Shop suggestions?

[Elsa]

Hi All. I attended SFCC's Custom Saddle Making class with Jesse Smith back in 1983-1984. I, unfortunately, left a quarter before graduation to get out of an abusive relationship and then decided to make the USCG my career. I retired in early 2007 and am 100% S/C disabled with the VA. I'm trying to get Vocational Rehab to go back to school but they're balking because I'm 100% (even though I'm still qualified). I'll ask about training suggestions in another post (unless someone wants to give input here) and ask if anyone has a list of all that would be needed to set up shop? I might be able to get the VA to fund that even if they don't do the school. I have a nest egg from my Mom's estate that I want to keep mostly for fixing up our home and providing a Special Needs Trust for my son who is Autistic. If I can't get the VA funding I may use some of Mom's estate since she's the one who sent me to SFCC and I think she'd be happy to see me get back on track with saddle making.

Anyhoo... Sorry for the long rambling post. I know things like stamps and knives are "personal" choices (which ones, Craft tool or ones that will last forever, etc.) but if anyone happens to have, or could suggest, a list of what they'd suggest or want for a shop I would sure appreciate it. Especially which machines, suggestions of resources (other than Tandy and Osborne) and so on.

Thanks again,

~ Elsa

[Art]

Hi Elsa,

Since you are 100% service connected disabled, they are not going to go for vocational rehab, but if you can get a p/t counselor or psych to ok physical or mental rehab, then your schooling may be ok through VA, just a thought.

Machines, prefaced with you don't NEED any of this, it can all be done by hand with hand tools.

Sewing machine 441 heavy duty machine

Skiver Top and bottom feed NP-10 type

Sewing machine 618 or 226 or 1245 or 545 medium duty machines

Clicker 20 ton

Strap cutter

5 in 1 or the modern day Tippmann equivalent

Buffer (for honing (buffing) knives)

Knife sharpener like Tormek

Band Splitter

Creaser

Rivet Setter

Spot Setter

Strap Edger

Snap Setter

Semper P,

Art

Hi All. I attended SFCC's Custom Saddle Making class with Jesse Smith back in 1983-1984. I, unfortunately, left a quarter before graduation to get out of an abusive relationship and then decided to make the USCG my career. I retired in early 2007 and am 100% S/C disabled with the VA. I'm trying to get Vocational Rehab to go back to school but they're balking because I'm 100% (even though I'm still qualified). I'll ask about training suggestions in another post (unless someone wants to give input here) and ask if anyone has a list of all that would be needed to set up shop? I might be able to get the VA to fund that even if they don't do the school. I have a nest egg from my Mom's estate that I want to keep mostly for fixing up our home and providing a Special Needs Trust for my son who is Autistic. If I can't get the VA funding I may use some of Mom's estate since she's the one who sent me to SFCC and I think she'd be happy to see me get back on track with saddle making.

Anyhoo... Sorry for the long rambling post. I know things like stamps and knives are "personal" choices (which ones, Craft tool or ones that will last forever, etc.) but if anyone happens to have, or could suggest, a list of what they'd suggest or want for a shop I would sure appreciate it. Especially which machines, suggestions of resources (other than Tandy and Osborne) and so on.

Thanks again,

~ Elsa

[Elsa]

Thanks Art,

Yes, I know they don't like to send 100% P/T to Voc Rehab, but there is a clause for self employment that qualifies me, however, risking losing the P/T with concurrent receipt isn't worth the risk. My Shrink is totally behind my getting back into saddlery as a vocational hobby. I have NO business sense, but clever hands and a creative mind. I love old saddles and often buy one (they're all sitting in a spare room) with the intention of restoring them... some day.

I don't know if I should get one or more of the DVD series and go from memory, or go to one of the many schools. I have spoken with Jesse, my original instructor, about working with him. That would probably be the best option for me, and it wouldn't matter that he doesn't have a set cirrculum (at least, not on paper!) if I dip into the fund my Mom left for Zack and me. The others I'm concidering would be Okanagan or Sierra. I think the best thing I could do would be to invest in the equipment to set up shop. Thanks for you suggestions. I am so overwhelmed by Leatherworker.net - there is just soooooooo much info here!

Thanks again. Any suggestions or tips you can share are most appreciated.

~ Elsa

Edited March 29, 2009 by Elsa

[Tkleather1]

Thanks Art,

Yes, I know they don't like to send 100% P/T to Voc Rehab, but there is a clause for self employment that qualifies me, however, risking losing the P/T with concurrent receipt isn't worth the risk. My Shrink is totally behind my getting back into saddlery as a vocational hobby. I have NO business sense, but clever hands and a creative mind. I love old saddles and often buy one (they're all sitting in a spare room) with the intention of restoring them... some day.

I don't know if I should get one or more of the DVD series and go from memory, or go to one of the many schools. I have spoken with Jesse, my original instructor, about working with him. That would probably be the best option for me, and it wouldn't matter that he doesn't have a set cirrculum (at least, not on paper!) if I dip into the fund my Mom left for Zack and me. The others I'm concidering would be Okanagan or Sierra. I think the best thing I could do would be to invest in the equipment to set up shop. Thanks for you suggestions. I am so overwhelmed by Leatherworker.net - there is just soooooooo much info here!

Thanks again. Any suggestions or tips you can share are most appreciated.

~ Elsa

Hi I was curious if you could PM me with some information about the okanogan School?

[Denise]

Just checked out both schools and read their saddle fitting pages. Interesting reading - if you don't mind reading the same thing twice. Not completely identical, but a whole lot of it is. Wonder who wrote it first?