Lining stirrups

[mulefool]

How do you guys go about lining Monel and brass bound stirrups? I glue in the lining and then use escutcheon pins to tack it down. I generally drill a tiny pilot hole for the pin. But it's always kind of a struggle to get those pins in because it's hard to get a good straight angle to hammer them in. And then with the rounded top of the escutcheon pin you really have to hit them right. I stopped by Hamleys last summer and noticed on some of their saddles (not all) the lining wasn't pinned in at all. Just glued. the saddlemakers weren't around so I couldn't ask them about it. I'm not sure I'd trust the glue alone to do a good job, but it looked nice and clean. How far apart do you usually place your pins?

[bruce johnson]

I do them a few ways. It all depends on what the customer likes or what I feel like doing. Some guys just like treads with no linings. I spar varnish the exposed wood first. I saw some that Matt Plumlee did that just had a "tread-lining". The piece just covered the inside bottom, didn't wrap around or up the sides, and was skived out to a feather edge on each side. Tacked in with escutcheon pins. Other folks like a full lining. When I do those I use the escutcheon pins too. I have done a pair with a tread, but pinked the edges where they wrap around the edge of the stirrup at the bottom. Then put an escutcheon pin in each scallop into the edge. I predrill my escutcheon pin holes too. I hold the pin with a needle nose and not much point exposed to get it started, then slide the needle nose back to expose more pin until I can set it without bending it. I use a tack hammer to pound, and then a small ball peen to set the head once it is flush. I saw some little plastic nail holding gizmo at the hardware store that might hold them OK for pounding too. I place my pins maybe 2-2/12'' apart. Kind of whatever works to keep an even interval all the way around.

I am not sure I would trust just glue, but it probably would do OK. How was Hamley's? Not sure who is there now, and who all is doing their work. When Monte was there, some portion of their work was done out of the shop.

[greg gomersall]

I double glue mine and then nail them approx. 1" apart all the way around. On one pair I rolled the leather over the edge and scalloped this and set a nail in each scallop all the way around. Looked cool but was time consuming. I use a nail set to set the nails. Greg

[steve mason]

I used to glue and nail a liner in that covered the whole inside of the stirrup, now I glue and nail a tread style liner, I'm not sure if I saw any advantage of lining the whole inside of the stirrup. I do not pre drill the hole, but I do poke a scratch awl into the leather, then the pins will hold in place while I tack them in. I have a large piece of fake sheepskin that I use as a bench cloth so the stirrups do not get marked up. I think that is all fake sheepskin is good for anyways.

Steve

[mulefool]

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping there was some secret trick I didn't know about. Not that it's THAT hard.

The new owners have sure put a ton of time and money in Hamleys. It's like a museum and there's an art gallery upstairs. I hadn't been in there since the early 80's. I looked at their website this morning and found this.http://www.hamley.com/t-company.aspx I didn't see that when we were there. I had heard a while back that Alan Dewey was building saddles for them.

[Timbo]

...........this is interesting. Why don't some of you guys post some pics to go along with it??

Tim

[gtwister09]

I have a large piece of fake sheepskin that I use as a bench cloth so the stirrups do not get marked up. I think that is all fake sheepskin is good for anyways.

Steve

Steve,

One of the other good uses that I found for fake sheepskin was in casing skirts, fenders and such. It helped even the casing out more and the fake sheepskin was washable (to keep mold off). An older saddlemaker used this trick rather than trash bags.

Regards,

Ben