Timbo

Don't have any of it........but if you post a pic of the finish you are after I bet someone could identify something else that will be really close. Then again monitor colors vary but it couldn't hurt. Tim

Man I hate to say it but you got ripped off!!! But in order to help you out I'll buy it from you for what you spent and you'll be able to save face and feel better about yourself!!!! Seriously though......GREAT SCORE!!!!!! Guess I'm going to have to stay up late and bird dog eBay all night!!! Good deal dude!!! you should be very happy with this bargain of the century. Way to shop!!!! I wish there was a way that you could stream the new eBay listings, so as they are listed they scroll across your screen. But it would probably just be a blur now that I think about it. The listing notifications are usually too late and many times are sold by the time you get the email. Once again.......GREAT DEAL!!!!!!!! tim

Thanks for all the replies. Never thought about it but Darc is right, it would be hard as hell to rivet all of that together on the tree. As for the rigging I had already spotted that conflict as well. I don't know why the rigging is so low or so far back. It is bordering on being a center fire rig. I had some experience with a clients center fire rig this summer and on our barrell bellied horses it moved all over the place. Every time I turned around the saddle was sitting up over the horses shoulders and after one long downhill section he was actually riding the horses neck. But it was his great uncles saddle...blah blah blah. If it had been my decision it would have stayed at the ranch and never seen a trail. But anyway, yeah, the rigging needs moved up and forward. As for the stirrup leathers and fender. I'll rivet them as such but probably also sew the leathers to the fender as well. I also agree that the fender top could be a pinch point on a very tender spot of anatomy so I'll have to put some thought into a redesign on that as well. I guess just moving them lower would also do the trick, which would also mean to make them shorter too I suppose. I've thought long and hard about the saddle pocket idea but I have a tooling idea for the back of the cantle that I want to do really bad. I am going to be making a removable cantle bag/saddle bag setup to put on the saddle I'm going to make. After getting my "petroleum" cantle bag and saddle bags ripped off and ruined this summer I have some ideas of what I am NOT going to do anyway. Thanks for all the thoughts and ideas guys........they are greatly appreciated. Without all the knowledge from the saddlers on this forum I would not even attempt making a saddle, but I'm about to jump in with both feet, so expect LOTS more questions. Keep those ideas rolling. Also what do you think about the "D" cutout in the skirts for hooking the breast collar to??? Good or Bad??? I can see up sides and down sides to it. Up is the weight savings.........down is the damage it could do to the skirt in a wreck. Then again once the rigging ring is properly located why not just hook to it?? Sorry if this seems rambling but I'm thinkin out loud........with my fingers. Any more thoughts or concerns on this saddle let me know. Thanks again for all the input. Tim .......and I like the idea of the keeper loop on the stirrup leathers too. I might see what I can come up with in that respect. and by the way Dave the riding I do is as a trail guide/wrangler in the summers in the Sangre de Christo mountains of Central Colorado. (ok, now I'm bragging) Which is the purpose of the saddle I am going to build. Going to try to keep it light weight and comfy. But mostly leaning to light weight since I got by with a very uncomfortable saddle all summer. It will not be possible for me to build something as uncomfortable as that one.

On this saddle does it appear that the stirrup leathers and fenders are riveted all together?? I mean all 3 layers-stirrup leather then fender then back stirrup leather. It kind of looks that way to me. Would there be anything wrong with doing it this way?? Thanks, Tim

Thank you everyone for all the great advice!!! I can't wait to get started. Tim

Thanks for the replies guys!!! So for the string to pass thru I need to drill 2 3/8" holes. I'm guessing probably 3/8 to 1/2" apart?? Any more tips you can give will be much appreciated. thanks again, Tim

.........what size bit do you use??? ....and do you drill thru all the layers of leather including the skirt?? One other thing while I have your attention. What do you use to rough up the tree before putting the glue and leather to it?? and will Barge glue be okay to use where I need glue?? I'm fixin' to dive in and just had a few more questions. Thanks, Tim

........sorry.......it was Johannas fault........she led me astray!!!! Tim

Just so's ya know........I found some wool felt. Comes in different percentages of wool too. I didn't price the 95% wool as it only came in white. But I did price the 87% wool felt which comes in a light grey color. It comes in all thicknesses, but I got a quote for the 3/4" thick stuff. One yard (which is the minimum) by 72" is $164.36. Wow. Can buy 2 sheep for that price. The same thing in a polyester synthetic pad but is 66" by one yard is $26.55 which is way more reasonable but it is still poly. But according to there website it performs better in equestrian use than does wool. So there ya go..........if anybody was wondering. By the way the website I am looking at is http://www.aetnafelt.com/index.htm Tim

This is not necassarily a skeleton rigged saddle but it is a pretty minimal saddle. Question for the saddle makers is.........do you think it could be made from one side??? I will not be taking the ground seat pieces from the same side either. Let me know what you think. Tim

cool

go head and see what they've got for saddle skirting.....I am looking for 10-12 oz see how clean it is and how much. I'll need to sides.thankstim rats just realized I'm 2 hours away......still used to only being one hour away. hopefully you'll check right before you walk out the door.

Mules were used as laborers due to the fact that they are as strong or stronger in some cases than a horse of equal size and the fact that mules like repetitive tasks. I think they actually find comfort in doing the same thing over and over. That is why they use only mules on the rides down into the Grand Canyon, that and they are more surefooted than horses and less skittish. You can't make a mule do something unsafe or something it doesn't want to do......usually because it sees it as unsafe. But I'd ride a mule into the mountains anyday...........ok, I'd like to ride a mule into the mountains but I'm stuck with horses. Another mule breeding tidbit is king jack and giant jack........these are mutant donkeys that are HUGE....so subsequently you can breed them to your mare and get a big full sized mule....the kings and giants used to (more than now anyway) get bred to draft mares and then you'd have these huge draft size (almost) mules. They are so cool!!! I love mules and want one so bad........it would be even better if the ranch I work for bought one or five or six. Thats all my mule trivia for now. Sorry to hijack. Tim ..........and yeah what most people call mulehide is just the greyish blueish work apron splits.

You should play one of the fretless........talk about a weird experience!!!

If anybody has any pics of homemade ones please post them up. Question on stirrup leather stretching though. If your fenders are going to be sewn onto the stirrup leathers do you stretch without the fenders on yet or after you have put the fenders on??? Tim

Thought there might be some folks on here interested in this. It is my brothers website and he builds guitars for a living. I'm pretty proud of his work. Lots of this stuff I've seen first hand and it is equally impressive in person as it is on the web. Wish I had 1/10th of the talent that he has..........but he's always been talented no matter what he does.........and he has done a lot of widely varied stuff over the years, but most of them have to do with sculpting in one way or another. Read his bio and you'll see what I mean. It was pretty amazing how much his dragonwing guitar sold for ........... but then again not really as it is a pretty impressive piece of sculpture. His main dealer recently passed away and has left him in somewhat of a limbo as the guy was a guitar marketing wiz. But he'll rebound.......he always does. Anyway........check it out and enjoy!!! Timbo http://www.divine-jones.com/

I AM LOVIN' THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!!!! Since I am going to build my first saddle this winter and it is going to be a light weight trail saddle, this thread is just what I am looking for. Keep the pics coming guys, if anybody has anything light weight or rigged different post some pics up of it. From what I have come up with David it is very easy to get one of these down to 25 lbs but some can go as low as 17-18 lbs!!! Sure alot easier to sling off and on the horse for sure!! It will also make up for the weight of personal gear I have to carry. Tim

I like the gullet rigging on that rig.........any tricks to it??? Would you nail it on the inside of the gullet?? Tim

......thank you.....thank you very much.........(end bad Elvis impersonation) weird thing is..........they don't sell. Tim

Here are some of mine.........I use wood blocks to wet mold them to the shape of the phone. You could come up with a universal style of block and try that. See what you think. Tim

This thread reminds me of one of my all time favorite saddles. It is pretty minimal but I like it and aspire to build one like it someday. If anyone knows who made it please let me know, cause for the life of me I cannot remember where I got the pic. But it is pretty simple with small skirts and unique rigging. Tim

Sweet I rappel too!!! It sure is hard taking that first step backwards off of the cliff.......ain't it??? After that it's okay!!! That is also one sweet cliff to go off of too!! Looks like alot of fun. I haven't done it for awhile but the outfit I work for does climbing as well..........gonna have to go along on one of those. HUGE LIZARD!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH reptiles creep me out. He would make a cool belt though. I'll stick with my cat. Nice pics!! Tim

These are some handmade tool holders that I made. I use one of the small ones to hold the tools that I need for the project that is in front of me at the moment. Saves having to dig for them and lose your rythm. (I store my tools in a machinist chest) Here is a run down of what they are and how much I am asking and does not include shipping: (all the wood is throughly dried and not green) A: this one is made from aspen and will hold lots of tools, its pretty much a log with a flat spot on the bottom of it. $35.00 B: made for red cedar and is half the log so it sits nice and flat and the big hole can be used for bees wax. $30.00 C: the other half of B with the wax hole in a knot.......B&C are both very stable. $30.00 D: aspen and long and skinny but still stable with a bees wax hole........$20.00 E: aspen again same as above but smaller..........$20.00 F: aspen, same as above smaller still..........$15.00 G: aspen, this is a nice in progress tool holder, small and doesn't get in the way. $12.00 All of the items have no finish or oil on them.........I love the feel of raw wood. The bottoms and ends are all sanded smooth. I do accept Paypal, including credit cards, money orders or possibly even interesting trades for other tools or ?????? Here are the pics: (and thanks!!!! for looking)

.........and for 17.50 for an 8 oz bottle it should do "something" really special. I've used there Rudy's finish for years and love it. Never tried it on the edges though........gonna have to experiment. Tim

Cherry dowels will work fine, I use oak dowels for mine..........Lowes carries them both. Tim