Members Aurelie Posted December 22, 2011 Author Members Report Posted December 22, 2011 Aurelie, Keith is correct. Have you tried using a paper bag or burlap to rub your thread before you use it? If you use burlap make sure that you don't mix colors. Regards, Ben no i haven't did not know i had to do this , since the waxed i usually use does not react this way but now i know what to do thanks to you guys! thx a lot! Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
Members wyldflower Posted December 28, 2011 Members Report Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) Aurelie, I am enjoying your posts and am inspired by your dedication - keep up the good work! Dixie Edited December 28, 2011 by wyldflower Quote "Remember this day...for it is the doom of men that they forget." ~ Merlin, Excalibur .
Members Aurelie Posted December 28, 2011 Author Members Report Posted December 28, 2011 Thx Dixie! Wait until i have finished that saddle Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
Members Aurelie Posted December 28, 2011 Author Members Report Posted December 28, 2011 1st fitting of the fork cover = ok soon to be the 2d , maybe 3d (crossing fingers not to wreck something along the way) then glueing the fork cover Al Stohlman's encyclopedias under foot and since we love to gamble with my dear assistant (aka Greg my hubby) , we mixed that with my own usual way to fit a fork cover......we will see if that works nice So far so good as American guys use to say.... but to be honest, i am starting to think that we are TOTALLY crazy! I knew i was crazy...but so does Greg because he encourages me to do crazy things...and i go along with that! Not only, i am going to bring my third saddle to a terrific contest BUT i am trying some new things i have NEVER done before...... TOTALLY INSANE! here some pictures Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
Members Aurelie Posted January 8, 2012 Author Members Report Posted January 8, 2012 Here i am Fork cover laced Here on the pic, the edges are not dyed in black but it's done and tonight when Charlotte will be sleeping , and not possibility to wake up right in the middle of the process, we will put on the fork cover..... crossing finger not to wreck the front : lip frog planed and it's a first! Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
Members Aurelie Posted January 8, 2012 Author Members Report Posted January 8, 2012 Team Greg and Aurelie => 1 versus Fork Cover = 0 It's on! and pretty nice I have no idea how "frog lip" should look but it looks good to me Some rubbing, some gun tacks and here it is : under drying process it 's 11 PM and i am watching over it while it's drying (to make sure it stays good) ...and Charlotte did not even woke up with gun tacks ...except the dog scared to death So far ...so good! i do not know yet if i will dare carving the Fork cover..... Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
Members Aurelie Posted January 16, 2012 Author Members Report Posted January 16, 2012 Hi guys! I hope that you're doing good! Here we are ! Fork cover done and i am pretty happy about the way it turned out Horn finished => square style because i like it that way this is a "gambling" because i know that US guys do not like it that way Fenders on (i like also the look of it) So far, what i would have done differently (try to do it better) : the center hole on fork cover could have come up a wee bit higher tooling is not PERFECT , good but NOT PERFECT and something i could not do a lot for : quality of leather i am totally NOT happy with this batch of leather , some could even say "mad" because for a "top quality" and the price it cost me...did not worth it at all big differences of thickness along the hide ...and i am short on the leather (3 hides) and can't afford neither to waste leather , neither to do a mistake Because of that i had to re -do 1 skirt totally because leather was too thin on the front and kinda wrinkled and lucky me i double fender+ stirrups straps because fenders are not quite level regarding thinkness and THAT bother me a lot So as i said : Fork cover is ok, so the only "big thing" i can wreck is the seat (crossing fingers it won't happen.... i can only hope ) Skirts are on their way, so are the covered stirrups Hum...i am not "too" late for now... Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
Members Aurelie Posted February 13, 2012 Author Members Report Posted February 13, 2012 Hello, Hello! I ve been quite busy lately with Charlotte, saddles and some stuff... but here i am for a little update on "How is going that saddle" It's.........how could i put that on? ....it's ...not easy, never going the "easy" way.....and always thinking of a better way to do what i want.... It's time consuming....but it's working rather good.... slowly, but surely ... not perfect but ok 1st of all : 1st of both skirt finished to be tooled and stitched i am pretty happy with the tooling there it seems to be enough deep i had some troubles around the rigging dee because the leather (the feeling) is just "weird" when tooling... At 1st , i wanted to interlock the design around the rivets, but that "weird" feeling just made me back up ...and i guess it was a wise decision Regarding the stitching.i am way not yet out of the wood!!! the waxed thread i used (the one too waxed) is SO NOT WORKING I tried to rub it with canvas, paper, leather and even sand paper....NOTHING works good to remove enough of that extra wax......too much wax or not enough and it weaken the thread It makes "dreadlocks" in the sheepskin = PERFECTLY AWFUL A TOTAL HELL so , i finally decided to stitch with sewing machine thread (with a bit of wax on it) FYI, sewing machine thread IS NOT intended to be used to stitch by hand => as sharp as a wire , even with Bike's gloves héhéhéhé i won't put a pic of my hand.... BUT The important thing is to find a solution that works and which is clean That makes the trick ! clean, efficient and nice looking! I just have to do the second one....... I jumped the bridge regarding the Fork cover carving.... Anyway...if i wanted to try ...i had to start and do it at some point! So here i am.... not too tricky, a small thing to start I just have to have a smaller stand the next time i am a bit too short to be comfy working on it What can i tell about it? hum ...not that bad...but next time it will be better i guess i did not dare cut too deep because the leather here is quite stretched and thin I do not know how deep i can cut without risking a total wreck so the design is not too deep i guess it could be a bit deeper....but it looks not that bad what do you think? some advices? Ah! and the stirrups are finished!! :D but this is a surprise for the end !!! TIME CONSUMING but AWESOME! Oh! and you remember the trouble i had with the stained yellow latigo??? If fact, it's not a storage trouble.....it just changes color with time...... I do not understand .... i have cut the strings they are properly stored no humidity, no light , no contact...and they just darken..... and better keep away from Olive Oil because it darkens it even more!!! when the Kangaroo is bright yellow and do not darken that bothers me a lot because at 1st, latigo and Roo were the same color and now with the time going , the latigo changes color..... Any idea??? Next steps : finish stitching the 2d skirt, lacing them, put on the skirts then THE BIG JOB = Inlaid seat and when that 's over and ok.....It will be a nice lil stroll in the grass (except the binding for straight cantle) héhéhéhé Keep tuned! Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
Members Aurelie Posted February 17, 2012 Author Members Report Posted February 17, 2012 Okay....Skirts are on.... It's been quite a pain in the butt to put on and align everything... I SO hate to build inskirts!!! Who said it was easy peasy thing compared to flate plates???? but it's on! i still have to put on the plugs straight and aligned at the back and rigging dees aligned at the " millimètre près" ! the front ones and the back ones so technically everything is alright althought skirts might have been "blocked" a bit more....i ve got to improve on the next saddle since it will be a Barrel racing one! but esthetic is another history.... 2 things "bother" me.... 1st : i see the right skirt slightly lower than the left one at the front Okay, it's just esthetic but i am becoming psychotic with this ...and i know that it will be the 1 st thing that Dale will notice!! And I notice THAT above everything NOW! Totally Psycho! but i am "cajoling" myself telling me : the most important is the technical aspect over the esthetic one = better have rigging dees set straight and at same level and not perfect esthetism at the front rather than the other way around (for the horse sake) PERFECTION would be both....i tried to get the skirt higher but it won't do as i wish... 2d thing : i am not used to big opening of the gullet i ve never done an Old Mexico before and i am surprised by the look of it...i have to admit : i am not at all fond of the look of it... it just looks TOO WIDE opened.... i really do prefer the Flat Creek Packet or even the Sid Special style.... Do all the Old mexico saddles look like that at the front? Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
Members Aurelie Posted April 11, 2012 Author Members Report Posted April 11, 2012 Hi guys! i ve been quite busy lately..... i have finally finished my fittings, my sewing my carving and after 3 in laid seat done, i guess that this one is quite good far from being perfect but good (i am not sure of the way it should look and feel....) tonight , i am going to pull on the seat for good!! here are some pictures : and i had forgotten to put the pictures of the stirrups : Now, after the seat is on....i guess the BIG scary thing is to make and sew the binding on the straight cantle (never done that) By the way : If anyone feel like sharing his techniques for straight binding it would be cool....so that i can "pick up" the ideas that suits me and have an idea which way i am going to "jump" in the pool full of sharks :D Once the binding is ok.....it will be a "roll in the hay" ! Almost finished!!!! Quote In for a penny, in for a pound....
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