oldtimer

LOL, same here ! / Knut

Thank´s for your input, Keith. I got qurious today, what does the tree look like inside the rawhide ? So, I sacrificed the tree, pulled the rawhide, and now I can understand why trees warp ! It was the lousiest piece of wood work I´ve ever seen. The tree is assembled using a hot glue gun and staples, the left bar had a 1" knot in the stirrup leather groove and the wood is so soft you can drive in a 3" nail using your hand. No wonder that the tree warped under the pressure of drying rawhide. The tree is made by a well known tree making company. I´ll never buy a tree from them again! / Knut

Why not clamp selected parts of their bodies in a stitching horse . A leather related punishment !

Jon That seems to be a sturdy frame. I got a crazy thought in my mind yesterday: to get rid of the rawhide ( which I think messes things up in this case) , straighten up the bars in some form of jig and fiberglass the tree. What do you think? Is that a crazy idea? It must be a better choice than having a warped tree hanging on the wall. / Knut

I use very gentle pressure when burnishing. Too much pressure and things get hot. Try to find a low rev motor if you´ll build this variety. I have a foot operated switch on the floor to run the machine

This is my burnisher: I turned a "knob" from Lignum Vitae, drilled a hole for the motor shaft, and drilled and tapped a hole for a locking screw. I then ran the motor and used a metal file, 1200 grit paper and steel wool to make the grooves.

If violence doesn´t work, use more violence! If that doesn´t work, try vaseline !

I wonder what would have happened if I had built the saddle when the tree was new and straight , and then kept the saddle in my shop under the same conditions as the tree? I think I would have had a warped saddle!

Skitsnyggt, Tina ! Gorgeous !

Jon How do you put the tree parts together, do you use screws, nails or staples ? I have a feeling that a poor assembly will have a great deal in the warping process, when the rawhide starts to shrink.

I have had a saddle tree hanging on the wall in my shop for a couple of years. It was square when I got it but, when checking today I found out that somehow it has warped. When I put it on the bench one of the corners is about 3/8" above the bench surface. A couple of questions : How much warpage can be tolerated ? Is there a way to correct it? What would you do? Another interesting question is :Would the tree have warped if I had built a saddle when the tree was new ? and how many horses have saddles on their backs with warped trees?

They are mostly used in English saddlery. Dixon makes them, and you could find them at Abbeys in UK http://www.abbeysaddlery.co.uk/product_detail.cfm?id=FA018 / Knut

Try the next (heavier) needle size , it might work. The problem, when you get skipped stitches, is that no thread loop is created for the shuttle hook due to too much resistance in the hole thru the leather. And sometimes patchers live their own life! Try a heavier needle!

This is a rune stone a couple of miles from my place. There is an english version of the website. Please enjoy! http://web.telia.com/~u63501054/Runstein.html / Knut

Wanted! Needle plate for a Singer 45K21, (cylinder machine), buy or trade. new or used good condition I have fine old Osborne saddlers tools for trade. / Knut

I served 35 years in the Swedish Army, ( captain, infantry) , retired 6 years ago. Been doing leather work for many years as a hobby and started a saddlery business after retirement. Other interests are my horse, trail riding in the Swedish mountains , hunting moose and deer with my dog and fishing. / Knut

Andy, There is a plastic : polycarbonate , that is almost indestructible. It is, among other things, used as bulletproof windows, and it is found in various thicknesses.

Non comprende, amigo

Some pics of my ugly mug and my animals: my horse "mr Gus", and my moosehunting dog "Jack". / Knut

Check this website: http://www.bootmaker.com/45Kmanual.pdf / Knut

I have punched a hole (3 mm) in the foot of the spool, put the thread down through the center of the spool and then out through the hole, which keeps the thread to unwind upwards. You try it, it might solve your problem, a one minute job. Have a look at the spool on the right. / Knut

Boiling hot water with a tablespoon of Cream of Tartar will clean your brass, and it is non toxic. Laquer inside your cup might solve the taste problem. (If you are drinking Jack Daniels in your brass cup, it´s not the brass that causes the bad taste)

I found this bobbin winder on a flea market. I don´t know if they are available in the U.S. ( I live in Sweden). It is a handy item!

I am reloading ammo for my guns and I clean my tarnished brass cartridges in a mixture of 1 litre of boiling water, 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar and a few drops of dish cleaner, put the cartridge cases into the mixture ( hot) and in a minute miracles have happened, brass shining bright like new, no elbow grease involved !

Hei Jonny ! Välkommen ombord! jag bor i Östersund, Jämtland. ( öst tröndelag ) :-) / Knut