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Aart

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Posts posted by Aart

  2. Posted · Report reply

    Morning everybody and a very happy new year,

    Would anybody know how to 'stain' natural leather to obtain an overall red finish.

    'Stain' is probably not the exact word I should use, I'm thinking along the lines of vinagroon, but with red outcome.

    When I tried last time, the colored layer was just on top of the leather, did break and come off rather easy.

    The idea is to make a bell harness for next winter.

    Best

    Aart.

  6. Posted · Report reply

    Hi all,

    I Have used the search engine on this forum and it found some highlighted

    areas on heating the border tool (visited the Jeffreys Youtube etc). But there must be more to it.

    Up to now I've heated my creasing tools in the 'old' camping gas flame.

    I find this very unsatisfying. I know about the 'Why we do it'

    That it firms up the border. That it finishes it off more or less beautiful, but the 'how' has always (in my case)

    more or less been an experiment. By the way in Europe we use a wooden bordering tool which I've NOT tried to

    heat (yet). Could I have some feedback please.

    Best regards

    Aart.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    Your reasoning probably because here in down-under, our generation (Barra a few others & I) had to do the whole trade (and do it properly) to survive and fortunately we had a lot of old serious Tradesmen around still to teach us. Now we are passing on this knowledge before it is lost.

    Kindest Regards.

    Jim Saddler.

    from Sunny Queensland.

    OK Jim, But still.

    Dreaming about this forum this morning when I was out for a spin with my mare the word I came to was : Generous.

    Thanks again for sharing. (All of you I mean.)

    Aart.

  8. Posted · Report reply

    Hi,

    Understand that the pouch should remain kind of 'fluffy' in your pocket

    Why not taper down the sides of the flap and have a small strap of let's say 15 or 18 mm wide

    on the front side. You can then slide the flap under it and presto. Maybe flap should be a bit longer though

    On the magnetic claps on can always cover the back side of the receiving part on the inside of you pouche with thin leather

    Bset

    Aart.

  9. Posted · Report reply

    Thank You Jim,

    Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me.

    So basicly if I use 4 mm leather, no filler is needed?

    And any series of holes would do as long as the gadget opens up and provides for

    bigger to smaller holes.

    Funny thing is that I almost knew that it would be either you or Barra,

    that would answer from down under. B. Must be away on holiday.

    Thanks again, from (sunny) Southern France

    Aart.

  11. Posted · Report reply

    Hi all,

    How would one use this item? (Sorry, but From the Weaver catalogue and receiving that catalogue , I had a good read for an hour )

    Before (and the result was NEVER show quality) I made rounded parts as follows.

    - A piece of leather reduced to approx 1,5 / 2 mm was

    - soaked in luke warm water

    - sewn around a piece of rope (tapered towards the end and the stitches a bit further from the rim than usual)

    - soaked again

    - hammered into a piece of wood with a half round groove in it so the the remaining leather outside the stiches

    folds over and takes the form of the rounded canal.

    - let it dry

    - buckles or french snaps etc.

    - And I was / am not satisfied after burnishing etc.

    Is this just a lack of experience or do I do something wrong?

    Might the machine help ?

    By the way it looks like the thing the plumber used for his piping.

    Best regards,

    Aart.

    rein_rounder.tiff

    rein_rounder.tiff

    rein_rounder.tiff

  12. Posted · Report reply

    I just picked up a nice piece of Lignum Vitae hardwood and I'd like to make a burnishing wheel like the one in the photo. Does anyone know someone in the Hartford, CT area who does woodwork?

    burnishingju2.jpg

    Thanks, Terrific initiative.

    Yes I'm very interested. But....

    I'm in Europe (France) and would need it with a 25,5 mm bore.

    The questions of course are

    Is that possible and against what price (and when)

    Merry Christmas

    Best Regards

    Aart.

  14. Posted · Report reply

    Hi there,

    I'm not there yet but this might take some time to obtain the info needed. (and work-out the consequences)

    I'm still working on that Gig saddle and I think of "stuffing" the panels with a gel like they use nowadays in

    bicycle saddles.

    Does anybody have some info on this and possibly

    know where to buy the stuff ?

    "Stuffing" being not the appropriate word any longer I'm sure.

    Best

    Aart.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    Aart. I forgot to add, it is a one needle job. When you seam your seat with your skirts you just go in the same holes you made when yoiu overtitched the welt. when your done, don't forget to turn the finished seam. There is a special tool for this but the same effect can be done with a few gentle taps on the seam with a ball pein hammer. It makes the seam "pop" and everything will sit nice.

    On a side note. If you need assistance when it comes to the cantle binding. Surf thru the posts here on cantle binding a western saddle. Again the principal is the same just on a miniature scale.

    Wow and I thought my english sufficient. Six lines and as many words I do not know:

    What special tool ? is that the "overstitch wheel "?

    What is a ball pein hammer ?

    Cantle Binding ??? I suppose we'll find out when we get there.

    On the side: would not it be an idea to start a "Leather workers dictionary" in several modern and not so modern languages

    (I'm fluent in Dutch, French and Swahili (Almost fluent in English I'm sorry to learn)

    But thanks Barra

    Aart.

  17. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks for this Barra,

    Once again you're helping out.

    Would be great to learn more ..

    Aart.

    Aart. Now i get what you mean. I have added a link. It is an old book on making an English riding saddle. It is also a little dated however the principal for attaching your seat, skirts and welt is basically the same for a gig saddle.

    The overstitch is more or less a temporary stitch just to hold the welt in place to assist you when seaming in the seat. This is done because trying to line up the welt, skirt and seat all in one can be a bit tricky. I just go over the edge and move from one stitch/pricking mark to the next (no need to back stitch as again it is only just to attach the welt so as to make the job easier).

    I'll see what else I can dig up to assist you.

    Barra

    http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Images/Makin..._tcm2-18973.pdf

  18. Posted · Report reply

    Aart,

    What I know of overstitch is in the use of an overstitch wheel. this device is used to evenly mark hole locations for proper hand (saddle) stitching. After the stitching is completed, then the same overstitch wheel is run "over" the stitches to help them lay better and straighten any irregularities. Here's a picture of an overstitch wheel.

    Thanks Rawhide,

    I saw that tool before and it seems to point in an other direction.

    It means more or less that the tread and stitches are in line and not (like I thought) that the thread leaves in a 45 ° angle from the stitches.

    (I'm stil working on my Gig Saddle Pad and currently I try to figure out how Steinke puts welts, skirts and the seat together.)

    I'm getting there and it is fun to figure out how the real craftsmen get their results.

    Best

    Aart.

  19. Posted · Report reply

    Good day ladies and gentlemen,

    A question from France.

    What do english speaking leather workers mean by "overstitch"

    Is it a one needle or a two needle thing.

    I think it means sewing two pieces of leather together with one thread one needle

    going from the back to the front through a hole and needle with the thread over the top

    to the back to go to towards the front again in the next hole. The thread forming a

    bridge over the sides to be fixed together. But I'm not sure and would like to understand.

    Who is the expert answering? Or the expert it in a more or less understandable

    english

    Best regards

    Aart

  20. Posted · Report reply

    Trust Jimsaddler, same recipe here in Europe. Beeswax, Resin and Linseed oil. Just this... I'm in Southern France so there is no need for a winter and summer version.

    I'm just an amateur (and have been for over 40 years using my own hand material on my own bred horses) But these threads do last. Mistral sun and sweat.

    Et un coup de chapeau for Jim.

    Best regards

    Aart.

  21. Posted · Report reply

    Wow. This is wide open because the size of the gig saddle is determined by the size of the horse, and that is all over the place for driving horses. Is this for a mini? A draft horse? A Morgan? You need to figure out the size of the horse.

    This is a website that has a harness I would dearly love to have: Camptown Harness and there are some pretty good pictures of the gig saddle. Notice that one is longer than the other. The longer one is better for the horse, and I think she says somewhere she stopped offering the shorter one because the longer one gives the horse better protection and comfort to do his job, and no one wanted the shorter one anyway.

    If you can, build it right on the horse. That way you'll know it's right.

    Hi Horsehairbraider, but sorry the saddle you are pointing at is not a gig saddle.

    It is a (nice looking) saddle to be used for a four wheel carriage.

    The one I'm making is to be with a running back band for a two wheeled carriage.

    The horse is 15 -16 hands (158 cm sorry) so the saddle is to be about 16 inch wide.

    I'll post pictures during the fabrication.

    Best and thanks again.

    Aart.

  23. Posted · Report reply

    Hello Everybody,

    New to this forum. I have so many questions that I (almost) do not know where to begin.

    I've started some weeks ago on a Gig saddle -for a two wheeler I mean-

    Could anybody tell me some do's and do nots as I've checked my old Hasluck and other books on saddlery

    from the old continent but so far there are no real plates or measurements and I'm alone in the woods.

    Great to have "found" you

    Eagerly waiting for anybody to reply

    Best Aart

    from Southern France that is.

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