rktaylor

I don't believe your thinking is completely flawed, but I'm not sure you're going to get a tree for the price you want. I don't know if you can buy an off the shelf mule tree. I suggest you check with Timberline and Quality Mfg. I used Quality trees on most of the saddles that I have made.I think they are currently $500 + shipping. I'm not sure about Timberline. I looked at them at the Prescott show last year and they looked really good. I'll certainly consider them for my next saddle. I would also consider how much bigger your mule will get and try to get the job done with one saddle. Just my 2 cents. Randy

I really like that headstall. Clean and ready to use for a really long time. Randy

Nice sheath and saddle. Your tooling is awesome. Good Luck at Prescott. I went last year and it was worth every penny and minute. The 1000 miles one way was a tough drive on an old man. Though it is 50 miles closer than Sheridan. Randy

Ron and Ken, I have a lot of tools from Lonnie and Clay. All are high quality. Bruce, I appreciate the offer. I am probably a month away from needing it. I'll check with you when it gets closer. Randy

Thanks YinTx. I have the 532. It lacks the crisp imprint that I want. Ken, I found those stamps this morning. I've never used JW stamps. Is it fair to assume they are comparable to Barry King or Clay Miller? It looks like the best option for now. Randy

I've bought a lot of Hermann Oak from Panhandle Leather. It's tannery run so the quality is variable. I've bought #1 from Montana Leather and Goliger. I haven't used Wicket & Craig. Randy

I looked in Weaver's catalog and didn't see one. I'll check the web page. Here's the Tandy version along with a Tandy basket weave in the bottom. I would like one with the definition of the Clay Miller basket weave in the center. I didn't get the number before I came in the house. Thanks for the help, Randy

Dusty, I can't help on the rigging question, but I recommend you expand your educational materials. I started off with Dusty Johnson's book , patterns and video and found myself staring into space and scratching my head a lot. I didn't have the knowledge to 'fill in that blanks' like I needed. I expanded my library to include Jeremiah Watt's DVD, the Stohlman series (which you can now get in a single book), Harry Adams handbook, and John Hopper's book. Harry Adams book is my top 'go to' resource. Please post anything you learn specific to rigging for a mule saddle. I am interested in the topic. Randy

I am needing a Hamley Prairie Rose (five petal) stamp for an upcoming project. I know the McMillen stamps are coveted and hard to come by. I checked with several tool dealers with no success. Barry King is making a replica, but does not have an estimated completion date. I have a Tandy version, but it lacks the clarity and definition that I prefer. If anyone has one that they are willing to sell/loan/rent, please let me know. Also any tips on where I should look are appreciated. Randy

This is the only one I'm aware of, but it does tend to move a little slow at times Randy

I would suggest no more than 6 spi for your first effort. However, I wouldn't go wider than 5 spi. You're taking about a lot of sewing. I can't even imagine using chisels. A cantle binding will be more than a half inch thick. I use thread similar to Goldshot. Randy

Vikefan, Thanks for sharing. Here's my version of your design. A little rough, but it works.

The John Hopper book has a lot of tack/accessory items and Big Sioux is correct regarding the bronc halter. I like the book, but it certainly isn't my "go to" book on very many things. A lot of the items lack detailed instructions and the bronc halter in the book is no exception. The vague description might be fine for someone with experience, but leave a lot to be desired for a novice. Big Sioux's advice on heavier, wider, and larger is consistent with Hopper's book. His dimensions were based on a large horse halter. Randy

The Tandy pattern also has a full length zipper, but I like the bottom plug at the barrel end. Thanks, Randy

Thanks. I must have missed that in my search. Randy.

I am planning to build a shotgun case (or 2). I have the pattern pack from Springfield leather, but don't want the full length zipper. I have seen a few cases online that I like better, but no patterns. Am I stuck making my own pattern? Also, I would like to make a case for a bolt action rifle with scope. I have seen plans for scabbards, but not cases. Can I leave the bolt in place inside the case or should it be removed? I am a gun novice. Thanks for any tips. Randy

Ryan, Thanks for sharing your work. While I am far from an expert, I will share what I see in your saddle. First, I think your tooling looks great. It is classic and shows a lot of style. I really like the dyed edges. The welts on your swells Look really great. If that's your first attempt, kudos. Also the ear cut on your seat looks great. It's really tight and the ear lays flat. The horn wrap looks tight and the stitching on the cantle binding looks really good. There's a lot to be proud of. Since you asked for a critique, here's my opinion. One of the first things that I noticed was the gap between the rear jockeys and skirts. It's hard to get that gap closed on a small saddle, but I would like to see the jockeys tight against the skirts. Since I mentioned the dyed edges, I noticed that the skirt edges were not dyed. Also on the skirts, I suggest you trim the wool skin a little more. If you trim at an inward angle, the edges will look cleaner. I looks like the horn hole in the swell cover is too big. If you have the Stohlman book, they cover this topic in detail. I'll bet a Coke that I missed some things that you noticed. Great job. You should be proud of your accomplishment. I look forward to seeing #2. Randy

I would agree that lightweight and strong are mostly contradictory. I just finished my second in-skirt rigging, because I wanted a different challenge (saddle #8). I mostly followed the directions in Stohlman's encyclopedia for saddle 3 and some other photos I have seen on this site. I think it's pretty solid, but the only weight saved versus a flat plate was about half a rigging plate back. That's pretty negligible. I was really hoping to see more replies as I am curious what others are doing. Randy

It's this what you're after? Randy

Thanks Ron, It's getting oiled and I hope to put it together Monday. Randy

I'll throw my two cents in, but recognize it's probably not worth that. Since the saddle has sentimental value, I would suggest preserving the fenders as they are and build new ones matching the best you can. I would put the original fenders in a shadow box with some old photos and a short story. Otherwise I think your plan to repair them is about as good as it gets. Good luck, Randy

Josh and Ron, Thanks for the compliments. I guess everything is just practice. Sometimes I impress myself and sometimes I wonder what I was thinking. Randy

I finished these last night. I think tap offs are definitely the way to go, but I need more practice drawing floral patterns first. I used this pattern to draw the main features; flowers, leaves, outside lines, and anything else I thought I could fill in. Then I drew the remaining items by looking at the pattern. The two sides are close, but not quite the same. I think they would be more similar using tap offs. Thanks for the advice. I'm looking forward to getting back to a flat surface.

Ron, Thanks for the tips. I'm going to give it a go today on a practice piece. Randy

Ron, Thanks for the comments. That is a practice pattern so I need to work on flow and fill in some voids. I probably covered up too much in the first photo with my hand for you to really assess the pattern. I didn't turn the pattern over, but it may have moved a bit. That seems to be my challenge; taking a flat pattern and matching it to a compound curved surface. I have also learned to have a practice plan. SaddleBags, The tap outs would eliminate the flat pattern/curved surface problem, but I don't think I am quite at that level yet. I am trying to get better at floral tooling while making a floral saddle. Probably not a great decision, but I have made worse. It's not a TCAA saddle, but I would like to enter it at Wichita Falls. It will be fun to get some 'live' critiques. Appreciate the feedback. I plan to tool this over the weekend or I'll be really stressed for time to get this done. Randy