rigging hardware

[barra]

I actually have 2 questions and am going to make two distinctly seperate posts. My first question is on rigging hardware. I have relished these posts for a while now and have tried to absorb information like a sponge. Just to recap post crash, the western saddle is a new concept for me. I totally get the various rigging styles, flat plate, in skirt, D ring etc. I get the concept of full, 7/8, 3/4 rigged. I know a 3 way rigging plate from a ring and a ring from a D. what has added mild confusion is people are now referencing numbers. It's a 550 or a 777 etc. Are there any good reference sources to explain saddle rigging hardware.

Keith. You made a couple of suggestions regading Steve's saddle that I am not 100% sure what you meant.

1. I usually have the top of my cut-out inside the ring to be about the bottom of my skirt, and rivet the ring a little higher in the flat plate.

Q. What do you mean by cut out?

2. I'm still not 100% sure what you meant by doming of the rivets.

Thanking everyone in advance.

Barra

Edited March 4, 2008 by barra

[kseidel]

Sorry Barra, We saddlemakers take it for granted that everyone knows the nomenclature assocated with our topics. Standard hardware styles are pictured in most specialty hardware catalogs. Bork hardware in Pendelton, OR has a pretty detailed catalog. The phone # is 541-276-5207. There are enough styles of rigging hardware to blow your mind!

By "cut-out" in the rigging, I am refering to the arc cut above the hardware to allow more room for the latigos.

As far as "doming" rivets, that is harder to explain. I tried to find a picture to post but none can be found. Copper rivets have a flat head and there is a pattern in the finish on the top of the cap. Most of us have rivet setters that have a tool in the set with a concave end used to round over or dome the rivet cap after the rivet is set in the leather. This makes the cap rounded nicely, but the printed pattern still exists. It is nearly impossible to polish this pattern off while set into the leather, so I dome the cap first and use a buffer to pollish the cap smooth. Then the rivet is ready to set. The difficult part is how to pound the dome into the cap without damaging the shank. I use an old drive hole punch large enough to fit over the rivet shank. I grind the sharp edge off to be blunt under the rivet cap. Then slide the punch over a rivet and pound it into something cupped. The cupped surface will determine the shape of the dome on the rivet cap. You can simply pound into saddle skirting and get some dome. Once your rivets are domed, use the same drive punch as a handle to hold the rivets while you polish them smooth with a buffing wheel. It is not as hard as it is to explain in words. Try it and I think you will be surprised with the results.

Happy Riveting!

Keith

[steveh]

I think that this is what Keith is talking about, with polished domed rivets. I polish the rivet head with cloth wheel loaded with red rouge. I place a piece of chap leather on the anvil and set the rivet. Then dome the rivet with a domer tool after it is installed in the leather.

[barra]

Keith. Thanks very much for the explanations. I am now armed with enough info to research hardware further and I totally get the rivet doming explanation. Your right, there are enough styles to blow your mind. I do like to add what are essentially minor little touches to my work in order to set off the job.

Barra

[Hennessy]

Keith. Thanks very much for the explanations. I am now armed with enough info to research hardware further and I totally get the rivet doming explanation. Your right, there are enough styles to blow your mind. I do like to add what are essentially minor little touches to my work in order to set off the job.

Barra

g'day barra,a good domer tool i've found for rivets #9 in the tandy spot setter tool box,several sizes one fits grreat hoo roo pete