Bruce,jw,kevin,troy Et.al I Need Advice

[pete]

I have a great problem! I met a fellow at church 2 weeks ago. He is only 40 min away from me and is a saddle maker! I didn't think that there were any around here and I've been here 15 years.

We hit it off really well and he wants me to make my own saddle. He'll supply the leather and when we sell it I will pay him for materials!!!!

He makes saddles but doesn't tool a lick. Doesn't get orders to and has no patience to learn. A client has asked him to tool some fenders and corners so he enlisted me. I can do the job and really want to but here's the deal.

He gave me a few scraps of W/C leather that he uses. I took it home and tried tooling it. I can't get the knife in it. It takes on water and burnishes but I have to lay onto the knife to tool it. Is this:

1- typical of w/c skirting

2- so much thicker than I'm used to (4/5-7/8)

3-Should he be using thick TOOLING leather

4-Should I tell him not to order wax/oil impregnated leather (most of it is hot waxed/rolled but this takes on water when I case it!!!)

And what am I going to do if he wants the swells done? You DO tool them on the tree afterwards don't you? I don't think that I can get enough "leverage" to tool (cut) them around curves and corners!

ANY help would be appreciated. I have never used W/C before, just HO and Tandy.

ALSO...... Can I case the just the corner of a skirt/fender to tool it or should I case the whole thing. He MIGHT want it carved after he assembles the saddle.

Please advise

Edited March 14, 2010 by pete

[TroyWest]

Hi Pete,

Wickett and Craig skirting leather tools great. Takes water well, cuts well. It is an excellent leather to carve. Should be much better than Tandy

.The fact that it's thicker shouldn't be a problem.

You say it is wax/oil impregnated? That's not typical russet skirting.

I do tool my swells on whether floral or geometric.

You do not want to tool the skirts after the saddle is assembled. You really couldn't do it anyway. Too difficult to get flat on a rock and the woolskin would be too mushy under the skirt. They must be tooled on the bench.

W&C skirting should be a pleasure to work with. He may be getting something other than russet skirting. Try to find out what he actually orders.

Troy

[colttrainer]

Sounds like the harness leather I get.

Al

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Hi Craig, I agree with Troy. W/C should be a pleasure for you to tool. I like to use it exclusively, and have never had anything but good results. As for tooling on the tree, I tool the fork cover and the seat on the tree. I use a modified "old george" style stand to do it. It allows me to set the tree with covered fork and seat leather in any position that I need, in order to get a good tool impression. I also tool all the other parts on the bench like Troy, before I "plug" or add shearling or whatever to it. As for those pieces that I cannot get cased properly, I use that carving solution that you can get from Tandy. Put it on in several applications, and be paitient and wait for it to soak in well. I use a spray bottle to apply, and be sure that you spray the whole piece even if you are not covering the whole piece with tooling. That will help you to avoid water marks. As with all work, when you are not sure, try a piece of scrap of the same material that you are working with first to be sure you are going to achieve the results you want.

Attached is a pic of an "old georde" that I copied to modify mine, and it works top notch. You can position the area you want to tool in an endless amount of angles.

Hope that helps.

Bondo Bob

[pete]

Thanks to all for your replies! I can't wait to do it and I'll post pictures when it's done.

He never tools so it must be harness leather that he gave me to practice on.

thanks again

pete

[King's X]

I am not anyone you listed on your thread, but could you have some type of Bridle leather? Maybe someone else can chime in on this answer.

I am happy for you man. I hope it works out.