CWR

Thanks Bruce. That makes me feel more comfortable. The saddle is actually pretty comfortable. I swapped for it to ride colts in. The rigging was sound and I didn't care if one flipped over backwards on it because the rest of it looked like a dog ate it then threw it back up. The tree is solid so I'm rebuilding it to get some experience. Its going to need a new swell cover and cantle along with restringing and lining so I'm glad I can just leave the groundseat the way it is. But if any of yall get the chance I'd I like to see the way you do it. Thanks again. CW

I need someone, or several someones to tell me how they put in their ground seats with a tin strainer. I have a saddle that needed a new cantle binding, the rawhide one had pulled down into the seat. When I pulled the seat and got to looking at the groundseat I decided that although I didn't know how to put one in with the tin strainer this one wasn't right. It looks like the strainer bottom was lined then tacked to the tree and a piece glued to the top of the strainer. This piece is skived to nothing. I hav'nt pulled the strainer but it looks like it was put in over some little risers next to the swells. Thats all the leather to it. Can I pull the tin strainer and use it again or should I just start from scratch? Thanks, CW

Welcome aboard. There are some good braides on here and they are willing to help. CW

I noticed this thread got a little heated and I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to all of you who take the time to post on here. I'm not a saddle maker...yet, I'm trying to put my tools and skills together and get started soon. I have very little to offer Bruce, Steve Brewer, Steve Mason and many others on here, but I sure have learned alot from them. At this point in my life I can't afford to go to any of the trade shows, seminars or spend a week with a master so trial and error and this forum and the people who contribute to it are my only teachers. So thanks again guys for taking time out your day to help the ones who are trying to learn. CW

Steve, Do you use any tacks or nails or is it just glued in? I may be missing them in the pictures. Wish I could sit there with a few of those 'stones and watch you put it in. Thanks, CW

Thanks Bruce. I'm going to try it. I'm in the Big Bend country and we usually have very little humidity and if it helps retain the moisture it'll be a big help.

I remember reading in an old post where someone, I think it was Bruce, said they used saddle soap during the casing process and felt it helped get a good dark burnish. for the life of me I can't find it now. I would sure appreciate any info and how and when to apply the soap. Thanks, CW

Welcome to the forum. You will find all kinds of help here. I'm not familiar with your string cutter so I can't help you there. If you are making rawhide tack for horses you need to bevel both sides on the grain side at least. After the rawhide dries it will have sharp corners if not beveled. As you cut string you will learn rawhide will cut you like a razor. I use a hansen cutter and the bevel is set at 45. I don't take the full 45 off though. I set my width so that it doesnt go all the way to the flesh side. Thats the "taking off the corners" part. I also bevel all four sides, flesh and grain. After doing this I think it lays in a little smoother. The main reason I do it is that Kevin Willey (user name KAW) does it and I admire his work and aspire to get close to it one day. I hope this answered some of your questions. The best teacher is just cut lots of string and you will find what works for you. A book with some detailed work on string cutting is Robert Woolery's Braided Rawhide Horse Tack. It's only about $9.00 Good luck, CW

Rob, I'm still grinning. We started braiding about the same time and I have come to most of the same conclusions you posted. I havn't done one project that I havn't bled on either from stabbing myself with a fid or cutting myself on the string or with a knife. I can truly say everything I turn out is made with my blood sweat and sometimes tears (broken strings). You couldn't be more right on the moisture content. I have finally realized that if its not right it won't get right while I try to braid. Go do something else until its right. Roy Cooper was talking about calf roping but it holds true to braiding. "Sometimes you have to slow down to be fast." Sure would like to hear more about your trip. I was pretty envious when I read about it. CW

Looks good Alan. I'm with you on the cores. If you are going to have a rawhide bosal it should be a rawhide bosal. Good to see you posting. Its been slow around here. Guess the hot weather has everybody outside and busy with other things. CW

Paula, Clean it with water and saddle soap then use vaquero rawhide cream on it. Keep in mind that it is rawhide and should be stiff. Good luck, CW

Looks good Megabit. I think you are too critical of your pineapples. This is nitpicking but you might want to put a little more bevel on the strings that make up the band. I think it would lay in better. CW

Thanks Maxx. I took a few swings with it and I think it will work fine. I've just started stamping and don't have much to compare to but it sure beats the little hardware store mallet I had. Mike, I'd be glad to tell you how I made it. I know what you mean about the funds. I'm learning that leatherwork is a good deal more costly than rawhiding, so I'm trying to make everything I can. My next project is a saddler's hammer. I can't quite swing $110 for one. The head is one strip of hide. The last time I made a hide, I cut a 3 inch strip down the back bone. I don't like to braid with that anyway. I built the handle up with latigo and ground it to the shape I wanted on the bench grinder and then braided over it. I drilled two holes in the carriage bolt and put screws through the rawhide so I could wrap it tight. The strip was pretty wet more so than you would want to braid with. I clamped the other end to the bench and wrapped it as tight as I could get it. I had skived the outer end to a feather edge and put cement on what I thought would be the last two wraps then tacked the end with some little copper nails. Keep me posted on how it goes. CW

There has been a lot of discussion on mauls recently. I know from past threads most of you prefer a poly head, but here is one I just made with what I had available. It came out to be 24 oz. The only thing I bought was an 8 inch carriage bolt. Thanks, CW

Tim, There are some guys on here who can tell you a lot more than i can but hopefully I can get you started. If you have Al Stohlmans saddle series he has step by step instructions on covering them in leather. Rawhide is not going to be that much different. You might get a little more stretch out of the rawhide when its wet than leather. You are going to need two pieces of rawhide and one piece of leather, for the tread, for each stirrup. Measure the diameter of the stirrup and cut your rawhide where the edges would just meet or slightly shorter(you will get some stetch and you want them tight) Measure for length. The two pieces can be a couple of inches apart at the bottom as the tread will cover this part. Cut the top long enough that you can trim it to stirrup width and fold it over the top punch a hole for the bolt to go thru. Punch hole down the side and lace them up and put the treads on and your done. Hope this makes some kind of sense. If anyone wants to disagree you won't hurt my feelings. Good luck, CW

Ian, I have Grants Encyclopedia which is a compilation of his books so I can't say the plate number to look at, but i believe you want what he calls round braid edge lacing. If you space your holes closer together the braid will be tighter. Most of his illustrations are more open to see the pattern better. Hope this helps. CW

Thanks Horsehairbraider. I thinned it down to about half thickness but should have gone down to a feather edge. Its the little things that make a difference. CW

Those are cool. Someone might have a better way, but if you take some fine sandpaper to the edges of the popper then put a little beeswax on them and rub the hell out of them it will clean up those fuzzies. I use a deer horn. I guess anything hard and smooth will work though. CW

Thanks everyone for the comments. Its really good to get some feedback from guys who are doing the work. Rob, You are right on that nosebutton. After I got it done I was afraid it might pull over the foundations as it dried and I shaped it. Thanks again. CW

Here is a bosal and sidepull I just finished. The bosal is a 12 plait with a 8 bight heel knot worked to an o/u 4. The sidepull is 8 plait without a core. I need to work on my hand sewing. Let me know what you think. Any pointers will be welcome. Sorry for the picture quality. Thanks, CW

Thanks, Bruce. That was just what I needed to know. I think I will start out with the 3/8 for now. CW

What sizes of French edgers do yall use the most? I'm trying to put a set of tools together, but my son was born 3 months premature and things are tight as the bills come in. I would rather have one or two good tools than several poor ones. Thanks, CW

Rawhider, Look under saddle accesories in this forum. A fellow posted a pattern for me a few weeks back. I havn't had time to make them yet due to some unforseen events but they were just what I was looking for. Good luck, CW

Thanks everyone. I'm going to have to put the taps on hold for awhile. Got an order for a couple of bosals. But as soon as I get them done I'll let yall know how they turned out. Thanks again, CW

Bob, I'm down in the Davis Mountains and our feet don't get wet near enough. But I plan on putting lacquer on them just in case. CW