Rounded browband/noseband

[barra]

Rounding browbands and/or Nosebands was mentioned the other day so I thought I would give a quick down and dirty demo. Now this is as rough as guts and was done in a few minutes with scraps off the floor just for demo purposes. I would normally use a different machine but did not want to unthread it, so the tension is out of whack.

Pic 1 is my homemade rounding block. It is made from scrap wood cut with a circular saw at 45 degrees. The scraps are mounted on a board to form a V shape and this is covered with leather. The one block can be used for narrow straps right up to 4" wide.

Pic 2. The leather is moistened and something smooth is used to rub the leather firmly in the block.

Pic 3. A filler scrap is glued down the middle and a slightly wider liner is used. I never bothered gluing it down and just stitched it in place freehand.

Pic 4. After stitching, any track marks are rubbed. The liner is trimmed, edges bevelled and burnished.

Barra

Edited February 3, 2009 by barra

[tonyc1]

I saw a good block similar to that years ago except it was 3x3 or 4 x 4 and had a different size groove on each side. I've always been meaning to make one but still haven't got around to it!!!

Tony.

[Crystal]

Good info and tutorial, Barra. Thanks for taking the time to write this up.

Crystal

[awharness]

with the filler piece what shape is it? is it edged then placed in there? or is it just flat? or do you shave it into a V so to say?

-Andrew

[barra]

Andrew. The filler is rounded with a fairly large sized edger. No need for it to be perfectly domed shaped.

Andrew

[awharness]

What weight leather is used for the front and back pieces of leather? typically in a brow band or caveson like this?

[barra]

Andrew. You have posed a very good question. My honest answer is I don't know. The reason I say this is because in all the time I have been involved in the Saddlery trade I have never really referred to bridle/harness leather by weight. It has always been a visual/experience/feel thing as to what peice of leather is suitable for a certain job. I live in a metric society and when I read posts here about this leather is X Ounces etc. I have a hard time visualising what that is.

When I get home I will revisit this question and see If I can come up with a more suitable reference.

Andrew.

[barra]

On closer inspection. The top, rounded layer is 3/32" thick. That is just because the peice of scrap I used was already that thickness and felt right. The liner is 1/8" thick. I used scrap veg tanned tooling leather. If using bridle the thicknesses might vary slightly. Again to me it is just a what feels/looks right. A Gig bridle I would make a tad heftier.

Barra

[jimsaddler]

On closer inspection. The top, rounded layer is 3/32" thick. That is just because the peice of scrap I used was already that thickness and felt right. The liner is 1/8" thick. I used scrap veg tanned tooling leather. If using bridle the thicknesses might vary slightly. Again to me it is just a what feels/looks right. A Gig bridle I would make a tad heftier.

Barra

Hi Barra

I'm so glad that you posted this article. It has been the basis of my work all my life and nothing looks better than a Set of Sulky Harness that all of the Strapping is Raised. Can I please offer a couple of comments to go with yours that may be of interest.

I allways used a Channel Board made of Ebony it was 4.5" X 4.5" X 22" long. There were all size Channels from 1/4" to1 5/8" spaced arround the Block. It was made in the late 1800's. I still have my old Boot Hammer that I used for the narrow Channels to hammer the dampened Harness or Bridle Leather used for Raising to shape. For the larger Raisings I used Rubbing Stickes or my Hammer Handle to set the shape. For fillers I allways used Greased (with Lyddys Saddle Soap) Scraps of reasonably firm Bridle Belly Skived to a Dome to fitt the Raising to within the row of Stitching on the Strap. Best Raising was sewn 2 rows 10 SPI Country Show or 3Phase was 1 row 8spi. Some of my contempories used Cotton Webbing os Strands of Thread to fill also. When setting up Straps the Points should be skived slightly for aprox the width of the strap from the tip to allow the Point to be easily threaded into loops and also to stop points from turning up from the pressure of the linning. Linning should be more flexible that the top and usually from Girth Leather 2-2.6 mm. Another way Ive used is to form the Raising in my Osborne Strap Crease (left side set) but don't go quite to the tip wind the Strap back and I have a Matching Hand Crease to finish the Tip with so as to continue the creasing arround the Tip. It is not as good, but is quicker for Production work.

Actually this brings up another Post on the "45K clone" by China. All of my Raised work was sewn on a 45K25 with the Single Feed dog, Plate and Foot. It's illustrated on the PDF from Singer, the Link is in the Post. Page13 items; 85531,85532,85533. This allowed me to have a clean Raise. It has a more accurate stitch than the Walking Foot or Compound Feed Machines (I still use a clone Cowboy / Master 105 for decorative work like Raised Work and Grape stitching), They do the best job I've found, especially if you can get hold of the right Feet and Feed Dogs etc. They were the Backbone of the Leather Trades.

I'd better sign off now as I've just noticed how much I've written. By the way a Block can easily be made with a Router.

Kindest Regards to you Barra.

Jim.

Regarding Leather weights. I, like you can't get a handle on ounces. I was taught in Irons, then MMs and that is as far as my Brain would handle. So I just guess at the weights contributer talk of. My ranges are Seat 1.8-2mm Seat.. 2-2.6 Girth.. 2.6-3.2mm Light Bridle.. 3.2-3.8mm mid Bridle..3.8-4.4 Hvy Bridle.. Mid Harness 4.4 -5.4mm.. 5.4-6.4mm Hvy Harness.. Heavier are classed as Trace and Single Trace, but these are getting harder to get nowadays.

[barra]

Jim. Old Ken Howard had a channel board as you described. When I bought my tools of Alf Prisk who started his apprenticeship in the early 1900's with Holden and Frost, he had this obviously home made block like the one in my pics. I had no idea what it was for and when I asked him he demonstrated how he used it for rounding. It was simple and effective.

I lost my strap creasing machine. I'd give my right you know what to get another.

Barra

P.S. I'll get off my procrastinating butt soon and contact you about some of your machines.

[ArtS]

When I made my first raised (only raised) Halter/bridle I used rope as the filler.

Art

[jimsaddler]

When I made my first raised (only raised) Halter/bridle I used rope as the filler.

Art

Hi Art

Rope (Cord) is quite good for a filler for raising as long as you have a good weight of backing and a light top to stretch over it. Braided cord is even better as it can be flattened into an oval and has no lay to interfere with the finish. I used to make a tri raised Noseband and Bridle Front using Hard Cord or Fishing line a bit less than 1/8" as stuffers it really caught the Judges eye, especially as I used Pigskin as the Top (cover) to match the Riders Show Saddle. Of course the proper way is to use a piece of scrap as a strip that is edged with a large Edge tool or Skirt Shave to shape it to fit nicely into the raise

Your Work looks much better with the raising.

It would be good to see more members of this Forum using some of the old methods to achieve some different products. Rounding / Rolled (Shoulder Holster Straps, Bridles, Harness, Dog Collars etc), Raised (Belts, Straps, Bridles, Harness, Bridles,Headstalls etc), Inlayed Raised (Headstall nosebands etc). Stuffed Safes (Pilches & Side Saddles), the list goes on.

There is such a range of options it would take days to relate them.

Kindest Regards.

Jim Saddler.

[Corvus]

Thanks for this Barra, I've been wanting to know how to do this for ages :-)

I was wondering if you could use a leather dust mix as the filler for this technique? I'm keen to try making a raised dog collar.

Jim: What is 'tri raised' please?

[jimsaddler]

Thanks for this Barra, I've been wanting to know how to do this for ages :-)

I was wondering if you could use a leather dust mix as the filler for this technique? I'm keen to try making a raised dog collar.

Jim: What is 'tri raised' please?

Hi Corvus

Tri Raised is 3 narrow raised strips on one Strap. usually made by blocking a centre raise over something like heavy Fishing line or Braided cord. Sewing it in place then folding the cover over another piece of line each side and stitching them down also. The Top piece of Leather has to be split to aprox .8mm in order to fold easily. I used Pigskin usually and made matching Bridle Front and Nosebands like this. from memory if the front was 2" I would split a 2" strip of Leather to allow for the take-up and trim the excess off.

I hope this helps you.

Kindest Regards.

Jim Saddler.

[barra]

I think trying to make a filler out of a leather dust mix would be more hassle than it is worth. Heavy whipper snipper/weed whacker cord also makes a good filler (depending on the finished size of the item.

Barra

[jimsaddler]

Hi Corvus

Tri Raised is 3 narrow raised strips on one Strap. usually made by blocking a centre raise over something like heavy Fishing line or Braided cord. Sewing it in place then folding the cover over another piece of line each side and stitching them down also. The Top piece of Leather has to be split to aprox .8mm in order to fold easily. I used Pigskin usually and made matching Bridle Front and Nosebands like this. from memory if the front was 1" I would split a 2" strip of Leather to allow for the take-up and trim the excess off.

I hope this helps you.

Kindest Regards.

Jim Saddler.

Sorry for the mistake it should read Front was 1" not 2".

Barra is right Whipper Snipper Plastic is good especially as you can run a #6 edge tool along the back to improve the lay of it. I've also used Plastic Weavers Cane that is oval.

Please enjoy what you are doing. The effects are limitless, the results woth the effort.

Kindest Regrds.

Jim Saddler.

[Corvus]

Thanks for the replies! 'Whipper Snipper' and 'Weed Whacker' caused much puzzlement and hilarity here until I Googled them - we call them Strimmers over here (UK) which in hindsight is rather boring :-)

I'm going to have a go at this technique today, I'll post the results.

[Corvus]

Have to add that I have made a raised band of leather ... haven't made it into anything yet so no photo but I'm very excited!