Warped tree

[jman]

I also laminate all my tree bars. I do think wood choice is very important- some has better structual integrity than others, therefore staying true to the original construction. eg Hemlock vs. Douglas fir. Also the moister content of the wood at time of construction. Rawhide thet still cures on a tree that is left un attended will slowly change the tree.

With moister and rubber bands you can bend a tree back to sit square on a table- for all that is worth, but I think that tree will be prone to move again in the future after the saddle has been build

[oldtimer]

Oldtimer,

My bars are fixed stationary in my jig, and the cantle and fork are epoxied in place. After the epoxy has set for at least 8 hours, I then run 2" heavy, coated deck screws into the fork and cantle.

Jon

Jon

That seems to be a sturdy frame. I got a crazy thought in my mind yesterday: to get rid of the rawhide ( which I think messes things up in this case) , straighten up the bars in some form of jig and fiberglass the tree. What do you think? Is that a crazy idea? It must be a better choice than having a warped tree hanging on the wall.

/ Knut

Edited January 22, 2009 by oldtimer

[kseidel]

I will interject a little more input on the subject... Many trees are straight and square in the wood before covering, and then have some rock when rawhided. This does not necessarily mean that the tree is crooked. The varying thickness of rawhide can cause one corner to be thicker and another to be thinner resulting in some rocking. Also, the rawhide will shrink more in places than others, just like a hide of leather, pulling the tree into a warped shape. The climate where I live is very dry and trees have a tendancy to change quite a bit over a few months. I have had no trouble with trees that rock as much as 1/4", if they will touch all corners with my weight pushing down on them. It is very easy to cause a tree to change shape. setting on the floor with a shim under one corner and a cement block on top will change the tree in just s few days without any moisture. Some trees have more flex than others, and may warp 1/4 to 3/8" and still be flexible enough to push flat with your arm strength on a bench top. This subject gets overworked a lot among alarmist horsemen and saddlemakers alike. My experience has taught me that there is a lot more room for error here than most are willing to accept. Remember, the "corners" of the tree never touch the horse, and there is anywhere from an inch to over two inches of leather, sheepskin and padding under the tree and it will be used on a horse in fluid motion. In addition, most of us don't use leveled skirting for our skirts and may be causing some unevenness by the different thicknesses of leather under the bars.

Oldtimer, As for your tree, if it was mine, I would simply put it on a flat surface and weight it with a couple of cement blocks with about 1/4" of shim under each tight corner. It should straighten out in a few days.

Respectfully,

Keith

[oldtimer]

Thank´s for your input, Keith. I got qurious today, what does the tree look like inside the rawhide ? So, I sacrificed the tree, pulled the rawhide, and now I can understand why trees warp ! It was the lousiest piece of wood work I´ve ever seen. The tree is assembled using a hot glue gun and staples, the left bar had a 1" knot in the stirrup leather groove and the wood is so soft you can drive in a 3" nail using your hand. No wonder that the tree warped under the pressure of drying rawhide. The tree is made by a well known tree making company. I´ll never buy a tree from them again! / Knut

Edited January 22, 2009 by oldtimer

[kseidel]

It is pretty amazing how well they hold up considering how poorly most are built! Tells you how critical the rawhide is, and how strong it really is.

Keith

[Alan Bell]

Hey Oldtimer, you could surely help a bunch of folks starting out if they knew what company made your tree. I don't think it is wrong to let folks know because you are not misrepresenting them, they made the tree the way the felt was best and without sacrificing a tree a lot of us would never know what wood was used or nails vs screws etc. Folks like Rod and Denise have published what wood is used where and why on their trees and I'd imagine other tree makers on this forum would do likewise if asked. It should not be a secret and is almost a need to know item!

Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

[gtwister09]

Hey Oldtimer, you could surely help a bunch of folks starting out if they knew what company made your tree. I don't think it is wrong to let folks know because you are not misrepresenting them, they made the tree the way the felt was best and without sacrificing a tree a lot of us would never know what wood was used or nails vs screws etc. Folks like Rod and Denise have published what wood is used where and why on their trees and I'd imagine other tree makers on this forum would do likewise if asked. It should not be a secret and is almost a need to know item!

Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

Ditto what Alan said... I agree that sharing quality vendors certainly helps the quality of the product and ultimately helps you command a higher price for your product.

Regards,

Ben

[oldtimer]

Bowden Saddle Tree Co., Inc.

FORMERLY RITTER SADDLE TREE COMPANY

made the tree. / Knut

Edited January 23, 2009 by oldtimer

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

It is pretty amazing how well they hold up considering how poorly most are built! Tells you how critical the rawhide is, and how strong it really is.

Keith

Keith,

I agree with your comments completely. The bottom line is that quality materials, and quality work make a quality product. I have always tried to stick to the "old fasiohed" ways, and never pass up a chance to aquire a really old ( late 1800's early 1900's saddle) that has been discarded because it just is too warn out for rebuilding, and taking it apart to see how the masters did it. Never too old to learn something else about the craft. Most generally they adhear to your comments.

By the way, whose trees do you use?

Bondo Bob

[kseidel]

By the way, whose trees do you use?

Bondo Bob

Bondo Bob,

Keith Gertsch of Midway Sadddle Tree Co. has been making most of my trees for over 20 years. He has a full customer base, and isn't accepting new clients at this time. Several treemakers have studied with him and others are trying to mimic his bar designs as best as possible. I will build on trees by others like Ben Swanke, Bill Bean, Rick Reed, Dennis Lane, etc. There are a few others that make good trees, and I simply haven't tried yet.

Keith