Chaps

[figthnbullrider]

hey does any one here make rough stock chaps. if so do u use a pattern or what.

Im also looking to make some chinks. so same question

[Hidemechanic]

FB, EltonJ did a real nice pair of rodeo chaps in show offs' get out your sunglasses thread. I posted a couple pair I think also in show offs under first, 'now and then'.

Elton's pics give a real good idea of what you want to do to make a patern. Pretty simple to use butcher paper or the like and lay it up against your leg (have someone help you) you want to start with where your belt will be and have about 5" past your outseam to give you some to work with later when you draw the shape you want for the outer edge.

Let's say on your right sidewith the paper in front against you, run your hand from about you first belt loop(3 1/3"or so)off your buckle center down toword your crotch. This will make somewhat of an elongated 's', which you should cut to give relief to the paper so it will bend around your leg. Make a level line that goes toward the back of your leg and finish cutting to the back. Keep tape handy to add where needed.

One of your most common points of referrence will be you out seam.

From the highest point of your inseam measure down about 8"-9" which will give you the bottom edge of your strap panel. This will make a gentle curve toward the knee from the inseam piont. Rodeo chaps may stay inside the knee a bit as they turn toward the bottom. Alot of these shapes are a matter of taste some are function.

back to the belt at your side about even with the inseam, drop down a few inches then turn out slightly so you hav a line about 3" behind your outseam just about the knee you can add some flair if you like til you hit the floor.turn toward the toe of the boot around the instep and join the piece that came down the inseam.

This will give you a general shape fpr making your oun chap patern.

Chinks are about the same but the flair will be different depending on the style you like. Most chinks are at or just below the knee with the fringe below that. Up here in the NW they have dropped to about mid shin and fringe to about the top of the foot.

I'm attaching an old pic that will give you some idea of what you are looking for.

Another (better) idea is to borrow a pair and copy them.

All the doodahs of course are extra info but this will get you started if I explained it well enough.Good luck GH

[Elton Joorisity]

My patterns are pretty darn simple for the body of the chaps. I drew my patterns up about 12 years ago and have never looked back or felt the need to change them. GH gave a pretty good little tutorial. Not too nuch that I could add. Styles have changed over the years. the best way is to look at other chap maker's chaps and try to make your own pattern from the info that you take note of. my outseam is a straight line until the curve in the beginning of the yoke area. my inseam is also straight but is not perfectly parallel to the outseam.

The best way I think to start fresh with a pattern is to look at chap order forms. As far as rough stock chaps you only need a few measurements to build them but it helps to have LOTS of different refference points when making a pattern.

PM me with any questions if you wish.

[Hidemechanic]

FB, I should mention that the picure I added was not for rough stock chaps but just something to give you a starting point for patern making.

You probably know but I will pass this along anyway that there are a few basic styles of chaps and alterations made to those basics that make them work for different uses. For instance the bat wig is basically cut down on the inside(some outside) for the rodeo chaps for two reasons. It allows the lower body of the chaps to fly around while the critter is bucking and hopefully give the cowboy a better ride.

It also removes restriction so when the cowboy does hit the ground he can make a quick getaway without tripping over his chaps. With that in mind it should help while making adjustments in the patern.

Same basic idea for chinks. Cowboys at branding time are always crouching and kneeling and their bats would get in the way so they had them shortened.

There are a couple methods for the fringe.

To mark your basic fringe line, I lay the patern on the hide and move it back away from the edge untill I get about where I want the fringe to start.Usually you can't use this for the entire fringe line in one shot. And I don't simply use dividers to mark a lone the same distance form the edge all around the hide(you could but not in one shot) as some styles look better if the fringe is longer at the bottom and shorter at the top or on the sides. Therefore I use the patern to help keep the contours of the fringe in line with the chap. ( maybe I want 4" on the side and 6" on the bottom I can use the patern to mantain the shape on the sides 4" in from the edge then do the same with the bottom 6" up from the edge, then I can use the curve of the patern corner to blend the side and bottom lines.

As for hand cutting fringe, I put the chaps on (make sure they are hanging right)and look down the leg in front and toward the outseem and determine a plumb line to the ground and mark it, this line will be my referrence for the rest of my fringe. Getting the fringe right around that corner is the tricky part.

I then lay the chap on the table and use at least a 3' strait edge, mark off a the width of fringe you want to cut but at this point we are not cutting and not marking all your fringe, you just want to see if your fringe is going to pan out with the first line you marked. Measure an equi distance from the top and bottom of your first line toward the outseem.Mark dots with your awl. You may only be able to measure about 5" at a time but you want to work your way up the outside of the chap body to see how the fringe will lay when cut. I use my strait edge to rub a light mark on the hide which will fade later. I think you get the point.

The reason I go through this is because there are a few factors that can work against you when cutting fringe that can make things go arye.

First, there are some cheep commecial chaps that have fringe cut at a very shallow angle and when the chaps are worn(put on) the fringe hangs funny and lays all over itself. They cure it by cutting fatter fringe so it is stiffer and to me fat fringe looks clunky.

What we are trying to do is have the fringe hang nicely with a finer look.

So the angle fringe is cut can effect how it looks. Not to mention, if you cut too shallow an angle your fringe at the bottom will be pointing behind you as though you are standing in a wind storm.

The knife you use and how you use it will determine how each cut comes out. All knives can cause drag on the leather especially softer hides. Usually when the hide streches while cutting the fringe gets wider at the bottom.

It is probably becoming more popular to use the rotary blade.

In my own case I use my well stropped round knife, start the cut at the top of the fringe then roll the knife toward the outer edge of the hide.Measure for the next one and cut.

The main reason I don't premeasure all the fringe is because each previous cut may not be perfectly on the mark or you may find that you have to make a slight adjustment of your angle to keep things running "strait" and you find yourself cutting off your premeasured lines.

I'm sure others have had success with less labor and I am looking forward to hearing from them on this subject, but this is basically how I go about it.

Of course we haven't mentioned the other details yet such as types of belts and strap attachments. But I'll quit for now. GH

[Dually]

Hidemechanic, When cutting your fringe the way you describe, do you find that you still have to take out a pie shape or two as you round the bottom of the chink? I find that otherwise I end up with fringe that is wide at the bottom.

[Hidemechanic]

After I messed up a couple times I got to where I could anticapate the change and compencate by changing the angle a bit to avoid making fat ends.I do stop and recheck with my straight edge frequently in the curves. You do have to cheet once in awhile to controle it but any body that gets close enouth to see it is likely going get cow kicked. Kind of like the measure twice cut once but you stop and measure more than twice in this case. Besides, I was told long ago that the mark of a good craftsman was how well he covered his mistakes.GH

[ryan]

After I messed up a couple times I got to where I could anticapate the change and compencate by changing the angle a bit to avoid making fat ends.I do stop and recheck with my straight edge frequently in the curves. You do have to cheet once in awhile to controle it but any body that gets close enouth to see it is likely going get cow kicked. Kind of like the measure twice cut once but you stop and measure more than twice in this case. Besides, I was told long ago that the mark of a good craftsman was how well he covered his mistakes.GH

True! True! Comforting to know others have similar problems!

Ryan