge is that it will separate unlike the old formulas. It needs to be stirred before use and during use if it sits very long according to them. Some of the boot and shoe guys got some new forumula and didn't get the new instructions. They slathered on mostly solvent off the top, and it behaved just like Doug's experience. I have tried the Weldwood in the past. It does a pretty good job on flat things, and is cheap and available. The big problem I had with it was that it didn't reactivate with heat like Barge and Renia will. I can put on a couple coats of either, let it dry, and drown the piece. Pull it out and let it case up. Then hit it with a heat gun and it tacks right back up. As long as I put it on the leather dry first, it stays put. If I put any of them on wet leather they will peel off.

The first stirrup plate I had was on a Boss, and never had a skipping problem with it. The Adler I had was a 205-64 and since I had the stirrup plate for the Boss, the Boss was relegated to the bags with corners. I sewed on a 205-370 clone for a while and it had a plate that worked for the corners. When I ordered the Ferdco 2000, I got it with the package, the Boss got sold, and have not had a skipping problem there either. I am thinking it may be that the plate is binding the thread when it goes down through the slot? Make sure the needle is hitting the middle of the slot. Other than than, the thread should loop and catch just the same as with a normal harness plate. Needle deflection shouldn't be any more with the stirrup plate than a regular plate. Thinking more here, another thing may be that the stirrup plate is less stable as a platform, and if you are running a double toe foot or left toe it may be deflecting the leather to the left of the slot, pushing it down, and adding some deflection to the needle? I have to run a right toe foot or boot/case foot with my stirrup plate because the right side is wider. I am liking the boot/case foot better now that I have that. You have to be pretty steady how you hold the bag with the stirrup plate, it will rock front to back which is nice to sneak around the outside of those tight corners. It will also tend to rock side to side becasue ot the narrow left side and can get you a wavy line on the bottom of the stitch if you aren't paying attention. The Artisan guys probably have some more insight too. What machine are you running?

I am not trying to do anything here but compare some stamps. I mentioned back in July I had ordered a custom rope stamp (actually two in different sizes). I have used Tandy and Hidecrafter ones for several years and wore out more than a couple. I was happy enough with them then. I got the customs a few months ago. I stamped this comparison out with the one I used to use and the new one when I got them. Obvious difference where I went from one to the other. The other stamp on the scan illustrates the comparison of an off the rack TLF waffle stamp vs. a stock one from a pretty good maker. Barry King made both of them by the way. My advice is to buy the low end first and play with it. If you can't run it or don't like it, you aren't out much. Personally I don't like a triweave much in my hands for example. I am ambivalent about meander borders and can run one alright. My wife doesn't like them at all, and so we don't do many. We do have some good meanders though. She can take a meander stamp and make some pretty cool geometric patterns. Once you get comfortable with a stamp then trade up to a better impression. On these set stamps, a mediocre stamp will always leave a mediocre impression no matter who hits it and what their name is.

Welcome Renee. I think everyone who has ever had many horses probably had a "Scotty" and a "Hank". Scotty looks really happy, happier than I would be there with that background. Thanks for reaffirming my decision to move out of that part of the country.

If you are using a screw the right length, they should pull down slightly into the leather. Combine that with a flat screw head and they do alright. Some silver (especially bars) has rivet backs or copper wire strips soldered in and are meant to be cover with a lining. Adding covers to just screw heads makes more of a bump that is a bigger problem.

Even though this thread is getting close to 2 years old, it is still a real valid discussion of different viewpoints. I think that Dusty did a good job of explaining different factors that afffect how a rider and saddle interact with a horse. The bottom line goes back to selecting a saddle that will not interfere with that to start with on the bottom side. I am not interested in a custom fit saddle for one horse at one point in time, I am looking at saddles that don't get in the way. They don't all work for different horses. We are dealing with some inexperienced riders and someone needs to give them guidance. Otherwise they are getting advice from the feedstore, an Ebay description, operaters at Valley Vet, and the guy with the trailer load of unmarked saddles at the auction. The examples of buying backpacks is valid, but you are going to strap it on and make sure it doesn't pinch or bind before you head out. Who is more qualified to do that with a saddle, a saddle maker or a 20 year old guy stacking feed? I overheard this conversation at a feedstore a few years ago. Someone obviously pretty green was looking at saddles. They had a decent good selection and some were marked full quarter horse and others semi quarter horse bars. The feedstore saddle expert told her that the QH bars fit quarter horses and the semi QH bars fit paints and appaloosas because they are mostly half quarter horses, you know. Yep good sound advice there. With quality and sizes all over the scale on some of these saddles, the novice needs some direction. Just because Buck's or Ray's or whoevers Wade fits horses well doesn't mean than the $500 Wade on Ebay does. Another factor is that the tree can have the specs that will work, and a saddlemaker's riggings, blocking, and seat postion can change all of that. Another argument for a lot of this seems to be that riders trade horses and never trade saddles so why worry about how one fits. The other misconception is that riders with a few horses will only own one saddle at a time. I really don't see that either. A lot of pretty good horsemen get by with two saddles. One that might fit their immature backed colts pretty well and another for the mature horses. It isn't rocket science and they recognize the need for both. Bob, sounds like we grew up in the same area. I have had Price McClauchlins and Ryons back in the day. The Prices are kind of a blast from the past, I don't think I have seen one out here in 25 years that I recall. I think that connection when he was in Illinois probably helped get that area going for him. I see a few Ryons now and again. The only caveat I would give is that even though they were well made saddles, they can be 30 years old easy enough. The used saddles really need to be gone over with a fine tooth comb. Screws can come loose, riggings weak, worn sheepskin, and leathers over the bars. That can double up the price of some of them pretty fast.

Justin, I like your analogy. I had a dog like that once too. That said, there are a ton of different ways to do things. You are doing it right, ask questions about how and why and this is the place to do it. Everybody has a reason for what they do, and it works for them. Most generally you find that even though it may start out different, when it is said and done the results end up working for that guy. Pick and choose, try it and see what works for you. It is only leather and we eat beef everyday. I do it to ensure a continuing supply of leather.

I drill out the old rivets with a drill press and a bit small enough to go down inside without drilling out the stem on the clip the rivet goes through. I reattach them with Chicago screws or conchos for the great majority. On some Chicago screws I cover them with a thin layer of leather. I have done some photoalbums where they didn't want anything exposed. On those I used a star rivet through a backer that was sewn to the cover. I have 8/32 machine screws from 3/8 to 3/4" to get the right length for the weights of leather.

Doug. The stirrup plate will have two raised ridges on either side of the slot. The top of these ridges will be rounded over front to back. The rounding over is a smaller radius than the cylinder arm itself. By raising it up and going over a smaller radius those corners will stay hooked better and roll over easier. Also you just have the width of the ridge to the left of the slot pushing the gusset leather over instead of the distance from the end of the cylinder arm to the slot.

Harry, For what it is worth, I don' think it is just you. I have had hell trying to set belt snaps for the last couple years. Something seemed to have changed. I never had problems before that when I had the wholesale orders thank God. Sometimes I will have to set the female side 4-5 times to get one that would hold. I have 5 or 6 setters and about that many anvils to play with. Everytime I thought I had the right combination, the next one wouldn't hold. I accidentally got the combination before Christmas. I picked up the glove setter and used it to set belt snaps. Dead on sticky fit. That pleasing crisp snap when it goes in and and out. I am not sure if the snaps changed, but this is working for me and I am not one to argue with success.

To make the sharp corners on gussets easier you either need a machine that has a small cylinder or one that can be fitted with a stirrup plate. I have done them on a Tippmann Boss, Adler 205, and Ferdco 2000. If all you need a cylinder arm for is briefcases and your flatbed is doing everything else, a used Tippmann may be the most economical. They'll rebuild them if they wear and warranty them like new for not much money. I sure had good luck with mine. Otherwise you are getting up into the short arm machines at $2200 or a little better for an Artisan 3000. You might find the right used machine someplace too.

Carefully. It is pretty easy to enlarge the hole and increase the size. I use things with the right radius so when I put wrap a piece of wet-dry around it the radius matches the curve of the bottom of the blade. Mostly I use nails of different sizes or small screwdrivers. I strop on an edge of oiled skirting with again different radii to match the curve. I rub my compound on the edge and pull away. Be careful on sharpening and stropping you don't end up running into the opposite cutting edge. I really like to use bisonettes, but they require some care sharpening.

For dies - Big Sky Die & Tool - !-800-282-4759 Texas Custom Die - 1-888-755-9025 I have dies from both and they are good. For a clicker - Tippmann, the Mach III (might be called something else) model are both relatively lower cost. Once in a while you can hit a deal on a used big clicker, but they weigh a ton and require some power. I use a 20 ton shop press with steel plates and a cutting board. For what I do it works fine.

It was probably in regards to plugging inlays. Basically you take the piece you cut out for the inlay and split it down a bit and narrow it up to account for the thickness of the inlay material. You put this behind the inlay to raise it up to the level of the surrounding leather. It makes a really clean level look. The downside of plugging inlays is that hair-on and some more fragile exotics can be abraded if they are up to that level. It can be a problem with belts and spur straps. As a general rule I don't plug belts and straps, but do plug things like photoalbums.

There are a few mixes that people make up to add some stiffening to the edges so the fibers will bond and lay. Some common mixes are acrylics like Leathersheen mixed with leather balm or similar, leather balm and Resolene, and other mixes. I have pretty good results with diluted Elmer's glue. Once there is some stiffening some of these leathers will burnish alright. Others will not, but will stiffen up enough to sand the edges and smooth them down. If I am going to dye an edge I'll do it before any of these. Sometimes you have to go back and redye after slicking or usually after sanding. I finish with either an acrylic over the top once it is smooth or paraffin wax.

Darryl, Once it goes through and is received, your name will change to a blue color on the board, and under your name in the left side when you post it will say "Contributing Member". You should also get a paypal receipt. Kate wrote an actual program to piece back together those threads that looked like a garbled cyber Humpty Dumpty. Johanna and Kate then ran the broken threads through it one at a time to restore them. Because of the arctic blast in ND a couple weeks ago, Clay was able to to spend some quality time by the heat at his keyboard putting them back in their respective sections. Even though they all deserve a nice trip to someplace tropical, the donations all go to maintain and enhance the forum.