Saddle tutorial

[nobearsyet]

At the suggestion of a couple members in my other thread here, I am starting a new thread that I hope is going to turn into a good how to for the first time saddlemaker (like me). Question number 1. What's the best way to go about covering the gullet as the books I have don't give a rea lgood method for doing this.

[bruce johnson]

What I do now. I have my piece of softer leather cut to my oversized pattern. I skive the front to a feather or really thin edge. Hold it up so the front of the fork on top will be covered all the way from bar joint to bar joint, and then strike a line with my thumbnail. at the bar joints. I cut those lines back almost to the front gullet. I apply glue to the flesh side and let it dry. I can't get glue to stick to leather very well once it is already wet. Glue first and then wet it. Once dry I toss it in a tub of waater to soak maybe a minute depending on the leather. I dry off the glue side patting with a blue paper towel from the gas station. Once it has tempered, I'll add some more glue, and then a swipe of glue in the gullet (not on the bar pad) and over the front lip of the gullet. Once that is dry I'll add a smidgen more to dampen that glue up and to the glue side of the gullet cover. Wet glue will help things to slide into place and still dry and bond under that leather within a day or two pretty solid. I start in the middle and stick it down on top of the swells sticking out forward. I nail the middle, the corners, and then space out nails in between. I use 3/4 in SS nails now, not many places I use tacks anymore, but tacks are OK here. Then I slowly roll the excess up under the gullet. I don't start at the middle like some guys. I start at about the 10 o'clock/2 o'clock positions and make sure I have a little excess bubble in the middle there. How much depends on how that leather feels to me. I stick those 2 and 10 places down and then work down to the bar pads. Then I go back and compress that bubble into place. I use thumbs or a bouncer to press it in. The reason for that bubble being compressed is this. As some leather dries it shrinks. Because this is a concave curve side to side, it could pull away and tent up. With the bubble it stays put easier. Leather compresses easier into concave areas than laying it in there and pounding it to stretch and stay. I might rub it now with a glass slicker to remove any ridges. Next I go the the excess hanging out the back. I feel for where the back edge of the fork is and start trying to pull my leather up over the back of the swells. Some guys will cut darts and actually ull it up and tack it to the back of the swells. I just want it tight to the bottom. I will beat that area from the bottom with a ball peen to pull it up tight back there much like blocking skirts. Then I will place about 5 small nails from the bottom up into the back edge of the gullet to keep it in place. The swell cover is going to wrap around and cover that area eventually. I trim the excess off the back flush with a point knife, angling in just a little to not have a sharp edge. You could hit this with a beveler too if you have a big one that will make the curve and stay in contact.

I still have exess leather hanging down over my bar pads. Some guys will have already skived this and leave it blended over the pad. I don't. I feel for the top edge of the bar pad, and mark it with a line. I will skive it off with a wide French edger entirely off the bar pad, and slightly up into the gullet to make a smooth transition. That's how I do it. Takes about 15 minutes to do it, and 30 minutes to type how to do it. LOL.

[AndyKnight]

I do it totally different ( no tacks or nails) and it would take me an hour to type it so use Bruce's method !

I then go right into the all leather ground seat. I also do that totaly different than most others and it would take me 2 hours to type it out. !!

Day one , gullett , ground seat ,block skirts. riggings.

Edited June 16, 2009 by AndyKnight

[nobearsyet]

I will try Bruce's method, although I have been invited to attend a short saddle making class at the local Tandy. As we are trying to put together a good general how to, anyone have any pics of the gullet covering process? I don't own a camera

[nobearsyet]

Well, I tried to cover my gullet and ran into a large problem, every time I pulled on the leather to stretch it over it came off, am I not using enough nails to hold it in place or is there a bigger problem?

[Fpotter]

Well, I tried to cover my gullet and ran into a large problem, every time I pulled on the leather to stretch it over it came off, am I not using enough nails to hold it in place or is there a bigger problem?

Why are you pulling on it? just barg the crap out of it let it dry and stick it in there, 15 min max This thing isnt going any where and it takes no stress or ware.

[nobearsyet]

I don't need to stretch it tight? Well then, I'll try it again tomorrow (got to go look at another horse tonight, won't get home till after midnight probably, and I have to work tomorrow)

[nobearsyet]

Well, got my gullet on, no wrinkles, and it seems tight enough to not cause problems later, so on to the next step, blocking the skirts, I think I can figure that one out on my own, then it's time to start thinking about the ground seat right?

[jwwright]

There is no set order to do things, and everyone will come up with a process that works for them. I personally do gullet, then ground seat, cantle back & filler, then block my skirts on. The skirts can be drying while I work on the riggings, etc. JW

[nobearsyet]

Yeah, I discovered I messed up when I cut my skirts out, so I have to wait on another piece of leather and do that agin, so, following Bruce Cheaney's videos (BTW his spur video is great) on youtube, I'm going ot start the groung seat tonight

[nobearsyet]

Ground seat is done, now on to the skirts and cantler back, any suggestions

[Bob]

you may want to post a picture of your ground work. The shape maybe OK, but you may not have cut a hand hole yet and or stirrup leather slots. Those take alot of care to do correctly.

Then cover the edge of the hand hole

[nobearsyet]

I got the ground seat done, wound up going with a full seat instead of the half seat I was going to do because I didn't want ot use a metal strainer for my first seat, that was a lot of work, took me a couple days to get it all shaped. THe stirrup leather slots are already cut, as is the handhold hole. So to recap so far I've got the groung seat, gullet, and cantle back covered. I'm fixing to start the jockeys and skirts and all of the other stuff, then I think it's about time for sheepskin and a horn wrap isn't it?

[nobearsyet]

Sorry I've been gone for so long from my little tutorial here folks, here's the progress, it's done, I ended up buying a book, it turned out pretty good. I am going to do another one as one of my buddies saw my finished product and insists he has to have one, well, he's a videographer by trade s oI cut him a deal, I said I'd do it for the cost of the parts if he'd videotape and edit for the folks here, soon to come, a complete, free, online video saddle making tutorial. Stay tuned, this might take a couple months