VanHornSaddlery

Here is a few picures of my shop in Ogallala, NE. I am not a photographer by any means so they are not real good. Jake

do you still have this machine. I have a fedrco 1245 that I would be interested in trading. Jake

The only information I can offer is check the riggings and how they are put in and if they are in the same place side to side. Other than that if it fits the horses and is comfortable to ride you did all right. I just put new riggings, front and back in a saddle that had mexico stamped on it that were held in with shoe tacks., not a screw to be found. Usually they are least held in with one screw and either some nails or staples. The old boy cinched up, sttepped on and went for a bit of a ride when his front rigging let go and the front cinch hit his pony in the front legs. He got lucky and the back rigging let go after a couple of jumps and him and the saddle found the ground about the same time. The genuine made in Mexico breast collar that came with the saddle let go somewhere in the meantime also which was fortunate for the wreck in general I expect and I got to build a new one for the gentleman.(add on sales!!!!) Sometimes you get what you pay for and sometimes you get lucky. Either way it generally comes to the saddle shop at some point or another. The days of the ten dollar horse and forty dollar saddle are gone, so to all I say keep buying those good deal saddles and come on in, I need the bussiness, and thats Just my two cent worth! Jake

Hello, I don't have a douglas awl blade yet, am going to try one as soon as I break this gosh blessed tandy blade! I bought a round knife and a trim knife from terry knipshcield and he gave me his insight into sharpening blades with a soft felt wheel and black 555 compound from Brownells. I have always hated cantle binds and horn covers until I got set up with the soft felt wheel and the black compound on my grinder, which is running at 3450 RPM, (just gotta watch the heatwhen stroppin). It worked so good on his knives, the old osborne round knife I use for skiveing and the dozier knives I have I thought what the heck, run the awl over it. The last cantle binding and horn went really well. The awl was sharp now. Going to have to put the douglas awl blade off a little longer.Took some of the black compound and made a strop board out of horsehide glued to a 1x4 and have been tickled with that as well for stropping swivel knife blades. According to Terry the black is a tad more aggresive but still leaves a nice finish to the blade. I have tried red compound, white, green and now the black,. Hope this helps and isn't to far off topic. Jake VanHorn Saddlery

Hello, I set a lot of spots in chap legs and spur straps. I use a chunk of heavy skirting leather underneath to drive the spots into on my tooling block and use my heaviest tooling hammer to drive with. One whack is all it takes per spot, then peel them up, tap studs over whith small tack hammer, flip over, move leather and repeat, just taught my wife to spot chaps and couldn't be happier than a fox in a hen house, She is doing great, you will get the occasional obstinate spot that has to be pulled and redone but not very many. For me the secret is getting the legs in the middle of the setter and hitting straight down each time. Easier said than done, but with practice is pretty quick. Happy spotting. Jake

Hello, I do alot of repair work and also custom saddles and chaps and other good. I use jiffy rivets, tubular rivets and copper rivets all the time and also take all three out routinely. If set properly any one of the three will hold well, trust me as I go through a lot of drill bits, the key is the length, with the jiffey and tubular rivets anyway, the copper can be cut to any length. If the proper length jiffy rivet is set it will hold like iron. When setting jiffy rivets you must use a domer on top and have a 1/16 or so of the male end of the rivet sticking up through the leather.as that allows the stud to properly mushroom out in the female head part. For reinforcing at the end of a stictch line I will use #14 copper rivets, small, cheap and cost effective by the pound, for a little more hold step up to a # 12 copper rivet. I also use chicago screws on belt ends, bit ends on headstalls, occasionally, and anywhere you want something to come apart with a little ease. When using chicago screws a bit of blue loctite or fingernail polish will hold fairly well but still allow them to come apart if needed such as on conchos for chaps legs. Everythhing has there specific use you just need to decide what is right at any given point to use. One point to consider is that most rivets use a smaller hole in the leather than chicago screws, thereby weakening the leather less. Just my $.02. Happy riveting.

I just sent you a message. Let me know what you want for it. Thanks. Jake

Hello, I have a Fedrco Pro 200 and have used it for about 15 years. I use the lube pot continuosly filled with 100% pure virgin olive oil, won't stain the leather and when I am done I always oil with the olive oil also, won't rot stitches and in light coats I can get the color I want. Anyway, I do a lot of repair work, sometimes 3 to 4 sets of relined skirts a week, plu all the oddball dirty breastcollars, rotten headstalls that haven't seen oil in thirty yearss, etc. etc.. When doing repair work I always run one needle size bigger, make sure the lube pot is filled and get to stitching. I think using the lube pot all the time helps stretch out the time in between needle changes, repair work or new build. I recently purchased a cobra class 4 and set it up with lighter thread for headstalls and lighter tack work, it is a fair machine for the money, guess I am to darn picky, so.I have done some tweaking on it and think I have it sewing almost up to the Ferdcos standards but will be adding a lube pot next as soon as possible. Just my opinion, hope it helps. Good luck. If you have any questions feel free to give me a shout. Jake VanHorn Saddlery Ogallala, Ne 308-284-9928

I stole my wifes hair dryer and it is hanging by the bench. comes in handy at times for speeding up progress. Other than the initial beating about the head and ears from the wife the hair dryers transition from house to shop has been pretty smooth. I did notice a new dryer hanging in the bathroom the other day which is a good thing cause i have bout wore the first one out. I can feel another one of thses comin on ! Have a good one Jake

Sold

The new clicker is showing up soon so need to move this tippmann clicker. I will take 800.00 + shipping for it. Thanks. Jake

Hello, I have a tippman 7 ton clicker for sale with 4 cutting pads, factory table and a roller stand that I built. It works fine I have had it for about 4 years., upgrading to a bigger clicker. The cutting pads are definitely used but still serviceable. I don't have the air accumulator for the machine. I am in western nebraska, buyer will be responsible for pickup or shipping costs. On the Tippmann website they are $1650.00 + 250.00 for the table and stand. I am asking $1000.00 + shipping or shoot me and offer. Stop by the shop and I will hook it up and let you test it out. Thanks, Jake (308) 284-9928

Hello, I was wondering if you still have this machine and how much you are asking. Thanks. Jake

Hello, I haven't built any harness but have cut a lot of harness leather reins using, Weavers, Wickett & Craig, and Hermann oak predyed leather and have made aquite a few headstallls and tack and have never had any problem with the predyed leather, I still usually light oil and skidmore everything when I am done just to soften and do a little extra conditioning, but thats just me. Good luck. Jake VanHorn Saddlery Ogallala, NE vanhornsaddler.com P.s. have used a makers stamp on harness leather with differing amount of luck. The metal maker stamp that I have seems to work the best on harness and bridle leather. Wickett and Craig is who I use alot, have started using thouroughbred leather and like it, herman oak is a ten side minimum, thouroughbred is a five side minimum far as I know.

Hello, I have made a couple of watch bands and have used 2-3oz veg tanned and then used skidmores leather cream before working the leather. I take a hairdryer and warm the leather, apply skidmores, rub heck out of it, warm with hairdryer again if needed, then wipe off, bend the leather and work it good to soften, wont break. I use skidmores on dry, brittle saddles the same way and have good luck softening the leather. In my experience hammering dry vegtan produces cracking and Lots of cussing. Case and stamp your logo before skidmoreing. Tee See oil works good too.Good luck. Jake VanHorn Saddlery Ogallala, Ne vanhornsaddlery.com