Hedge

Mike, If you want darker rawhide, try soaking it in coffee. (good reason to save coffee grounds) By varying the strength of the mix you can get a wide variety of tones. It stains the rawhide and doesn't bleed. Hedge

Going to be a fine looking saddle. I sure like the way you layed out the tooling.

Great job getting the forum back on line so quickly. And many thanks for the heads-up on the home page. It really helped in understanding what was going on. Hmmm...my horses could use some practice dragging stuff. Got any hackers lying about?

We loaded 300 grass squares yesterday. Looks like we'll be knocking some down this week and baling some rounds. Got a possible deal on 100 squares for $2.50 each and will be working shares for the rounds. I figure I'll need only 20-25 rounds for the winter and keep the squares for standby. Hay season isn't what it was last year. Looks like it's going to be a might lean.

Rob, forgot to mention...as you know, there will be some thicker spots on the hide. Find those and set your blade to skive them until you get a uniform thickness for the whole string. That will minimize hard pulls as you do the whole string. Haven't had time to work on anything. Haying season is here and I still have plenty of work to do around the place. Will post some when I get back to leather work.

Take thinner slices off with each pass. Takes more passes but you won't be putting so much tension on the string as it passes the blade.

Your stiching is improving with each project. The only thing I can add to $$hobby's comments is to watch your stitch pattern. Always pass the needles through the same way. That will eliminate the "jag" in the stich line. (assuming the holes are aligned )

I posted a lacing calculator in this section. It will give you an idea of how much lace you can get from your hide. As for the size of the hide...they are relatively small. It's hard to get the big Red Kangaroo hides. Most of them go to the Chinese for making shoes.

Here's something you might find useful. http://www.frayedknotarts.com/tutorials/BrewLanyard.html http://www.khww.net/readarticle.php?article_id=34

You're welcome. Here's a link that will show you how to weave the 6 bight turk's head. Bights are the "bumps" created at each end of the knot when the direction of the weave changes.

I'd use a turk's head of at least 6 bights and wrap a piece of 2-3 oz leather over the 2 lanyard strings first. Weave your knot over that.

Hi Cindy, Try looking for Tom Hall's book on tack. He has numerous designs and the measurements to go with. I think the books are out of print but you can still find them. Looking forward to seeing your headstall. I did a full braided headstall based on one of those in Bruce Grant's book. Turned out pretty decent but had to rework it...the measurements for the cheek piece must have been for a draft horse!

Thanks, Johan. I wondered what that stuff was! Makes sense that it shows up after freezing I'll try te rejuvenator next time.

Glad to help, Tazzman.

Ah, I see what you mean, now. What I do is get those funny looking paper clips, the kind that look like a metal tent and have fold over levers on them. Secure the strings with them while unraveling the tangle. I'm one of those people who can't seem to get the hang of tamales, so I just let the free ends go until I figure it's time to untangle.

Anchor the end of the braid, and divide the labor of tensioning and positioning the strings among the fingers of each hand. It's a matter of finding a technique that works best for you. For me, I keep control of the 2 left strings with the left hand and the 2 on the right with my right. When I wrap the working string around by pushing with an index finger and then manipulating it in place with the other finger and thumb. I still maintain control of the other strings. I just let the core dangle and push it out of the way with a spare finger. Just takes practice.

Hi Luis, I can tell you it's faster than hand stitching. I've done both and don't have a preference. It all depends on the look I want. One thing about looping them is that you can easily snug them when the cartridges start to loosen. You just run a lace through the back of the loop behind the belt.

Don't know if this will help but try thinking of braiding as a form of weaving. You inter-lock the strings by laying over.

Hey, never thought of that. Sure. Sounds like that should work perfectly for 4 plait, although you really don't need a core for 4. I've also done 6 plait without core using a herringbone pattern. Very interesting result.

Tazzman, you can get excellent cores in a wide variety of diameters from REI or sporting goods stores that carry climbing and camping gear. These are the lines used for tying gear, not the climbing ropes. They're firm and don't stretch and are inexpensive.

You're very welcome! And thanks for letting me use your design. I'll be sure to post a pic of that project when it gets done. Try not to hold your breath though. I'm behind in my leatherwork. Just got a call from someone I made a set of braided reins for. Horse stepped on 'em and popped the bit loop. So, repair job coming up since she uses them all the time. Then, I've got a gun rig to build, fences and a corral to build horses to train and a host of other projects. I think this summer is going to be too short. Yup, gotta agree about the lettering. You've a good eye for stylish layout. I recognize imaginative work but darned if I have the creativity to come up with it.

Tom, you did it again! The two things that impress me most about this case are the way you did the name and that fabulous handle. Mind if I borrow your handle design? I have a project in mind that it would set off. Really a fine piece of work, Tom!!!

Welcome to the forum, Brian. And thanks for the pics and link to your site. I love looking at saddles. Your's are outstanding works! I'm very impressed at your talent in leather and metal. That big spade bit is elegant! Got a question...what did you use for the horn wrap in the pic you posted?

Colored and natural drum stuffed 'roo. I stick to earth tones and haven't worked with bright colors except red. Haven't gotten any bleed with that. I wash in distilled water to avoid possible chemical interaction. (my well water has iron in it...turns leather black.)

I do exactly the same thing with the flesh side. And, yup, wash it off after I'm done. As far as using a conditioner, instead, I find that saddle soap gives me the feel I want when braiding. So, I'd say it's a matter of preference. btw- when I first started braiding, I didn't wash off the soap. I'd had a work piece that had been lying around for awhile and decided to unravel it. Wherever the soap was between overlays, the leather was dark and nasty looking. So, now I wash until the water comes off clean. Then I air dry and condition the leather.