harrington Report post Posted October 27, 2011 Your flat plate pattern looks good. I would stitch the top part where you skive heavily and the stirrup leathers pass over. Also try to make the front, top part of the rigging plates wider and wet shape it to mold to the base of the fork. Then put the attachment screws in a nice arc around the base of the fork. Also need to make a small attachment point with two screws inset at the point of the cantle in addition to screwing into the bars at the back. Just my suggestions, everyone has their opinions, take what you like from this site, there is a tremendous amount of great information. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted October 28, 2011 Thanks Harrington, you know at this stage I'm following exactly the directions of the book and DVD Dusty Johnson, are still not able to choose between a system or the other. Now the important thing for me is to get familiar with the stages of construction of a saddle. Then I will change the way you work in one way or another. Thanks again suggestions Ciao Gianni Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aurelie Report post Posted October 29, 2011 @Gianni : that's exactly what told me my "teacher" : follow the way you ve been taught at first...then try other things when you feel more comfy! As for the trees : i have not found someone in Europe who build western saddle trees i do import them from the USA i usually buy them to Timberline in Utah - wood and rawhide made by hand but i am going to order a ralide to see what it worthes Keep going! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted October 29, 2011 Aurelie if i were you i would save my money and not buy a ralide tree. IMO their no where near as a good as a wood rawhide tree. Their pretty easily broken. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harrington Report post Posted October 30, 2011 Aurelie if i were you i would save my money and not buy a ralide tree. IMO their no where near as a good as a wood rawhide tree. Their pretty easily broken. I would agree with not getting a Ralide tree. If you are really interested in something different, try one of the molded poly/Kevlar trees from Mark Howes at Double H Ranch Saddle Shop in Fort Collins, Colorado. They are super tough and can be rigged with a cable rig or a traditional flat plate or D ring rigging. They are about the same price as a Timberline tree. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted October 30, 2011 I don't know what is a ralide tree. I don't think I ever a synthetic tree, too modern and I love the tradition! I bought my tree by Bowden (www.saddletree.net), What do you think of their trees? I have not found Timberline trees, they have a website? You can let me know? Thank you very much Gianni Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted October 30, 2011 Little progress... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harrington Report post Posted October 30, 2011 I don't know what is a ralide tree. I don't think I ever a synthetic tree, too modern and I love the tradition! I bought my tree by Bowden (www.saddletree.net), What do you think of their trees? I have not found Timberline trees, they have a website? You can let me know? Thank you very much Gianni I can't find a website address for Timberline Saddle Tree, I always contact Randy directly by phone, 435-789-8228. They are in Vernal, Utah so are in the Mountain Time Zone. Little progress... Nice job on blocking the skirts, Gianni. You will really see the progress from here on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted October 30, 2011 Tank you harrington Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted October 31, 2011 Sorry Harrington, you know if Timberline has a E-mail? I don't speak English and for E-mail is more easy Thank Gianni Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harrington Report post Posted October 31, 2011 Sorry Harrington, you know if Timberline has a E-mail? I don't speak English and for E-mail is more easy Thank Gianni I'll see if I can find one and post it back to you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldtimer Report post Posted October 31, 2011 Timberline website : http://www.timberlinesaddletrees.tk/ / Knut Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted October 31, 2011 Thank you, you are very kind Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted November 1, 2011 First fatal error!!!! I'd shoot myself in an inch, bloody idiot!!! It was probably inevitable that happened:deadsubject: It doesn't matter (or rather matter much! ), I have another piece of leather, we start again, but not now. Now just! I go to lunch Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aurelie Report post Posted November 1, 2011 wrecked the 1st fitting of your seat? hum yup fatal error.....but happens even to the bests i wrecked one 1 month ago when pulling it .....too bad...but part of the game! keep going! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldtimer Report post Posted November 1, 2011 First fatal error!!!! I'd shoot myself in an inch, bloody idiot!!! It was probably inevitable that happened:deadsubject: It doesn't matter (or rather matter much! ), I have another piece of leather, we start again, but not now. Now just! I go to lunch Learning saddlemaking the hard way ! ( I have a seatleather, similar to yours, nailed to the wall in my shop as a reminder of "Measure twice - cut once!" but don´t tell anyone, pleeease!) / Knut Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted November 1, 2011 Thank you, friends, your words help me! In fact it was a stupid mistake due to hurry to go forward, I'd have to check before to cut. Good your idea oldtimer, I found an embellishment for a wall of my "hideout"!!! Now however we try to take the good from what happens: When I returned in the afternoon on the leather had formed mold This is very ugly! How can I avoid this? happened to you? I had kept approximately 5 minutes leather in water and then a night in a plastic bag You as you do? There are ways to avoid mold? Thank you very much friends, and sorry for my stupid questions and for my bad english Regards Gianni Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aurelie Report post Posted November 2, 2011 ( I have a seatleather, similar to yours, nailed to the wall in my shop as a reminder of "Measure twice - cut once!" but don´t tell anyone, pleeease!) / Knut AhAh! good one!!! i may hang it on my wall with my wrecked seat too! as for me i wrecked it on the "pulling " part , not the measurement......i do measure 3 or 4 times!!! maybe a psycho i am! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aurelie Report post Posted November 2, 2011 Thank you, friends, your words help me! In fact it was a stupid mistake due to hurry to go forward, I'd have to check before to cut. Good your idea oldtimer, I found an embellishment for a wall of my "hideout"!!! Now however we try to take the good from what happens: When I returned in the afternoon on the leather had formed mold This is very ugly! How can I avoid this? happened to you? I had kept approximately 5 minutes leather in water and then a night in a plastic bag You as you do? There are ways to avoid mold? Thank you very much friends, and sorry for my stupid questions and for my bad english Regards Gianni mold appeared within a few hours???? how weird! are you sure there was not mold in the 1st place on the leather? never heard of mold appearing so quickly....but i am kinda a greenhorn.... As for the "hurry" part => i ALWAYS remember what have been taught to me (and sure it's right) DO NOT HURRY WITH LEATHER OR YOU WILL GO DIRECTLY INTO A WRECK IF YOU START A BATTLE WITH LEATHER AND WANT TO HURRY => LEATHER WILL ALWAYS WIN .....and i hate when i lose :D and i do not go down without a good fight Hit once, hard and fast to make sure you win it Ahahaha :D When i wrecked my padded seat ...i let the saddle alone almost for 1 week.....while i was planning a nice strategy, thinking on the whys and hows it gone wrong...i asked questions around to make sure my "judgment" was good and then when i thought i had covered all possibilities...i went back to pulling my seat (after redoing it) and it went good and smoothly...even turned out very nice Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted November 2, 2011 Thanks Aurelie, but you think that the container used to soak the leather may be the cause of the mold? I used a different container for the seat cover Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aurelie Report post Posted November 3, 2011 don't know... you have to keep away from dust and anything metallic because contact with metal will leave nasty tiny black spots but those are not mold and you can remove with Oxalic acid regarding the "container" used to wet leather, back at saddle school we used to do it in an alumn sink = no troubles here at home i do it in a ceramic tub = no troubles i think i ve seen somewhere on this forum several posts about leather and mold the origins possible + the way to try to remove it search for them but i understood that the mold could "jump" and spread to your other hides in your stock so better be sure from where you got it! AhAh reminds me of a song parody i heard few days ago about mushrooms, mold and nasty things! Yuk! Good luck Gianni Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted November 6, 2011 I am quarreling with the cover seat! I am not a professional but a simple impassioned, I can devote to work the leather only in the weekend. I must say whether to build a saddle is difficult. It is even more it following a DVD in English without knowing the English. But I am stubborn, I don't release. At the end I will post the photo of my first saddle. Only some patience friends Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aurelie Report post Posted November 7, 2011 to pull the seat on is one of the most "tricky" and difficult part of saddle making along with the fork cover so, only advice i can tell you : do not rush measure several times cut when you're really sure that everything is ok and cross your fingers that no wrinkles appear when glueing it but the positive part : when you are at the stage of pulling on the seat => you are "almost" finished with your saddle! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted November 7, 2011 Thanks Aurelie, I have tried with pieces of discard to cut the single parts... Next Sunday I will know if I have understood well Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GianniWest Report post Posted November 10, 2011 Phew, that hard work!!!! Very very very difficult!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
