rbrooks

thanks Tom! rbrooks

Am looking for 1 and 3/4 inch plain conchos. Conchos are slightly domed. Can anyone tell me where to find them. Only need two to put back on 1920`s pair of chaps. Same chaps are seen in Cowboys / And Old West Trappings by William Manns and Elizabeth Flood. Any help in finding these old conchos will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi, my name is Ron Brooks and I not only grew up in Albany but I knew Frank Finch well. In his early years Frank was a pretty good saddle maker, in his later years he wasn`t so good due mainly to poor health. The saddle you show in the pictures is very representative Franks work. I would say it was one of his better saddles. Frank was a retired Army Officer though I don`t remember his rank. There was quite an article about him in the Albany Democrat news paper at the time of Franks death. If you would like some more answers about Frank please contact me at the address below Sorry I didn`t see this post when first posted! Contact at : ronaldbrooks879@gmail.com

Guys, I really appreciate your replies they were helpful. I will keep taking photo off this so the client ca n pick out what he likes. Thanks again!

Fellow asked me to make a shoulder holster for his Springfield XD 45. I am an ex- saddle maker and repairman, not a holster maker. While I am sure I can do the work, I am little uneasy about making the pattern for this particular gun. If anyone could advise me I`d be more than greatful!

I`ve recently inherited a Singer-45K25. It seems to have an excessively large needle. If anyone out there knows the sizes of needles and thread that are standard for this machine, your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Ron Brooks

Silverback, I also have a Singer 45K25. Just starting to use it as soon as I reset the timing. What size of needle do you have and what size of thread will you be using? any info would be a great help! rbrooks Can answer at saddleup6@pocketinet.com if like. Good Luck!

For what it`s worth , I use a Stanley Utility Knife for cutting almost everything. I`m a saddle maker and have been using it for over thirty years. I can use head knives and round knives equally well, but like all tools its how you use them. With utility knives remember to keep them straight up and down , most important pull the blade through the leather by pulling with your whole body. Do not try and pull just with your arm. I have a cutting table, 4 x 8, that I do all my cutting with. Just lay-out your leather and start your cut and lean back from your leather and pull the knife as you lean back. This gives you enough force to cut through almost any leather. Just recently I found a serrated blade that Stanley has put out,and it seems to cut easier than the old blades. Learn how to use each knife that you have and don`t listen to anyone who says theres only one way to do things. We would still be in the stone age with that kind of logic. Keep `em sharp!

fonzman, I use saddle lac all the time and have never had any trouble with it at all. I spray it on, let it set for 15 minutes put a second coat on and once in a while I`ll put on a third coat. It`s entirely possible that you got into a bad batch or a can with a bad nozzle. I buy by the case if that tells you anything, try it on some scrap leather and see if it doesn`t work-out for you. Keep in mind that you should try out new things on scrap before you use it on a finished product. Good luck! rbrooks

My lay-out table and work bench are made of 4x4 posts for legs ,frames of 2x6`s. Lay-out table has 3/4 inch plywood top, work bench has 2x6 top. I went to Oregon Leather, out of Portland Oregon and ordered a 28 by 18 piece of neoprine sole material, actually two of them. On my lay-out table I just leave it loose and use it as circumstance dictates. On my work beench I framed around it with 1/2 inch strip of leather to keep it from moving around. When I`m cutting, say a set of stirrup straps,I start at the left end of the table and cut for 26 inches or so,reach under the side of leather, slide the mat down and begin cutting again. this is great for a variety of reasons. Try it you`ll like it. By the way the neoprene only cost me $28.00 two years ago and they sent me enough material for three pads. My first pads lasted somewhere between 25 and 30 years and I`m still using one of the original ones on the lay-out table. Heres something else that might interest you on work surfaces. I took and old TV from the 60`s or 70`s, one of those console models and took the glass front out of it and put it on my work bench. I framed it in with 1/2 inch leather stripping also. This is an incredible surface for skiving all your leather work can`t be beat. Never dulls your skiving knives. If you have to buy new glass do not buy safety glass, you can`t skive on it. Buy plain, untreated glass. Hope I haven`t bored ya! Hope I might of been of some help. Keep toolin! Rbrooks

See freckel41 question in this forum for input I just wrote ten minutes ago. On same subject. rbrooks

it1, I agree with many of the replies I just read about your problem,so I would like to put in my two cents worth. I`ve been in the saddle making business for 35 years or so and I can tell you there is no correct way to cut leather. First off your utility knife works perfect except in some really sharp, tight curves. Like anything else its how you use it. If you have a cutting table lay out your pattern on your leather and cut by drawing the knife toward you, but pull with your body and do not pull with your arm. I stick the blade down through the leather and pull with my body while keeping my arm,hand and knife in a locked position. you can pull that knife through any thickness of leather that way. If you shove your knife to far down into you rubber mat it will be impossible to cut your leather evenly. Keep that knife vertical as possible. Head knifes and round knifes are great knifes too but they do take a lot of practise. always push away from yor body wit these knives unless you wish to loss some part of your anatomy. You can also stick the blade down through the leater and roll it along a straight line for straps. If you are putting two pieces together for sewing, oversize the bottom piece, sew it and then trim off the exces leather. Hope i`ve been of some help. Good Luck! rbrooks

freckels41, Various saddle types are made to fit the tree you are using. If you are interested in learning to make saddles ,I would suggest buying Bill Gomer`s Saddle Making Guide.Bill is very good about showing you how to make patterns for each part of the saddle. You should be able to get his address from the Western Horseman Magazine or The Saddle Makers And Leather Crafters Journal. It`s the middle of the night right now but if you care to e-mail me at saddleup6@pocketinet.com tomorrow, I`ll see if I can locate it for you.