barrel saddle repair

[rawhide1]

Hi hope every ones doing fine. I need some help on this repair. My buddy bought a barrel saddle for his daughter. The rawhide braid work has been wore off about half way down and he wants me to fix it in a couple of weeks. Nows here's the problem I've never built a saddle or tore one apart. So I need to know if this is a bigger job than I can handle. And if it's not were do I start. Whats the length and width of the rawhide need to be I can handle the braidwork but don't know how far up to cut rawhide for strings or # of strings. I'm just trying to help a buddy out and he knows my lack of saddling experience. Thanks for any help ya can provide Mike

[Mike Craw]

Hey Rawhide!

For what it's worth, in our shop we don't bother to re-braid that rawhide neck wrap. We do a leather cover and bullhide wrap. The reason is that, besides being time-consuming to braid, it's impossible to get the new braid under the swell cover without doing a complete re-construct. Not worth the time or money.

On a Billy Cook, I always very carefully remove the engraved concho on the horn cap by removing the leather cap and then cutting away the leather around the three prongs on the back of the concho. Whatever you do, don't try to straighten the prongs, because they are copper wire, and they'll break off...guess how I know? I then make a horn cap piece and punch three holes for the wire posts. They are all bent at an angle, so I insert the tips and then twist the concho to seat it. I then Barge the back of it, stick it to the horn cap filler, and stitch it. It's a pain in the , but since Billy Cook made it, I figgure he ought to have his name on it.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[bruce johnson]

I'm with Mike C. I have quite a few barrel racing clients. They really seem to like the Connie Combs barrel racer that Circle Y put out 20 years ago. The rawhide used to cover a lot of the factory saddles is thin, and usually bleached. It wears throught the grain layer pretty quick and then just rots. They usually want a leather horn cover put back on. It lasts longer and is usually more comfortable in the their hand. Unlike Mike, I toss the horn cap plate, because I always break the prongs or it was just held by a rawhide lip and has no fasteners.

I remove the swell cover and do a traditional 3 piece horn cover. Bottom piece, filler layer to prevent rotation, and top cap and neck wraps. If it is a bare metal aluminum horn and not a rawhide covered horn - a tip. On a rawhide covered horn you tack the filler layer and it clinches on the metal cap. With a bare horn I drill and tap three holes through the cap. I then put countersinking machine screws through the filler and cut the excess flush underneath. This secures the filler. Many of these factory jobs with the leather covered horns don't have the filler and get loose - the filler is better.

The skirts and swell covers are usually screwed and stapled, so removal is easy and pretty quick. As is replacement. I figure start to finish a 2 hour job, and the pieces all come out of the scrap bin. I haven't had someone want a rebraid for a few years.

The Stohlman books, and Harry Adams book both show pretty clearly how to do the leather covers, but working with someone who has patterns already and has done a few is measurably more helpful. I haven't seen the rawhide braided cover illustrated anywhere, but it is pretty straightforward. I think most of what I take off are 3 or 4 strings on each end, so it is a normal 6 or 8 strand over 1/under 1 braid. Cut the strings far enough forward to get a tight braid to start, and it might take some staggered cuts to get it to lay right to start. It takes me twice as long to do a braided cover.

[sheowahya]

I must preface this by saying that I don't know a thing about saddles.

I just want to pass along this tid bit of information...

In the current issue of The Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal there is an article (Part 1 of 2)

titled "Covering an Iron Saddle Horn - Grain Side Out" by Bob Klenda.

It may be of interest to folks.

Cheers

Marilyn

[rawhide1]

I want to think every one for thier replies. Maybe I can talk him into the leather covered horn. Either way it looks like i'll have some time invested in it because i'd better double or triple what ever time it takes ya'll. Any way i'll have a couple of weeks to find the above books. Thank goodness it's a friend for my first horn repair. Thanks again Mike

[Go2Tex]

I hope this is a reeeaaally good buddy. 'Cause you just bit off a huge chunk o' work, just learning how to do it. Since you're just doing it as a favor, I'd forget the rawhide braid and just do a cap and wrap. Cover the top and bottom of the horn cap and then put a latigo wrap on it to cover the neck of the horn. This is demonstrated fairly well for the absolute beginner in Dusty Johnson's book on saddlemaking. And it won't cost you near as much.

Also, the Leathercrafters and Saddlers Journal did a 3 part article on the rawhide braid for a horn. Don't know if you can still get them but it covers the whole sha-bang.

[Duke]

there is a braiding book that TLF carries that touches on the braided horn cover a bit.it doesnt go too much into depth on it tho,but if you have time and patience, it might be worth checking out.unfortunately this is my day off so I cant tell you right off the bat which one it is, but I will do what I can to check on it and get back to you.hope this helps