Ground Seat Sinking Down

[Aurelie]

Ok guys,

I reached a step into saddle building that every "beginner" has come across i suppose

still , it's not good for my mind and my self esteem

I have learnt to build my ground seat this way :

ground bars, strainer, yokes and top yoke

i try to work that the nicer possible so that the seat does not sink down where the stirrup straps seat

it works rather good most of the times but i encountered some troubles and that bothers me a lot

where i finally have troubles is here :

red arrow shows roughly where it sinks down on the right side

blue one on the left

(sorry picture could be better )

it s not directly on top of where the stirrups straps seat (and where expected to sink down) it s just a bit upper and behind them

what i did on this saddle is putting some plugs on the ground seat and skived them down so that it got back nicely shaped and smooth

surely NOT the best way to fix the trouble but it turned out ok

I ve been taught : do your ground seat as nicely as possible as if it was the finished seat

I am asking here what am i doing wrong because i am still encountering the same trouble on the saddle i am building

I did a 1 st fit of my top yoke (to be sure ) and i felt some suspicious dents (light but still there) under the ground seat

Maybe i am turning either parano or i am trying to reach perfection where i should not

BUT for me it's not acceptable

i ve tried to turn around the problem in my head and can't put my finger on what's wrong....

I know the method works since i already done it but i am starting to wonder if i ve not forgotten something along the line....

Any advice? ideas?

Thanks a lot

Aurelie

[Aurelie]

I am using this for skiving :

My link

some people have advised me to work with that :

steel scrapers

My link

Is it a good idea ?

and if "yes"

where can i buy good ones?

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Aurelie, a lot of questions that you ask are talked about in the books from Al Stohlman. While you were taught by someone else, and his/her methods may not be the same as Al's, you will find that with a little common sense applied to both your teacher and Al's instructions, and how they match/blend with what you were taught, you will be able to complete your saddles with that level of professionalism you are searching for.

Good Luck !

Bob

[kseidel]

Aurelie,

You can do all of the skiving you need to do with the safety skiver you are using. I have best luck with them shaping the area where the blade sits. You can shape this both in curve as well as pitch to the blade. Most of them cut too deep when new from the factory, and changing the pitch to the blade is very advantageous. I use 3 of them, each shaped to remove more material than the other. ( one shallow, another medium, and another deeper.) They are easy to shape with pliers.

It is difficult to explain how to properly lay up a ground seat with words alone. And even more difficult to convey the shape one should "feel". I would suggest maybe a refresher visit with your previous instructor. He should be able to help you diagnose the problem you are having using his method of laying up your ground seat. As Bob suggested, Al Stohlman books are very informative, as well as many other books and videos on the market. Most saddlemakers develop their own twist for putting in ground seats, so becoming familiar with many ways will help you with the knowledge to develop your own method.

Good luck!

Keith

[Aurelie]

Thanks guys for the replies!

I often go back to AL's books (sometimes i find it a bit "foggy" and complicated but good tips and ideas in them)

I often go back to my training notebook and pics

sometimes things do not work the way it should (i guess it's like cooking...some things work better for 1 person and other thing works better for another one...)

and for sure...i am not "normal"

i ve got troubles with "easy" things when "difficult" ones go well...go figures

Thanx for the trick about the safety skiver, it's something i had spotted (the swell and the cut) added to the fact that i am lefty (and no tools for lefties )

i am totally aware of the fact it's not easy or even possible to explain something on a forum, or even by the phone

that 's why i think a lot of what i am doing from different angles , lay down hypothesis and take one after another and "try" a solution 'til it's working the way I want (but sometimes like i feel at a loss)

i use what i ve been taught as a guide line and i often go seek how things are done by others to try to improve the way i do and try to find something that works "perfectly" for me

i guess that's the way saddle making works (or at least that's my point of view) so long you do NOT do something dangerous for the horse or the rider

Going back at my instructor is not really possible right now since i am in France and he is in Montana

I guess that if i was english mother tongue he could talk me through my trouble on the phone but i am simply not enough "good" (or rather a lack of habit) to talk that long and specific on the phone

I just hope that within a couple of years , i will have enough money to get back to the states, find another instructor and learn a lot of other things i want to learn or improve

Without you explaining everything on the post, i just wanted to lay down what i ve done and my hypothesis and have you tell me if you see some hypothesis i have missed

I can work with ideas and opinions + my searching in books and internet

I just need to be told if i am digging in the right direction

i may be a crazy french girl, i have some brain and a wicked mind and can use it

Again : thanks for your help

i really appreciate

Aurelie