bruce johnson

This is far from a scientific study, but this is a progression of my own saddle. The constants are the same horse and same pads. The left side view is after the first ride. It had about 3-1/2 fingers of clearance. The gullet views were last week and it has now had about 30 hours on it. The clearance is right at 2 fingers. The shearling is a Lazy M, tree is 6-1/2 finished gullet about 4-3/8 handhole width. The geometry in me says that just packing the wool should not allow that much of a drop. Other things are at work here - skirts spreading? plate rigging pulling in more? Latigos pulled tighter? Just from my impression, the saddle rode a little looser for the first five rides or so. More side to side maybe, and that has gone away. Pretty even sweat too.

I'd clean it up and try it. I only I use one round/head knife that isn't probably a hundred years or better.

One factor with the crank splitters and Ferg sort of brought it up is the type of leather you are splitting. The commonly available crank splitters are designed to split shoe sole leather - firm leather and the blades on most are 6" wide. There are wider splitters that can do up to 18" and some a tad more. They get into way bigger bucks pretty fast. These will do firm leather pretty well because they are pushing the leather into the blade. Softer leathers can wad up against the blade and end up in uneven splits, especially once the blade loses a keen edge. One thing to watch for is to make sure the blade is set against the front stop to set the position. Even firm leather can get squirrely if the blade has slid back. Crank splitters also go as fast as you turn the crank which is not rocket science to figure out. On long lengths this may not be a plus, it gets tiring and kids and wives strike for better pay. A pull through splitter will split as fast as I can rip it through. On the Americans and Champions crank splitters they feed from the back. Sometimes I will start a stirrup leather through with the crank and then grab it and walk away to let handle free wheel to get the job done faster and easier. One advantage of those particular style of crank splitters for me is using them like a pull through if need be.

If these scraps are really small you will be much happier with a crank splitte. Like has already been mentioned you can start in the middle go one way, then turn it around and split the other way. You are limited by only being able to grab and pull on what extends beyond the front to back width of the blade. With a crank splitter if they feed well you just turn the handle. As far as pull through splitters there are some lengthy threads on the advantages and disadvantages of the different makers and styles. I like Chase and Krebs pattern splitters for leveling and do most of my lap and edge skives on a hand crank skiver. If you are shopping Ebay, there is a member here with a crank splitter on right now - here's the auction link - American crank skiver . I have an American I am using right now and have had some other Americans, Champions, and a Landis. The Americans are sure alright.

I learned the same trick Art did, but from an old guy. Until I got a decent set of smaller end punches I did that on everything. A couple years ago a buddy made me up a 2-1/2" round end to do the cutout above the rigging plates on a flat plate rigging. Last year he was messing around in the shop and made me up some point punches in 2", 2-1/2" and 3". The 2" is an English point and the larger ones have more point to them. I use the 2" on wider back billets and the bigger ones on leathers. They are great for shortening stirrup leathers on the saddle and getting the ends right the first time. I usually nip the very tip off straight across once it is punched to length.

Alvin, I can't be of much more help. I got some in a deal a few years ago in set I bought. They were in a parts drawer labeled "bolts". I have seen longer ones in Weavers or Beilers catalog and I think they call them bolts too. They are a solid cast piece, not threaded with a post and screw. Maybe Ohio Travel Bag?

Ricky, I got home and checked my stamps. The Barry Kings are indeed a #45. As far as the Billy Woodruff bargrounders, my wife really tried. The Billy Woodruffs are size 30 and smaller than the BKs. The 5 hole one she happened to pull out was size stamped a bit off. He double struck the "5" but that was the one stamp of the set stamps that didn't have the "- 30" clearly stamped on it. It really did make someone assume that was a size 55. The rest are all stamped with the number of holes and then the size.

Kind of little word of caution. I use the Walmart/Kmart cutting boards to make up press forms for molded cases. The material works good for that. They are alright to cut on also. Where I had problems was using them for a punching surface for end punches or round punches. Most would crack or break in pretty short order. YMMV, but if they are going to be used for pounding on a stamp, it might be an issue.

Ricky, I can't keep track of the sizes either. I called home and had my wife check. She says I have #45 in 3 and 5 hole. I have a set of Billy Woodruffs and she thinks they say 55, but the size stamping is pretty small and hard to read for her. I know there is a size difference, but she can't see it just looking at the stamps. I will say I had some smaller BKs and the only place I got along with them was small areas on thin leather which would make sense.

I think ShopTalk is selling this book too.

I'd try Texas Custom Dies or one of the other die makers. They should be able to make you one up and put a handle on it.

I bought two bags and they varieid. Both had about 1/3 quilled and the rest small quills or smooth. One had several big pieces (4-5x8 or so) and a nice mix of browns and blacks with a couple of burgundy usable pieces. The other had two large pieces and lot of smaller irregular pieces. They might work for magnetic money clips. Mostly burgundy there, with a few black and less brown. For the price it seems like a good value for what I needed pieces for.

Leather Guru, Thanks for posting the pictures. I like looking at the old stuff. Kevin, Sad to report that it isn't just the handles on the knives. I have seen plastic rollers on some other new plough guages instead of brass. They just lack class and soul.

Ben, I do a variation of "A" for the ones I have done in the last few years. I sew the spine on. I do my sewing on the edges in sections. For the cover pieces I leave the threads long and then handsew back to flush with the edge of the spine piece so there is not that gap in stitching. I have tried to do it with the machine but the center presser foot can leave a mark on my finished edge of the spine that is hard to work out. Also sometimes the center presser foot can slide off that edge and leave a longer stitch there. I do a single piece cover more often and charge more for a three piece. I also do some in a two piece where the back side wraps around to the front and has the scalloped edge there.

I have noticed this also, and like Kevin I never gave it much thought. I don't know why it warms up sometimes. Maybe if I had stayed awake or attended lectures a little more regularly back in West Lafayette, I could have an answer. It doesn't seem to me that adding plain water to leather or anything in it should cause an exothermic reaction, but I have seen it too.

Bob, Any tools currently on my website that are not marked sold, I still have. I try to keep pretty current with labeling the ones sold. If you want to come on over, just give me a call and we can push some tools around. Thanks, Bruce

I did until a couple hours ago..... I get them every so often. Jeremiah Watt sells a new manufacture version, and Sheridan Leather Outfitters would be another good place to check.

FWIW, I am using IE Explorer 8 on Vista and can't see the hover deal either, just the model name comes up. I had upgraded to IE Explorer 9 and had to go back to IE 8 until they release some improvements.

Mike, It is the Multi-Purpose (green can) I think. I should be home tonight and if it is any different, I'll repost.

Mike, I have several on my website, and probably more to go on at the end of the week. I am taking off for a few days to look at some tools early tomorrow, but will be back Friday for sure.

Mike, They made two ranges of sizes. They had the single edge creasers and then they had a a larger size numbered 1-5 also that are called layer creasers. The layer creasers are probably about 3 times the size of the corresponding number of the regular creasers.

Denise, You have seen the pics from the first ride in my new saddle. It sat up about 3-1/2 fingers at the lowest pint of the gullet. Maybe 10 hours and it is down to 2-1/2.

I am very happy with my Ferdco 2000 also. My flat bed is Ferdco's version of the 1245 and like that one a bunch too. I had an Alder 205-64 that was heck of a good one too.

I get the Renia by piggybacking onto another guy's order. It comes from a shoe supply distibuter and they have a route. I have seen it for sale through other shoe supply houses on the internet. It is NOT less toxic than Barge, and actually has more smell than Barge. I use it either under the covered porch out the back or open the big door if there is a good breeze. On the few times I use it inside closed up, I mask up, do my glueing and then leave it overnight with a window open some. The guy I get mine with used to use Masters, but found this better. It does latigo pretty well. I do a lot of doubled and stitched latigo reins and it works well. I can still peel it apart to insert a popper, but it won't come apart while sewing like Barge did if you weren't paying attention.

First off, it would have gone better with mulehide or latigo. My guess is that the rawhide was still a little too damp and then didn't get pulled tight enough. As it dried it maybe thinned down some more left the standing gaps. You have to keep working the rawhide down as it dries also. Keep levering on it and you will be suprised at the amount of stretch you can continue to pull out of it. Once it dries down, it should be pretty tight. A strap sure helps them to pull tigher and lay better. This vast experience I have is based on one rawhide hornwrap for a customer who thought it would be a more durable base for rubber. My first one was loose. My second one turned out Ok. About a month later he brought it back. It was a lot slicker than he thought it would be. A few times the rubber turned on him and barked his hand apparently.