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oltoot

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Everything posted by oltoot

  1. oltoot
    I didn'y need one til I got one now I can't imagine life without it. And I have a HFT vertical belt sander too. Great little tool but I wouldn't trade though I'm glad I don't have to.
  2. oltoot
    Looks like my Hackbarth ca 1955
  3. oltoot
    A bit about where you live, flexibility, short and long term goals for the craft, etc might help generate a few more useful suggestions
  4. oltoot
    Just FYI. For beeswax, you can get it in small beads from someone who sells candle making supplies and that will blend really easily and it is also available in white if you want to preserve a natural color to whatever you are using it on
  5. oltoot
    If by stirrups you mean the fenders/sweat leathers? They have been replaced but you are right it appears to be in good condition. It probably lost it's collector value when the new was added (probably many years ago) so it's value will probably depend on the tree or perhaps somebody who is interested in that politically incorrect brand.
  6. oltoot
    Reject headstone from a monument company.
  7. oltoot
    I used a similar approach but punched and put the rawhide on wet, then squeezed all I could by slowly tightening the nut. I live along the UP mainline so I had access to something called bridge washers. They are made from cast iron and are large with ribs. I used the result for punching for years but have elected to buy the rest, so much less hassle since they are once again fairly easy to come by.
  8. oltoot
    Rawlins
  9. oltoot
    where in wonderful Wyoming?
  10. oltoot
    Yes and as much as I love the 5053 style rigging plate and have used it a lot, it has some limitations. Another hint with it: switch to nylon tie straps instead of leather latigoes and there will be less bulk under the leg. I have used them (nylon) with everything for years. Though they are not very traditional they are stout, thin and light.
  11. oltoot
    Bob is right on a lot of fronts. This one is not a loss. I would add a couple of things:1) Consider using drywall screws for most applications instead of replacing them with nails/larger screws. 2) In the future, yes the rigging could be better placed. Think about where the horse's barrel starts to curve in and the bend of the average rider's leg at the knee and aim for the point of pull when cinching up to be just below that point. Too achieve that and keep the skirts from being too large I have used 3 1/2 inch dee rings hung on the bottom of the skirt for the last 20+ years with good results. By using a combination of 1 inch leather bars and a sheet metal hanger between skirt and top rigging piece, I have never had any complaints
  12. oltoot
    If I understand the question the answer is a matter of balance and keeping your feet from getting behind you at all cost. Balance: Think about it. The most stable position for standing up is straight up not leaning forward or backwards. Feet behind equals loss of balance and minimizes chances of recovery. Think bull riding. In the good old bygone riding horses always exposed one to the distinct possibility of encountering more than one that was a little bit salty. Keeping feet down and head up was essential if one were to survive. Lots of things have changed such as horse conformation and thus best rigging placement, saddle tree design etc but those basic principals of physics and kinetics remain. They now translate into different solutions. Somebody once told me with regard to old cowboys that old wasn't necessarily better it was just old. I don't think he was complimenting me but I just grinned. And now I'm really old.
  13. oltoot
    Your questions are a little bit confusing to me, objective? dark or light. If you are going to use it and are just interested in taking care of it then your answer is nothing special, remembering to use multiple light coats as opposed to one heavy and the backside approach is helpful, too. Be sure to keep the roughout parts clean and light brushing with a stiff fiber or even a very soft copper brush while it is still just a little damp can make the knap last longer but only a little longer as it will disappear with use. Used roughout eventually gets slicker than smooth so just wait and count the miles.
  14. oltoot
    Oopsie box!
  15. oltoot
    way slower. when I got mine it was advertised as capable of 800 spm. I think my wide open is about 300 now. I was never even close to that hand sewing.
  16. oltoot
    FYI here is a fair shot of the setup that has served me since 1975. I still need to slip the clutch for some things but only rarely. If I had it to do over again, I would mount the shaft a little lower so that I could put an even bigger pulley on it. If my motor were a servo I wouldn't need to slip the clutch. As you can see I have a separate little motor for a bobbin winder. The pillow blocks, pulleys etc are all farm supply store stuff. I did have a keyed shaft made to eliminate any pulley slippage but could do without it. About every 10 years a pulley cracks and the whole thing needs to be taken down to replace it but I'm plumb tickled with the end result. Sewing saddle skirts, harness tugs etc I can run with the hammer down without worrying about all the potential high speed issues.
  17. oltoot
    Cutting a big circle out of the hide then cutting around the edge is about the only way. 1" strips will straighten out if you start with true circle and not an oval. You will be committing the hide to future use. When the circle gets small, you will have trouble getting strips to straighten out. I would try to convince her that such an tall order will have to be spliced or be real expensive. The lines for the Budweiser Clydesdales are spliced (multiple times when you get past the wheel team) The Twenty Mule teams of Death Valley fame were spliced, maybe she can be convinced. Then you will have to learn how to make a good splice. It seems to me that there would be a place of minimal stress where a splice could be placed. Oh btw, if you could get the whole hide of a really old buffalo bull, they would easily be 15' across. Such a hide would cost about as much as a good, late model used car.
  18. oltoot
    Pretty much all has already been said. My only 2 cents is this. Mine is over 40 yrs old now. Direct from UL. The learning curve was steep and there have been issues. Changing thread was a hassle but all that said, I can't see myself ever stop loving it. My widow will have it to sell cause I wont!
  19. oltoot
    The general answer is still never but for me one thing that sure helped was proper cutting surfaces. When I was introduced to Aspen cutting boards, the blood loss went way down. That and glass like surfaces for skiving, etc. Years ago I got a large supply of Aspen and I hope it will last as long as I do. (I'm over 70 now) Part of it, too, was learning to use the round knife and cutting away instead of various pull towards types. Over time, some of the more vicious tools will end up gathering dust and you will probably live through it all. BTW there are also hammers, awls and machinery that will get you until you learn to look out or don't survive. In the end will come a period of relative peace and safety unless, of course, you are just an incurable klutz. If that's the case, embrace it and take up painting or some other pastime that doesn't employ sharp edges.
  20. oltoot
    I have used either on plain (undyed) edges with good results. When the edge is dyed anyway I just go to my burnisher with the edge wet with an extra coat of dye (I use Feibings) and burnish. Works for me.
  21. oltoot
    Call them battle scars or cred. The level of sealer/finish that would have prevented them would probably be undesirable from other standpoints. Once dried, they are most likely set. The native people probably used those clay soils as pigments for coloring things.
  22. oltoot
    One more little thing. If you take it apart as much as you can before doing whatever you are going to do and don't reassemble until you are satisfied, things will usually work better.
  23. oltoot
    What's done is done. Bruce Johnson's advice was well said, as usual. Next time, if there is one, I'd crank the PW down a notch or swap it for just a high pressure hosing after first using something like Murphy's Oil Soap to start loosening up the grime and be sure you have the surface moist when you hit it with HP. Dry increases the abrasion factor of the grime being washed away. Those worn spots you posted look to me like the places somebody would reach for a death grip to keep from exiting head first.
  24. oltoot
    Curious. What are the cores?
  25. oltoot
    What he said!!
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