bruce johnson

I had one, didn't like it. The throat plate eats the backside of lined stuff going around corners. At that time the 440 was the only powered machine under about $4000. Ron ended up and traded the head out for an Adler 205, and that was a good solid machine. If you are looking to do flat goods, I like the 1245 a ton. We have had it about a year and a half, and run a lot under it. I really don't think there is one machine to do everything, so a flat bed and cylinder arm machine both have their place in my shop. The 1245 is not intimidating for my wife, and I am using it a bunch more too. Good machine.

As some of you know, I am the board president of the Oakdale Cowboy Museum. Oakdale has been a historically western town, home to still active rodeo and ranch cowboys. We have been called "The Cowboy Capital of the World" for decades. There are other towns that claim the same title. American Cowboy Magazine has set up a friendly challenge between us and Stephenville TX, who also claim the title. Basically both towns are selling raffle tickets at $10 each. The raffle winner in each town will each recieve a side of premium source-verified beef from South Dakota Beef Man. It will be wrapped and shipped to the winner. Tickets are available on-line on the Oakdale Cowboy Museum's website - cowboy museum. The winners will be drawn on the National Day of the American Cowboy - July 26th. Obviously I am a little biased, but a little about Oakdale. This is a town that has had historical ranching roots going back to preGold Rush days. It is now a strong cattle area, with foothill pasture grazing in the fall through spring and irrigated pasture in the summer. It is home of the Oakdale Rodeo, 50 plus years of continuous competition. My mother-in-law was one of the founding directors of the Oakdale Ten Steer team roping competiton, historically one of the best. We have one of the few high schools in the nation that rodeo is a "letter" sport. Several go on to college rodeo scholarships, and some go to work everyday with a horse, saddle, and gooseneck trailer. The proceeds of the raffle in Oakdale go to the Oakdale Cowboy Museum. We have a scholarship programs and school outreach educational programs. The museum itself features ranch and rodeo memorabilia from the early days to modern times. For a little more about the museum, there are some "youtube" videos online. One particular favorite features our keynote speaker from last year's dinner auction - Wilford Brimlay. Wilford has been a great supporter or our efforts. It is available here - . Wilford's part starts at about 5:00 into the video. Thanks for any support you all can give us, and eat beef, even if you can't.

Johanna, Rope cans are generally made from hard plastic, and used for carrying calf ropes inside. They have a pretty tight seal on them. Calf ropes traditionally are made from manila, grass, poly, or combinations thereof. They are a little susceptible to changing the feel with heat and humidity. Some guys use a bag of humidity absorption crystals in really swampy climates, and a wet Holiday Inn washcloth in dry climates in the center compartment to maintain the right humidity. There is usually a "well" in the center to put spurs, personal stuff, and it always ends up covered with loose powder. Calf ropes are routinely dressed with baby powder to keep them slick feeling, and the loop to pull up faster. You have your ropes inside, shake some powder in there, and do the "Shake-N-Bake" to coat them. The leather cover is glued on, and I use a few conchos drilled through the lid to further secure the leather. Rope bags are usually made from soft side materials like quilted nylon, cordura, or leather. Team ropes are usually made from nylon or blends, and less susceptible to humidity and temperature than calf ropes. They are also generally stored coiled up in larger coils, so the rope bags are larger in diameter. Both can have pockets on the outside to carry spurs, team roping gloves, pocket Bibles, and wallets/watches during competition. One of my customers asked me about doing a pocket on a rope can so his wallet and watch wouldn't always have powder all over them. We hadn't seen it done on a rope can before. One of the big catalog sellers of roping supplies and manufacturer of rope cans gives us credit for the first pocket he had seen on a rope can. I am sure someone had done it before, but we are world famous in parts of Oakdale because of it.

Sounds like the sides are a bit more "granular fibered" on the flesh side. One way to correct that is to dampen it and lightly sand it on a benchtop belt sander. That is a leather issue and not a oil/dye/finish problem. On straps that aren't lined I do a couple things. Some I have treated with gum trag (available from most leather suppliers - Weavers, TLF, etc) occasionally. it works OK, but a bit messy. Apply it, let it sit about 5 minutes and rub firmy with a glass or block slicker. On straps like breast collar tugs, I usually have oiled and dyed them, then apply a paste dressing like Williams. I then slick right over the Williams sometimes or apply a light coat of saddle soap and pull them through a rubrag. Other things I use depending on my mood, what I have the most/least of, and how much neglect the user is going to have, are Hole's Saddle Butter, Holes Chap Wax, Black Rock, Hide Rejunvenator, or "neutral case" I bought undiluted from a member here. About all these things soften the fibers and let the slicker lay them down and smooth them.

We buy it here. We are in the middle of a strong dairy area, and that keeps the good hay prices up. It also insures there is some good hay grown or hauled into the area, so there is always some good hay around. There is a lot of good irrigated alfalfa raised in our area, and the production costs have gone up. Most all our hay is put up in 3 wire/string bales, and average about 16 bales to the ton. You don't ride the wagon behind the baler, and hand stack them and toss them around very easily like where I grew up. Most all the hay is mechanized - picked up, haro bed, stack runners, and "hay squeezes" (like a big forklift for hay). Last year we paid $170/ton of #1 dairy grade alfalfa. A ,lot harder to find anything under $200/ton right now. The rollup doors are about 2' short of the height needed to get the stack backed in, so we have hand labor is stacking it there. We had enough trading cattle, and a dry enough spring that we ran out and had to buy a little earlier this year. My son has some 400# traders and they're gaining well on what's growing. A few weeks ago we found some clean rye grass/alfalfa for $208/ton delivered and it is feeding well to the horses. Felt pretty lucky to get the hay bought right. We've had a dry year, and the guys running winter/spring cattle on the foothill and dry pasture sure had to stock light,feed some, or sell early.

Ray, That's a little different cutting set up than I've had on sole cutters. That said, I'd contact Pilgrim Shoe (www.pilgrimshoemachine.com). I have had them come up with some parts that you'd think were way out of stock. I think they are called "pilgrim" because they still have parts that were shipped on the Mayflower. I can't think of the parts guy's name right now, but he's a kick to talk to. He probably will know your machine and what year they switched from one shaft dianter to another, when the handle went from a straight handle to shaped, and the parts numbers in his head. If not he'll tell you who might have parts to scab.

Ed, I may be really off-base here, but I thought they were designed so they could bent. At least among saddlemakers there are two fraternities. There are those who use heel shaves with resharpenable blades in the different number designations (shape of the curve) for shaping ground seats. Across the street are those of us who were taught to use the black skivers ("potato peelers") with replaceable razor blades and have a few - each bent to different curves to do the shape needed at hand. I just bent mine with a pair of pliers or shaped over the horn of my anvil. The only issue I have had with the potato peelers was one. I saw a Bruce Cheaney video, and he just knocked the skiver against the edge of the bench to pop out the old blade for replacement. It looked cool, and I did it for a couple years. Last year I did it, and the perfect set of circumstances came out. I popped it out, it ricocheted off the edge of a bench stamping stone, the underside of the bill of my cap, and ended up inside my glasses, right up next to my right eyeball. I have gone back to just pushing the blade out with a screwdriver again.

Elton, Carson Thomas in Wickenburg AZ does some pretty nice miniature saddles. Not sure on the tree source, but worth tracking him down to find out. We saw one of his mini Wades in a gallery in Jackson WY a few years ago. The basket stamps, monels, everything was scaled down really close. It looked like Wilbur's monkey could just climb on and ride it. Had a 20 some thousand price tag and sold a month or two later by the time I told someone else they needed to see it. Happy Canada Day, by the way!

Pella, I am attaching pics of an Association bronc tree I have sitting right now. If you set this saddle or the other bronc saddles I have worked on in the position they are mostly cinched, they will bridge a fair amount. The bars are generally a bit thicker and clubbier on the edges than normal bars. These guys usually want the front end to sit up pretty high. That is why the gullets are higher.

Pella, The original "Association" tree came about for the reasons Troy said. In the early 1900s there was no regulations on saddles in the bronc riding contests. Hamley's came out with the Form-Fitter swells in about 1914. Combine a high cantle and wide swells with a short seat and rider could more or less lock his legs and ride till he bled out his ears. Several rodeo committees got together in 1918-1919 and decided on a saddle tree with set specifications. Hamleys made the first ones, and most referred to them as "Committee" or "Association" trees. They basically were a beefed up version of the "Ellensburg" tree pattern. Early on the rodeos provided the saddles, and a guy had to ride their saddles. These saddles went from one rodeo to another. Eventually guys started ordering them, and using their own. They all came with horns. Most guys left the horns early on, they might have cowboyed in them all week. Eventually some bent them forward to be out of the way, and some sawed them off. Still, there is nothing in the rule book that bronc saddles can't have a horn. Early on pretty much Hamleys and Denver Dry Goods made about all of them. Everybody packs their own saddle now. There are probably 7 or 8 bronc saddle makers that acount for 95% of the business. It is a specialty. I kind of hope Robin Severe chimes in, they've made more than a few. The current specs are a 14" swell width, 1" of undercut like Troy said. The gullet width is 5-3/4 wide, and the cantles no more than 5" high and 14" wide. They give a 1/2" allowance for leather covering when measuring. They say the rigging is supposed to be 3/4, and the front edge of the ring below the center of the swells. The bars on the bronc trees are not the same as any regular bars.

Yes, I did some tripper style breast collars like this a few years ago. Once you get the one direction curve figured out, it is not that hard to do the transition from one curve to the other. Keep the spacing in the center the same and compress and expand above and below that. They look a little funky though. I don't like the look. I usually either do a regular pattern on them. On the regular roping BCs the curves look pretty OK, but they are only curving in one direction with my patterns.

Oh Yeah, that's cool. I am seeing a market for those, Uhuh!!

OK, I have never done any Celtic before. Stepping out of the box here and showing my version of cowboy Celtic. I kind of free handed the pattern in, and there are a couple rough spots. I thought about backgrounding with a tiny basket, but on a scrap that looked too busy to me and took away from the design. I can see this as the center on a rope can, hide inlay, and a Celtic design outer ring. This is a lot fun, I am already thinking of some design changes. Thanks Clay for coming up with the design and idea.

Elton, "Swamp Donkey"??? Ya mean like this one? The embarassing thing is that he does kind of look the part, doesn't he?

Elton, I'll kick on Weavers too for a 1-3/4" WL 999. My standard is 1-3/4", which is I guess why I bought a pile of the 3620 dee and rings. Under the chin 1-1/2" ought to work. They are made from pretty heavy duty stock too. Agreed on the bolt and ring undet the chin too. They work OK, but just look they were an afterthought. Do you ever get any requests to reverse the halter, put the buckle on the off side?

Elton, Good looking headgear. Thanks for the look at the hardware too. I have been using the SS #999, but looks like the WL 999 might be a little handier to buckle with the loop for the strap holding it on. I have been using the #3620 dee and ring. The Weaver catalog lists the 1-1/2" in #3610 as a new size, so they might not have been around when I placed my "enough for a lifetime" order. It's getting less though, I think I have 6 of them left. On another note, I got an email last night from a guy. Any sources of latch buckles for flanks?

Joshua, I am biased here, but I think it looks great. The brown sets off the "frame", the black figure is silhouetted, and the moon is just right with the highlighted edge. I would not dye the moon black. It looks just right to my eye like this, and a black moon would overdo it. Got a maker's stamp too huh? Cool.

Joshua, Here are the pics of one I just finished up earlier. I fully line them all. The lining is "lining pigskin" from TLF in the biscuit/straw/golden color. I like it. It is thin and a bit of stretch to it. It doesn't wrinkle too much if glued down well. You can see where a little glue solvent has soaked through at the spine area. That will be gone tomorrow. The pockets are 3/4 oz commercial oak from Siegels. It is a little stiffer vegtan leather. It is lightly oiled and allowed to even out. I seal it with LeatherSheen. I apply the sheen front and back with a sponge. While still wet I go over it hard with my slicker on both sides. It compresses and glazes the flesh side and slicks up the grain side well too. I apply another coat and let it dry. The sheen keeps the oil from bleeding off on paper. I do this for all my pockets - checkbooks, planners, portfolios, etc. I have one out 15 years with no bleeding. I have a little teeny edger I use on the open edge inside that isn't sewn. Makes a nicer feel than the square edge. Glue them, sew them, and then trim the excess and edge all around. Some Bible covers are a little sticky in the slip covers at first. I shake a little baby powder in the pockets, do the Hokey-Pokey, and dump it out. They'll slide then.

Joshua, Thanks for the pattern, I'll be using it. Thinking about this a little more. I like simple. There are some people here that use a lot of color that could really set this piece off. I like the silhouette effect. I would dye the frame brown. I would do the bushes, man, and horse black. I would do a brown border around the moon. Then I would oil the whole piece, lightly. You can always add more oil if you want later. If I thought the moon looked funny, I would then dye it black. You could probably add these colors to the patterns you have on the computer and see how they look.

Joshua, Looks like you got that undercut beveler. It gives a nice effect for these and you used it well. Makes the figures stand out from the background. Your beveling is getting smoother every piece. Still a chop mark here and there, but improvement on each thing you have done. Next tool probably to get is a matting tool to fade or bridge the beveling into the background smoother. I would also use a modeling spoon to round over that ridge on the edge of the moon. In fact, if I was doing this piece, I might not undercut the moon. Undercut the figure in the front, and then a routine bevel or even soft matting around the moon. That will give the look of dimension maybe a little more. I normally use the tip of modeling tool to make the woodgrain look rather than a blade. It makes them rounded and look a little softer. Also I wouldn't make the woodgrain quite so "wavy". How to finish it? Good question. Size tells me how I might consider it. Normally I dye the figures for silhouettes black. On a big pattern, this is a lot of black. Might be overpowering?? On a smaller size version on a Bible cover, I'd blacken it. On a bigger size, maybe fade some brown dye in the beveling borders around the figures to kind of shadow it and make it stand out some. Now the big question for me. I think you did a great job. As I recall this is the first silhouette piece you have posted. I really like this pattern and I can see a few different applications for it - Bible covers, checkbook, photoalbum, and wall clock. Where'd you get the pattern and would you share it?

You might try Tim O'Hara at Timco. I don't have his contact info with me right now, but if he doesn't have them, he might steer you to them. I have seen them on dog collars too, so somebody is making them. I would bet that they set easier with a post rather than the prongs for their small size.

It kind of depends on what look you are wanting. Hansens have some patterns up to 3". They have them in overlay, plated (good plating and base metal -don't confuse all plating with Montana), and antique iron/silver. Their website is www.hansensilver.com. They are wholesale only. Another source might be Tim O'Hara at Timco. His phone number is (866) 821-1041. Not sure if he has his site up yet or not.

To stay at HideCrafters, I have some of the Pro stamps. I have had good luck with the SS ones. I also have some of the tools on the comparable price to Craftools from HideCrafters. They are marked "Craft Japan" and the ones I have are pretty darn good. I wouldn't overlook those, and then if you find one you like to use, don't trade up until you find a tool that makes a better impression. I swapped off a Hamley swirl a few years ago that cost about 15 times more than the Craft Japan that makes a better impression.

Randy, Here is the way I finish most all of the personal goods. After I am done stamping, I dye whatever needs it like the cross, figures or lettering (black Sharpie markers). After it has dried for a few hours, I oil. I use NF oil with med brn ProDye added for now. I give it a day or so for the oil to even. Then I do a coat of LeatherSheen, and when almost dry, I do another. This is the resist for the HiLiter. I have used quite a bit of SuperSheen too and truth be known, it may all be the same. When the second coat is dry, I apply the diluted HiLiter. I found that Briar Brown about 1:3 to water gives me what I am looking for. I apply it with a sponge, and let it sit and settle into the low areas. A firm sponge will remove excess from the high spots before it dries. When it is dry, usually a few hours or overnight, I wipe over everything with one more coat of LeatherSheen to seal it. For those who liked Drake's, this is a pretty similar look, just more steps. A few things I am learning as I go with this. I need to be a bit more sparing around the letters for stuff I am photographing. The dye job was pretty good on the lettering, but the HiLiter makes it look rough around the edges in the pics. In real life, the black dye contrasts with the HiLiter and looks a lot cleaner. In the pictures it all runs together. However in most cases, I can see more stuff wrong in a picture of my stuff than I do in real life. Anybody else notice this? Maybe we are so close to the action we aren't stepping back often enough to take it all in. These new HiLiter colors are pretty handy. The old HiLiter was too black, and the Leatherglow was too light. I find the diluted Briar Brown gives me a nice medium brown highlighting effect in the cuts and deeper impressions. They are sure enough easy to use.

Ray, I would expect that you could get the Boss shipped to England less expensively than a motorized machine, and that may be a factor. I had one of the cast iron Boss machines and liked it. For the weight leather you are talking, should do the job. Mine sewed a nice stitch, and could sew leather corners onto 1" felt pads all day without skipping Pluses - somewhat portable, can't be knocked out of time, control for every stitch, can't go too fast and run off the end, they will rebuild them for a song, easy to work on, you can train your kid to run it in about 3 minutes, good resale value. Minuses - you power it with one hand and only have one hand to hold and guide the piece, throat depth is small, tiring and boring for long runs, good for 138 and up thread