kseidel

Josh, Sometimes I think that factory made trees are underestimated. I have made hundreds of saddles on factory made trees and worked on hundreds more, most of which served well for their use. Even the best treemakers have a reject or something fails. Percentage wise, the factory trees are ahead of the curve. With the increasing numbers of handmade trees and makers, I am experiencing an increase in tree related problems with the fit tolerances in these "better made" trees. Many of them are not better and some are not as good as factory made. Factories have many different bar patterns and when one of their trees does not fit, the company gets blamed, when it may only be the bar shape that was requested by the saddlemaker. There is a long learning curve requiring much trial and error to develop bars that fit a wide range of horses well. It also takes experience shaping the wood consistently. Novice handmade tree makers have to go thru this learning process, and many of their early trees are little better than firewood covered with rawhide. For most beginner saddlemakers, a factory made tree will do just fine. Some factories have a better track record than others. Bowden and Timberline both make reasonable trees for the price. Both will have some rejects. Bowden uses new CNC machines to cut their parts, which has improved their consistency. Inconsistency in rawhide plagues all treemakers. All saddlemakers, whether novice or expert, need to be able to judge the symmetry and acceptability of each tree that they use. I carefully spec and inspect each tree I use, even though they are among the best handmades. Keith

Most of us stuff them with horsehair or sheeps wool trimmed from the hide. You can make the shape any way you want and stuff as firmly as you want. Keith

I do like Greg said and skive the end attached with the screw. I do this on both the loop over the horn as well as the cross over styles. I use 5/8" latigo for the loop over the horn and leave an inch or so from the tip to the slit and punch a small hole at each end of the slit to help prevent it tearing out too easily. It seems to tear out easy enough at the screw. (sometimes too easy!) Keith

ps0303, If you stick the tip of the awl in a cake of bees wax just prior to punching, the awl will slide through easily; even on very hard and thick leather. Repeat after every hole. Keith

Greg, My Union Lock will pull a much tighter stitch than the Randall or Landis 3. It has a tendency to cut through the leather. Keith

Doug, I like a 1 1/4" dish in the tree with a 5" cantle 13" wide. I usually finish out about 1". 1 1/2" in the tree is harder to fill to the desired shape without sitting the rider too deep and feeling the top of the cantle. Only one inch in the tree can sometimes be too shallow. If you are using 12" wide, 1" is plenty. Keith

I have two Randall high lift machines, a Union Lock, and a Landis 3. All are great machines! The stitches are consistently a bit better from the Randall than the Landis; especially on the bottom. Troy is right about the Union lock... seems to be a 1 man machine. If you curse it daily, it works better! The Union is the best for high speed and long distance stitching. It is a needle feed and the stitch length can vary if the operator is not careful. The Landis 16 is also a needle feed machine. Keith

TK The kit you are looking at seems to have all the necessary ingredients to assemble a saddle "by the numbers." A kit can be very restrictive, however, if it is the style and shape that you want to make, and you do not want to change the options, then it would end up similar to what you would make yourself struggling without patterns and instructions. Expect it to be more difficult than it seems. It is not like a kit car, airplane, or house. It is, after all, leather; and as you know, no two pieces are the same. The minimal skiving that they refer to will be primarily shaping the ground seat, and that is not minimal. The drawbacks for a professional are the assumptions that the designer is a competent and qualified saddlemaker, and that the parts are cut from the correct places on a hide. If you just want to get started making saddles it is a good way to get your feet wet. (the first step can be deep) If you want to make a saddle that you will use for the rest of your life, this is not the road to take. This would be a good learning experience. If you want to be a great saddle maker, the best route is to get qualified hands on training and spend some time as an apprentice. That is harder to do with the responsibilities of a family and making a living, but it is what all great saddlemakers have done. There is no substitute for experience. I know Jesse Smith well, and he is a competent saddlemaker. I do not have any experience with his training. He taught at Spokane for many years. I don"t know anyone that went through his school and have not hired any of his students, so cannot speak for his training. You probably have the experience and skills necessary to assemble this saddle kit; just don't plan on it being a saddle that you want to keep forever. Good Luck! Keith

Brushpopper, Shrinkage is a big problem here! I think it is more of an issue where the humidity is low. I get a lot of shrinkage and for several days after. A saddle seat can shrink over an inch sometimes. I have to count for about 3/4" always. Belts will shrink lengthwise about 1/2 - 3/4". They can be stretched back out to correct size, but not saddle parts. Saddle skirting is more of a challenge than tooling and strap leather. Keith

Congratulations! Wish I could have been there to see all of the entries. Keith

You can get oxalic acid at a pharmacy. It is a powdered crystalline substance that you mix with water. I use it on everything after construction is finished and before oiling. I seldom use deglazer. It is just isopropyl alcohol and does not clean all that well. It is the base for the dye and is what you would use to cut the color. Oxalic acid will do nothing for you after oiling and finishing, it is only effective on raw leather. It can affect the final color also. (not black) If you want to try to re-finish and salvage this holster, just strip the finish and re-dye. Deglazer will not strip the finish adequately. Acetone will. There are some other eco friendly cleaners that strip finishes fairly well, and aren't as harsh on the leather or you. You will not remove the oil, but that is not necessary to re-dye. Get a good saturation as Ian said. On the original, you did not get saturation where the leather was burnished, and the excess wiped away before soaking in. Once re-dyed you should be able to refinish and all should be normal. I would oil again as the acetone will lift some. Angeles Jet Black will give a little better coverage than Fiebings spirit dye. The pro oil dye is about the same. Both take longer to penetrate, and leave a deep rich color. Good Luck! Keith

Doug, It is always difficult to judge a ground seat in pictures rather than in person, however, a couple of things are evident in the pics. You have a high spot just behind the maker mark. The front edge should be the highest forward point. Also, the slope of the seat runs all of the way to the dish at the bottom of the cantle. There is not a pocket of level area from the dish of the cantle forward to sit without sitting on a slope. This throws the rider off balance and makes him feel like he is leaning back. You need to take a lot more material out of the seat in the middle from the cantle base forward about 4-5 inches. It is difficult to describe seat shape in words. I'm using my hands... can you see? Keith

Are you using the regular spirit dye or the professional oil dye? The Pro Oil dye covers much better over large smooth surfaces.The biggest issue is the areas that are burnished more on the surface...the light spots. Also it looks like there are some stains left from your hands when making. The best way to prep leather for dye or oil after handling is to wash with oxalic acid. It is quick and easy and opens the pores making the leather receptive to whatever comes next. Also for larger smooth surfaces, a woolskin pad works much better than a dauber. It applies finishes much smoother without the streaking that you get with a dauber. If you strip the finish you should be able to re-dye. Try to get more saturation. Keith

Pete, Acrylic Resolene works well as a top coat over acrylic paints. It applies ok with a woolskin or rag or sponge, just wipe it on and let it dry. It seems that you have ruined the piece in the beginning, but be patient, it dries clear and smooth. Everything else that I have used strips the dye. Keith

Hobby Tom, When using felt, I prefer a folded piece of felt. 1/4 inch folded and about 3/4 inch wide. I have been using these "ready flow pens" for over 10 years. They are much better and more convenient than felt in a clothes pin. Ready Flow Pens I am sure you can find them at many retail stores. They work fine with standard alcohol based leather dyes. Keith

Scott, this is where it can get more complicated. A given seat length in a tree can be shaped to fit both larger and smaller. The required tree length is determined more by the amount of leg room between the swell and the cantle on the side. A wide swell leaned forward and a high cantle leaned back will yield a shorter leg space than the same tree with the swell and cantle stood up straighter. A slick fork has no swell to run your leg into, allowing a bit more variable. You must have enough room for your seat to sit between the swell and cantle in the middle, and enough room for your thigh between the swell and cantle with your leg bent at the desired angle for stirrup length. As far as seat shape, You can shape a seat to be comfortable for a larger person by making the "pocket" that you sit in longer front to back. If the front rises up too soon the rider will be sitting on a slope and feel tilted back. If the dish of the cantle rises up too soon the rider will be tilted forward. Both have a negative affect on the balance of the rider on the horse. It makes one feel like he is sitting "on" the saddle instead of "in" it. You can make the pocket longer by keeping it lower farther forward before beginning the rise. The rise can be as high as you like and as steep as you like as long as there is enough room to sit comfortably in the pocket. Carving the dish of the cantle will also allow more room for the butt. Cutting too deep will sit the rider too close to the cantle and he will feel the top edge of the cantle all around his backside. When the horse goes downhill, the rider will get hit hard in the back by the edge of the cantle. When shaping a seat, remember to shape the sides curved for the thighs, the dish for the butt, and the pocket for the size of the rider. The transitions are the hardest and vary by riding style and personal preference. It is best to start carving in the places that are fixed definates that cannot change. The edges that cannot go deeper than the tree, The deepest part of the pocket over each bar that cannot go deeper than the tree or strainer, the edge of the cantle. When you find these fixed points, it is just a matter of connecting the dots. Sounds simple, but in reality is difficult and time consuming even for master saddle makers. Hope this is helpful, good luck! Keith

I called panhandle leather, they are currently out of stock but expecting a shipment. They said that the mfg company began making the clear lac about 15 years ago as a replacement for neat lac the first time Tandy quit making it. They have been making clear lac ever since. He did not know any of the ingredients. I will try it and report on the results. Thanks to all of you for your input in this matter. Keith

Ben, My fears with lacquers formulated for wood is that they would dry to a hard finish over time. When used in leather they would penetrate deeper than wood and when the leather flexes might crack the finish and maybe the leather. What are your experiences? Keith

Kathy, Thanks for the report. I have used neat lac for the past 30+ years and have about 3 gallons left. But that won't last long. The new formula a couple of years ago does not work the same as the old and not nearly as well. I have about a gallon of the old recipe left and I hoard it for difficult or special projects. I looked up the RTC on the Bee Natural website and was surprised at the price. Quite a difference from $35 gal for the toxic chemical to the all "natural" at $110 gal. Does it go farther, or do you use about the same volume? I read above where it requires two coats to resist antique. RHarris What about this clear lac from panhandle leather? What are its characteristics? I feel like an amateur again researching new finishes! HAHA Keith

Hey Pete, You are not "slow." I just don't type in pictures! I bevel all around all flowers and leaves, and most of the long lines of the stems, even where there will be background in the adjoining space. However, I usually do not bevel the top cut of the vines and just background down the "virgin" leather, mostly to save the time, although sometimes beveling the short top lines I run into the stem line running thru and then it messes up the pattern. I do find myself outlining the un-beveled cuts with my background and then filling the space... like coloring between the lines. If you like I will post a picture of something at this stage tomorrow. I hope this is more clear to you than it seems to me. Keith

Thanks for the info. How do you use it? Is it water soluble? Does it water spot as a final top coat? Does it darken? Does it mix with antique or remain separate in solution? Does it dissolve, thin, or cut antique as a top coat? Is it high gloss or satin, or can it be manipulated as it sets? Does it remain flexible and not crack or harden over time? How long has it been in use? Lots of questions, and I really appreciate your input based on your personal experience. It take a great deal of time to thoroughly test this kind of product. Thanks, Keith

Now you are making me remember the old days! Many years ago I did the background right after cutting, mostly matted background then. Shortly after switching to bar background, I decided that I did not like the background being stamped down by following tools ie: beveler, undercut, etc. Also the bar background works better when nearly dry, so lent itself to all around better results being last. I only bevel the long stem cuts, seldom the shorter top of the stem cut, and sometimes not far into the background space. Keith

It is easier to start learning with leather rather than rawhide. Gail Hought's books are very good and clear and easy to follow. Here is the linkhttp://www.hought.com/ Keith

Pete, The biggest difference in smooth and checkered bevelers is in the finishing. The checkered bevelers hold some of the antique finish and give more shading. As far as the background goes, there are lots of beveled lines that do not relate to the background. You do not have to bevel any lines that are around background if you do not want. It only makes the backgrounding easier. The angle of the bevelers has more affect relative to the thickness of leather and the depth of your tooling, and the desired final look. Many of the new "steep" bevelers are too steep and tend to tear the leather. Keith

I also would like to know about clear lac? What is RTC? Are you spraying or hand applying the RTC and SuperSheen? Keith