broncobuster

nobody around wisconsin that does saddle building or boot building? thanks for the input. im looking for hands on stuff tricks of the trade. not all the secrets lol. just like to watch a pro at work i learn better that way. books just dont show you or tell you everything. or ya dont get why a procedure is done etc.

Ive noticed that no one has mentioned Hide House in california. they have really nice hides in my opinion and real reasonable. you can buy one hide or as many as you want. i make chaps and i find there hides to be real nice to work with plus its the only place so far that offers the the metallics in a 3-4 or 4-5 oz that i use for rodeo chaps. the others just have the pigskin or 2-3 oz. they have just about everything from lamb to harness leather. they have another warehouse to that has the tools n conchos more of the hardware. i order from tandy, hidecrafters, and weaver just depends on what i need when. http://www.hidehouse.com/.

hi I have 2 29-4 im looking for a long arm. but i use mine a lot. i set up at bike rallies and am one of very few who can sew a patch on a sleeve or pocket(probably cause im not to smart n carry this heavy brut around). theres always a line lol. i use a schmetz needle it says a 29x3 140/22. you can find them on ebay also they are #29-4 is what they call the needle. and i use a 69 nylon thread. i also dont have a motor on mine i still use the peddle. i feel the motor goes a bit fast i get more control out of peddling it plus it gets the crowd to come n watch which gives me more sales cause both machines i use are very old. im on my machines from 9am till 1-2am for 2-4 days depending on the show.only stopping for potty n a sandwich. im kind of a gluten for punishment lol. or the occasional machine break down. im going to put a counter on my machines this year an see how many darn patches i sew on. maybe i dont want to know lol. Its very handy machine i use it a lot to put zippers in boots or repair. I have to make a table yet for mine so i can sew bigger areas. its hard to manuver bigger items around with that narrow arm.

Im in wisconsin. ive always wanted to learn boot making, saddle making, silver engraving lol like to do all kinds of stuff. Im self taught on lots of stuff. been ripping saddles apart n putting back together for years but never built one from scratch. I want to learn fitting and what goes with it. I have my ideas but until ya work with a saddlemaker you dont know for sure. just started shoe n boot repair finally learning that from the local ol timer so not so self started there. dont have a lot of this type of stuff in WI. Is there any books, schools, private people/shops thats close by that is willing to teach or where to look. like ive said ive done leather for 30 yrs self taught. i can read by the posts in here im doing things remotely right lol n ive sold items so i guess my work is ok there but i know ive lots n lots of room for improvement. just wished there was a leather show a bit closer. the other problem is im a bit tied down so cant go for a long period of time away(got a farm/horses)so hinders a lot for me to. ben wanting to learn all this since i started 30 yrs ago but just in the wrong part of the country. this site has helped me a lot since ive found it. but nothing like hands on with someone who knows there stuff. im a watch n learn and do type of person(quick study) any suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks Bonnie.

heres the other one. the second one didnt load up on first post sorry. still trying to get the hang of this.

heres a couple of rockers i did for some customers a while back. they liked them i guess didnt have any complaints anyhow. lol

sorry suppose to read fender i was going to post wedding dress(white lamb) but found this instead lol

this is a fender i reconstructed and tooled for a hereford saddle that came in for repair. they didnt have the original fender for some reason lol. figured i didnt do to bad it matched the otherside so guess it was alright. dont get much of this in my shop mostly replacing straps or lining skirts.

Hey Bev welcome im a newbie here to and from Wisconsin. but i do have a leather shop mostly repair. Where abouts are ya im in west central. good luck youll learn lots here. Bonnie

heres a website that has deal for the pattern for the stool. http://www.bighousedaddy.com/three_legged_camp_stool.htm

welcome im a newbie myself im from central wisconsin i have a small shop. i do many things. im just learning to fix boots but want to learn how to make them also-- someday. ive learned lots in the little while ive been here. many talented folks on here. Bonnie

I have some y bolts for the stools years back you could just buy those bolts separate i might be able to part with one or 2. seems to me ive seen them again lately some place. and i think ive seen or read some place about taking a double threaded bolt or rod n bent it then slide an eye bolt over the bent bolt but could be i dreamt it to lol. Bronc

first research your area. find out what discipline is the most in your area. then check with them on what they like to see. research your vendors n find those that dont need large volume orders. id start with basic everyday type stuff. halter, headstalls, grooming supplies etc. ask questions when the custome comes in about what products they like. if you get a lot of requests for the same things thats what u order. dont start buying things you think might sell thats out of the ordinary. repair gets people in the door. i have a small shop but i offer lots of different things. and have the connections to get stuff i dont have. or know the places they can get what the customer needs. start with small dollar stuff if you go with big dollar items you might be sitting with it for a while. just feel your customers out. what one tack shop has in an area doesnt mean the same stuff will do good in yours. see if you can start out with advertising for consignment saddles first before buying to many new ones. just ideas for ya.

I order from many different places for my shop for many different things. in my years of ordering it always best to order over the phone. orders on line seem to get lost in cyber space or doesnt get to the right destination. Ive always gotten my stuff with in a couple days. ive got companys that i can time to the exact day others take longer.

how does everyone get there lettering in a straight line, evenly spaced? or when ya do lettering on a curve?

lol tried that maybe your spit better than mine lol. its a new reinsman saddle has the smooth upholstry type leather seat the scratch starts there then into the flap.

hi I have a friend ask me about her saddle. a cat got up on it n it now has a scratch in it now. it is a smooth leather seat. how can you get rid of or subdue the scratch. it is quite long also. or can it not be fixed? thanks oh i have th same with a pair of harness boots got about a 2 in gouge in it.

Its slow all over and i do just about anything as a repair shop even been doing mending. what a degrade lol. but its really slow an only forsee to get worse. this area is sort of depressed already and with all the fuel prices going up wages are getting ate up just for that. 700+ dollars in last week for fuel for my house n lp for my shop. good thing i have lots of trees. looks like the wood burner will be going all the time. we'll get through we always do. good luck

PETA--PEOPLE EATING TASTY ANIMALS LOL could pass that. we had a county up here in wisconsin turn all there vehicles into biodeisel running vehicles. i use to run a restaurant we go through a lot of cooking oil. good recycling.

hi im new on here and the short while ive been here ive learned stuff already. I have a small shop and do just about everything that has to do with leather(id starve if i specialized lol) mostly all repair. dont get to do many projects just to do them. im all self taught so surely im not as good as all you on here but i keep trying. not many leatherworkers around here that i know of and ive been here a few years. I have a full service shop. its fairly new but getting there. shoe/boot repair is my new venture got a little training from the semi retired cobbler in town. first larning ive ever had lol. otherwise it gets put in front of me i fix it. everything from saddles to replacing zippers. biker stuff and horsey stuff. ive got a big range along with custom stuff once in a while. so glad to me ya'll and expecting to larn more. thanks Bronc aka Bonnie

im in west central wisconsin. not much happens around here lol.

Hi im new to here n im very much self taught im in boondock land where there isnt to many leatherworkers of any kind. and people dont pay for what its worth so do a bit sloppy n im picky on my work but customers around here dont appreciate the good stuff so i just kind of wing it lol n not put lots of hours into things. but here is a project i had done for a customer. it has his airplane on it.

hi. ive got people who are using murphys soap. is this ok to use to clean saddles? i prefer saddle soap but just asking everyones opinion.

did you maybe think of using a heavy lycra or neoprene its solid n stretches 2 or 4 way. n can be in any length as its sold by yardage like fabric.