BondoBobCustomSaddles

Hi E, welcome to the forum! Lots of good people here, and lots of help, all you have to do is ask. What part of Michigan are you guys from? There are some good leather folks up here also. It is great that you have your Great Grand Pa's stuff. Enjoy! Bob

Simply said, I have two 5 foot straight edges, I lay them down across the top of the side, one overlapping the other, end to end. Make a mark and cut with a round knife. I usually make the resulting width of the piece I cut off, at the narrowest spot, the width that I intend to use for a strap or belt or lace, i.e. 1/4", 1/2", or 1 3/4". As for square, I then plot a perpendicular line across the Butt, and do the same, and so on. If you want really square, pay attention to the lines you mark and cut accordingly. Like a famous Michigan native has said many times, cut once, measure twice ! Or is it the other way around ? Well you got the idea. Bob

Andrew, if you sell it and have to ship it, be sure to take the adjustment handle off before you package it up. They usually brake off if not packaged and braced correctly. Bob

Wooden Top, looks like you are on the right track, you will probably still want to strop to a perfect edge. Bob

Not only that, but; the butthead that used all ringshank nails , is also the one that puts them all over and in places where no nail should be! When you work on one of those, you learn new words. Bob

I use an awl to start the hole close to the concho or rosette, then cut to the desired length slit with a really sharp pointed knife. Takes a little time, but; results are to my liking. Bob

Randy, I just put them on the outside. That way, you can still take them out of the stirrup when you need to recover them. Bob

There is another way to do it. Since I am not a silver maker and while I am rather good with a torch, I do not have a jeweler's torch and do not want to destroy the silver, I have taken a different approach. First, I drill a hole in the end of the carriage bolt, correct size for a 10-32 tap and tap then I also counter sink it enough to allow the shoulder of the to go into the hole about 1/8th of an inch. after covering, locate the hole and use a piece of 10/32 threaded rod to screw into the concho and the screw the whole assembly into the stirrup , using some red Loctite to make sure it doesn't come out later. Here is a pic of how it looks. Hope that helps. Bob

I use some listrene added to my wetting solution ( spray that I use to keep leather moist while tooling a panel) it does a good job of keeping mold from growing while the leather is wet and in the plastic bag or under the glass in between tooling sessions. You might try adding a couple of caps full to a pint of distilled water in a spray bottle, spray them especially the area where the mold appears, and then put them away. I am guessing that will solve the problem for you. Bob

Glad they turned out well. I am sure that you will get all the ideas you need for future projects from the good folks here. I never stop looking at others work, it always gives me ideas, and like they say, copying some ones work is the most sincere form of flattery! Bob

The truth as to what to do with these saddles and what to do in general to learn how to repair and make saddles, is probably somewhere in between all the posts here. They all have merit and you can't go wrong following them. Before I spent hard earned dollars, I would suggest that you thoroughly peruse the many various threads on this web sight. There are many hours of good advice and excellent instruction by some of the best saddle makers in the country , Keith Seidel, and Troy West just to name a few. There are a lot of posts asking questions from beginners to experienced . Not knowing your level of ability in working with your hands, the best advice I can give is to look at all these posts and make sure you know what you are getting into. Like Big Sioux, I spent many years learning on my own. Great trip, but; you will better served taking advantage of the wealth on knowledge here in this websight. Bob

Nice work Josh! All goes together, forget the customers, keep it for yourself! Bob

Well, on my cards it says, "done the old fashioned way". The fact is that I have done all of the above in my life, having been a draftsman, seat system engineer, race car builder, automotive decorating engineer to name a few, however; since each saddle I make is a creation of it's own, I still use paper and pencil, or when I can get it, mylar film and pencil. I have a set of patterns I made when I first started, and I use them to make the beginning of a pattern, from there I cut, shape, add, change and generally massage each pattern to suit the style and design of each particular saddle. Sometimes I have been known to cut up a box that is lying around or any piece or stiff paper, or piece of scrap leather in reach at the time I am making what ever it is I am making. I make notes on them that makes them unique to the particular saddle I am working on, and yes I do have a pile of them lying around. Never know when some old design will lend itself to a new saddle. Anyway, bottom line is that it is nice to have a starting place for a pattern, but; for me that is what it is, a starting place, not the end result. Bob

Just a thought, but; if you look at the Kansas Saddlery web-sight, they make some "Chap Bags" that are really nice and I think they are made of left over chap material. At lease the ones that I have made for my special ladies were made of that and it makes a really nice bag. Just a thought. Bob

Bob Stelmack has probably hit the nail on the head. Looks like a seafarer's tool kit , used for general marline spike weaving/braiding of rope and other various chores on an old wind type schooner. Bob I think you get the prize!!! Bob

OK, I have one of these, bought it because my wife wanted me to buy her a purse from Kansas Saddlery, and to me, I just couldn't see spending $300 for a purse I could make, if I had a patcher. So even though I have both a Boss and a CB4500, I decided it made sense to spend the $300 on the machine, make the purse and have the patcher left over. Would I rather have a Singer 29K172, you bet, but; since I only use it once and a while, and it can be taken to a horse show and used out of the back of my truck easily, it just made sense. Now then, the quality of finish is not something I would brag about, but; it does work, and while I got a bag full of extra parts with it, I haven't had to use any of them yet. I have had it for a year and a half or so. Again, I don't use it much, but; when I get a pair of boots that need zippers put in, or something needs patching I am glad I have it. Some day I may upgrade to a nice singer, but; for now, that would be a luxury. Bob

All the comments made by the others are spot on. Last thing to remember, "Happy wife, Happy life!" Bob

Nice job Ron! There is a lot about it that I like. Looks a lot like what I am planning to make for myself, if I ever get ahead of orders. Bob

Hi Wiz. The splitter I bought is a 6" one. Would love to have a 14" one, but; like you it is not in the budget. Maybe some day. I will keep a look out for one, if I find one, I will let you know. I sometimes find stuff at farm auctions, you just never know what you will find at one of those. PM me your phone number, if I run across one I'll give you call. Bob

Wiz, contact Bruce Johnson, he is a skiver nut, and may be able to put you on to one. I bought mine off of ebay for $300 and of course had to go over it to get it working correctly. Bruce helped me with that. I wouldn't be without it . Bob

I agree with Toot. Pinching your leg under those stirrup leathers does hurt! Bob

Brian, nothing ventured nothing gained. A friend once told me that I should first find someone who's work I really admired and then find out what they did to get to the level they are at. Using the artists from TCAA is striving to be the best. You can't go wrong with that. Bob

Welcome Redhat, whereabouts in MI are you from? There are some really great folks on here and they will be glad to chime in with help when you need it. All you need to do is ask. Bob

Wiz, push comes to shove, I have one of those Claes knockoffs, that I use sometimes for various things. It is not a large bobbin but; if you need it, it's yours to use for the show. Just give me a PM and we can hook up. I am about 1 hr away as long as you don't come during peak traffic hours, otherwise it's a crap shoot. Your more than welcome to use it. Bob

Chief, like you I am a disabled vet, and have been getting the elite pricing for years, however; I too have been unhappy with the trend Tandy is on and has been for the last 5 years or so. Bottom line, well... that is the bottom line. I have seen this trend of cutting cost, and cutting of the quality down to just what it takes to get it out the door, in many industries, guess that's what they teach in business college these days. Prime example is the lowering of the standards on DV testing of automotive systems and components so that they will just barely meet the warrantee period, (current recalls for GM and Ford as an example). This practice is going on in a lot of the industries, not just automotive. It is a mind set, Like you, I think Tandy is infected with it, and the goal is to make as much as you can fast and get out while the getting is good! I could list a lot of specific examples that I know of, but; I have been trying to just relax and enjoy retirement and making saddles. If I get started, I won't be able to stop. Suffice it to say, I just sit back and watch it happen with disgust. Guess I've turned into one of those grumpy old cusses JW talked about Tall in the Saddle. Bob