CWR

Richard, I'm afraid poor health prevented them from completing any more books. It's a shame, they would have been a treasure. CW

I have made several of these. I use the same multi string knot that I use to do a nose button on a bosal. I braid them over a piece of sucker rod a little bigger than the knife diameter. This makes it easier to get off the mandrel. The first ones I made I braided over wood or wood and leather and it's hard to get the rawhide to slide off without messing up the button. Just start your knot a little longer than you want the sheath to be and braid down to the end of the mandrel. The knot will naturally close up around the end. I end all the strings that split the paralells at the bottom. After you pull it off the mandrel push them bottom up into the sheath just a little to make the bottom flat. The belt loop is a simple four strand flat braid. Put your knifwe init while it is still damp and it will take the knife shape. You can braid them with a gaucho or herring bone braid. CW

Rod and Denise, I really enjoyed the pictures and now have a better understanding of what goes into building a tree. After my amazement of all the steps it takes to get a tree finished, the first thought that popped into my head was " Wow, there's about a million ways to lose a finger building a tree!" Thanks for all the work you do to keep us informed. CW

Unless you tie on all the time or you are going to put rubber over the rawhide, I would go with mulehide or latigo. The rawhide is just too slick to dally on. But if you want the rawhide here are some ideas that might make your wrap tighter. You are probably working the rawhide too wet. Real wet rawhide will be twice as thick maybe more than it is dry. Soak it until it is good an soft then let it dry back a little. Rub a good bit of saddle soap into it and wrap it up in an old towel and put it in a plastic bag for several hours or overnight. When you take it out it should be pliable but about the same thickness as it was dry. I always tack one end under the gullet then make my wraps. The ones I have done I went around the horn cap as well as the post. The chinaman should help you get it tight. I would also tack the other end under the gullet. I think the rawhide shrinks too much to just put the tail under a wrap. Hope this helps, CW

Congratulations. Bob is putting my CB3500 together right now and I hope to have it late next week. I feel like a kid waiting on Christmas. Enjoy your machine. CW

Josh, Do you still have the machine? If so I would like to talk to you. Thanks, CW

Are McMillen's still in business? I got some Bissonetts and French Edgers from them a few years back and was real pleased with them for the money. They had a few things in their catalog you just don't see anywhere else, unless Bruce has them on his site then they always sell before I can get my pennies scraped together. CW

Ann, Somebody may hop in here with more experience than mine and if they do take their advice, but I have hardened taps before. I made some out of some import skirting that was real soft. They were bulldogs so when the leather was still wet from molding them on the stirrup I put them on a board in the oven set on about 180 and left them in there for 30 mins. After they cooled I oiled them and they were just right. I havn't had any negative feedback from the customer so I assume they are holding up well. Put them on the board because even the low heat will leave marks from the rack. If I use Hermann Oak 13-15 I don't do any of this. Hope this helps, CW

No, but I will now. Thanks for the heads up. CW

Randy, My wife is out of town with the camera. I wish I would have gotten some. CW

I just took off a swell cover that a boy brought me to recover. I have never seen one like it. Hoped some of you might shed some light on it for me. The cover was actually three pieces. The ends of the swells were each covered with one piece of leather that was blind stitched instead of welted. These went from the bottom of the swell half way to the horn and tacked to the tree with number three tacks. Then the third piece had the horn hole and extended over the tack line of the other two pieces. I am replacing it with a traditional welted cover. The reason he brought it to me was because a colt had hung it under a hitch rack and one of the end covers got ripped out. The whole saddle is a puzzle to me. Some of it is very impressive. The jockeys are one piece and really fit nice and tight and it is a seat rig that is done pretty nice. But then there are things that just make me shake my head. Just wondering if any of you have seen anything like this before? Thanks, CW

Thanks Keith. I got after it with some 60 grit and then some finer grit and it's really uniform. I'm going to try the welt plugs on the next one I do. I learn something every time I tear one down. Thanks again. CW

I just replaced the swell cover on a ruff out saddle for a guy and where I skived the welts looks different than the rest of the cover. I roughed it up with a sanding block and it helped but I can stil see the transition line. This saddle is used hard and in a few days it won't matter but I would like for it to leave the shop looking asa good as I can get it. What do yall normally do? Another thing, when I took the old cover off, It had little shims about an inch on either side of the welt that fit around the welts and were skived down to nothing to help the welts lay in smoother. Never heard of that before. Do any of yall do that? Thanks, CW

Looks good Luke. I'm working on my first one and I hope it turns out half as good. Happy New Year. CW

Just take two strings and run them under a couple of strings at the top of the sheath, this will give you four strings now. Do a four strand flat braid the length required for your belt loop. Pull the ends through a couple of strings at the bottom and back braid it a few passes to hold it secure. The main thing is to cut your strings long enough. It takes more than you think. Good luck, CW

I worked on a ranch in San Angelo and the only boots the owner wore were ostrich. He rode and worked in the pens just like the help. He claimed they were sa tough as any you could get. I can't say if he was right because he didn't pay enough for me find out.LOL CW

The title says it all. I don't deserve the blessing I have. A friend took this recently for Christmas cards and when I got I realized how lucky I am. CW

Another nice one JW. What is the difference in a Tucson and a low moose? Thanks for posting. CW

Russ, I like a Will James it seems to have a more of an undercut than most modified assoc. The swells are a little lower profile than a m.a. too. I like that. I'm sure it will vary according to your treemaker. I ride one with 14 inch swells and you can sure get your legs under there. It still has spur tracks across the seat though, but that says more about my bronc riding ability than the tree. Hope this helps. Maybe someone else will chime in. CW

That's a good looking rig Steve. I bet some cowboy is sure proud of it. I got my first tree from Sonny, it is real nice. Thanks for posting. CW

Rebecca, Prep your rawhide just like you were going to braid with it. Put it in luke warm water for ten or fifteen minutes wipe off the excess and put it in a plastic bag for at least 2 hours. I like to saddle soap it then put it back in the bag for another hour or two. It should just be soft enough to be pliable. Don't get it too wet or it will shrink too much after it dries. The lacing needles will work just fine. Hope this helps. CW

Bob, Thanks I couldn't have done it without you all here helping me out when I get in over my head. This is a long term goal that I hope to be an income producer in the future. It is addictive though. JW, I ride one too. I like taco hats and big swells and he will too as long as I'm paying the bills.LOL. Thanks again, CW