Covering swells

[Cowboy Crafts Online]

Keith,

Can you explain why a folded welt is stronger than a single ply? I have always liked the look of the single ply better. However I want to build a saddle that will last longer.

What are peoples thoughts on braiding the welt.

Ashley

[Sandy Robbins]

I have a friend that gave me an old saddle that the leather was pretty well dry rotted. So i stripped it down to the tree and patched the holes and put a few coats of a waterproof sealer on it and it seams pretty sound now. I dont know what kind of tree it is. But it has huge swells on it and it is a little intimidating to me since this is only my second saddle. What possessed me to try this i dont know but i will give it my best! My 1st was a SF Bowman. I am definitely saving the earlier posts for references. Any other suggestions or advise are more than welcomed!!

Thanks in advance!

[kseidel]

Ashley,

On a folded welt the leather at the top is run under the swell cover and flared out. The top of the rolled welt is well supported from underneath. On a single ply welt, the top edge is butted into the cut in the swell cover, but doesn't extend very far underneath. The piece of leather protruding to the outside can tear away fairly easily and leave the stitching exposed. If you do a single ply welt, use a softer more flexible piece of leather for your welt, and don't stitch your stitches too close together. 5 or 6 to the inch is tight enough.

Hope this helps,

Keith

[YRsaddles]

Keith,

Can you explain why a folded welt is stronger than a single ply? I have always liked the look of the single ply better. However I want to build a saddle that will last longer.

What are peoples thoughts on braiding the welt.

Ashley

here's my 2 cents on braided welts, personally I like the overall look of the braided welt vs single or folded welt. but one thing to keep in mind that unless steps are taken to slow down wear, the lace can be torn to pieces in a relatively short time. I've heard or saddle makers putting a type of varnish on the lace so it doesn't wear as quick...but I think wears issues can also be slowed with HOW you position the welt..refer to Troy's pics..the riders thigh won't rub the welt when it is positoned like that.

Dave

[rktaylor]

I am going to be faced with this issue in the near future. I will be building on a Will James tree with 13.5 inch swells. Maybe I could cover them without welts, but I figured it was something I should learn anyway. I am planning to lace them, but this last post has me somewhat concerned. I sure see a lot of saddles with laces down the side of the swells, but I know that doesn't mean its a good idea.

I figure after six years some of the opinions may have changed or maybe someone new wants to chime in.

Thanks,

Randy

[kseidel]

rkktaylor, Will James swells over 12" can be difficult of not impossible to cover without welts, depending on treemaker and rigging. It is difficult to do a smooth laced welt. They tend to be bulky. Best advise would be to use kangaroo lace and use care not to get too high up on your swell. You don't want the lace to stick up and be the highest part on the swell. Stretch and mould the leather down over the swell so that the welt does not need to be cut up too high. Good luck.

Keith

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

I'm curious what everyone else thinks of this one. It is an old Fred Mueller saddle with 17" swells, 2-1/4" undercut, and an inch backswell with just a slight leg cut. There are NO welts! Most of the slack was worked around to the back. There was very little slack worked down ahead of center. Of course part of the bottom of the swell cover goes over the top of the front jockey so that takes up a bit. I don't know if I'd have the guts to try this, although I'm tempted. None of these old swell fork saddles have welts, but this is the widest swell I've worked on. It has a 6" cantle and 6" gullet width, which is wider than many of the old ones. Tree is only fair condition, with a lot of the rawhide splitting at seams and stirrup leather cuts. I have another apart right now that may be a little older. The swells aren't as extreme, but the tree on that one is in amazing condition for it's age. Tight and solid, no splitting, and a beautiful job of rawhiding. It could safely be ridden if a horse could be found that it would fit. Man I love working on these old saddles.

[kseidel]

Thanks for the pics Big Souix. It is amazing what master saddlemakers from the turn of the last century were doing with saddles. This is proof that wide undercut swells can be covered without a welt if the craftsman is skilled enough! I have sweated a no welt cover on a 15" low moose swell, but that is the most radical that I have tried without welts. Most of the vintage saddles that I have restored with "bear trap" swells have had welts or blind stitches. Not many like this one without welts.

[rktaylor]

Big Sioux,

I think I will pass on those swells. That is well outside my amateur status.

Keith,

I am leaning against lacing now, but I wanted to get clarification on your advice. Are you saying that the lacing should not get too far above the purple line in this photo? What about if I laced it down the green line. I think I should be able to stretch it around the top corner and lace the slack below it. I was planning to lace them with latigo to match my saddle strings. I seem to get this 'good' ideas that someone else has already found that they are not that good. I am going to practice sewing some welts this weekend. Thanks for all the advice.

Randy

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Wow, great topic, thanks for posting it Bruce. also thanks to all the guys who have posted on this one, especially because, you all are the guys who's work I love to emulate. As for how to cover swells, all your comments seem to be right on from my experience. Unfortunately I didn't have anyone to learn from, just the books by A. Stohlman. Most of what you guys are doing seems to be in line with that. As for use with welts or without. I have done both, and the hidden stitch on a BW Cutting saddle also. I even have built a couple of saddles for one customer that wanted same tree, a CS Roper, but; one for a horse that was without, and one for a mule that was with a laced fork. They all turned out well. Seems like doing them is always a progression of, working out the wrinkles from large to small, and then all of a sudden, you are done! Anyway, it is great to hear all of the comments that you guys have posted, and as always, I try to learn from what I hear and see of your work. Thanks for your posts.

Bob

P.S. here are those two that are on the same style tree, but; done different.