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Jordan

Found this Stitch Horse Photo

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Surfing the web and found these pics I think it was at an antique sales site quite expensive if memory serves. I got some plans from Billy P. which I am going to build as soon as I can find a 14'" bandsaw I can afford.

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i have a similar horse that my dad built a good 20 years ago.

i had him make me some larger jaws like the one in the pic but not off set.

you can make the jaws by laminating them.

i'm gonna try and see if i can get him to make me a draw down horse. i'ed really like to have the added depth in the jaws as sewing up these bags is a bit of a challenge.

this horse is all pine and when he made the new jaws, he used poplar where they meet.

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stitching_horse.jpgHi Jordan

I found some similar photos on an Antique Sale site last year. Fortunately the shop had the presence of mind to include the dimensions of the Stitching Horse as well. Armed with all this info I trotted off to a Joiner friend - who is quite used to me turning up with unusual requests but I think this one took the cake! After much muttering into his beard he turned up with the wooden bits. My Husband made the brass swivel for the foot pedal and the ratchet etc. A spring was "borrowed" from an old seat out of our 1935 Dodge and I made up the belt. The timber is New Zealand Kauri, the jaws are made from Norfolk Pine. I applied two coats of Danish oil and beeswax. The timber work cost around $600NZ - alot less than getting an antique shipped here! It has just about paid for itself already and is a great talking point in the workshop.

Best wishes with your wood work

DJ

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Hello Jordan

I have that exact stitching horse so if you need a tracing of the jaws when you get ready to build let me know. The jaws in mine are made from "Hard Rock Maple" and the seat or bench is oak. I have seen the same pattern with the bench made of pine.

Another Saddle maker duplicated mine years ago and found the wood at an architecture wood supply house rather than a conventional lumber yard or supply house.

Blake

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Very cool, I will post some pics of the one I am going to make, probably be awhile though.

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That is too cool guys.........I like the antique and the "newer" versions. I keep looking for something to use for the metal toothed adjuster on the one I am making........without me having to drill and grind on a piece of steel to make it.

Thanks for posting Jordan.

Tim

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I have one that I bought at a flea market. It doesn't have back legs but rather made to sit on a chair in the back. When I get around to it I'm going to make some back legs for it so I don't have to mess with a chair every time. I don't use it very often so it's not on the top of my list.

ArtS

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That one is an interesting twist. Space saver maybe? Kinda like buying half a horse. :dunno:

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It does take up less room (not much less) except that you have to keep a chair around that is the right height so now the chair takes up room too.

I bought this and my first tools together. I saw it and when I was looking at it the guy came up and said that this goes with it. He then pulled out a tackle box full of tools, a box of leather scraps and some already cut for spur straps and some books. I got him down to $75 for all of it. There was probably $150 to $200 worth of tools in the tackle box! Thats how I got started in leather working. I had been looking but I thought I couldn't afford the tools that I saw in the catalogs. The good Lord was watching out for me.

ArtS

That one is an interesting twist. Space saver maybe? Kinda like buying half a horse. :dunno:

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This may be a dumb question, but why do the jaws lean so much to one side?

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P2280021.JPGHey Grumpy.........are you ready for some Memphis --B Q ? come on down...

THE JAWS TILT TO ONE SIDE ON MINE AS IT HELPS ME TO SEE THE HOLES THAT I AM PUTTING THE NEEDLE THRU.

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That makes sense. So if it leans to the left, are you stabbing from the left or right?

Man, I would love some BBQ. If I can ever get over there, I'll give you a call. Keepin' busy?

Edited by ETW Grumpy

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grumpy ... it leans to the left so i am stabbing from the right to the left.

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I finally got a Delta 14" band saw the other day, soooo it's getting close to starting my rendition of a stitching horse. If it turns out well I may consider making a few more for resale over the winter. Lots of junk on my plate right now, seems like one crisis to the next for the past few weeks, so it will be awhile for photos.

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does anyone have the dimensions for a stitching horse?

I'd like to try a build one for personnel use

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Here is a thread by others with the same idea. Also, if you put "stitching horse" into the search box at the top right hand side you might find other more detailed information there too. I didn't check them all out.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...stitching+horse

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Luke, looks like you and I went to the same school.GH

P.S. I flunked the clenliness and organisation class,gh

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"GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE". FINE LOOKING STICH HORSE........

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I won a small jar of quarters from a "guess the object" contest that cost 25c to enter. I was the only one who recognized it as a stitching horse but a three legged one. And like any typical leatherworker I had to check over every square inch.

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A friend gave me one that a friend of his made. It's interesting because the jaws rotate to any angle. The drawback is that the head is actuated by a 1/4" steel cable and there's no stretch to it. I put a spring in the cable and it works better but needs a stiffer spring. It's very useful to have the roatating jaws. Notice the peg on the back of the jaws that goes through a hole in the head and into holes in the seat. He also put a holder on the right jaw to hold a cake of beeswax. This thing is well thought out. Maybe it'll give you some ideas.

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That looks like one of the harness maker's stitching horses that Ken Allen used to make. They were made extremely durable. Notice that the seat and legs are also made of pine. They were generally made for a specific person because he would ask your height. Looking at this horse I would suggest that the jaws be refined.

Regards,

Ben

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That is too cool guys.........I like the antique and the "newer" versions. I keep looking for something to use for the metal toothed adjuster on the one I am making........without me having to drill and grind on a piece of steel to make it.

Thanks for posting Jordan.

Tim

I saw where someone used a nylon ratchet strap for a stiching pony, and you could replace the nylon with leather...

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Surfing the web and found these pics I think it was at an antique sales site quite expensive if memory serves. I got some plans from Billy P. which I am going to build as soon as I can find a 14'" bandsaw I can afford.

That's almost exactly the same stitching horse I'm using now, except mines not in as good shape....been handed down two or three times....

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http://books.google.com/books?id=KpkBAAAAY...YP4IILANsP1uOwN

these are the same plans they are breaking it off in you for on ebay

Thats a book everyone needs in their library. I want it.

tom

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