equiss Report post Posted September 4, 2008 Hello, I am new to saddle making but have wanted to do it for a long time. I worked and took a class last year with a friend that let me watch him build a wade, and I took notes and pictures....and now am trying to make my own. I have almost every book available on saddle making, almost all videos and DVD's (I saw almost due to Dale H. and J. Watt being a little more than pocket change), and have a good foundation on how saddles are made. I have my ground seat in......but I am stuck. How do you learn to do this? Are there other resources that I missed? Part of my problem is that I am trying to build a modern saddle and the class we took was for a wade, so there are a little differences here and there......but I made a pattern for my rigging, but have soooo many questions I can't seem to get past it. Is there any advice that someone wants to contribute about how they learned, resources, just stumble through it......I have the talent to do this, and I have the ability....I am just a perfectionist and am stuck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timbo Report post Posted September 4, 2008 (edited) I haven't built a saddle myself...yet. But if you will ask specific questions you will get very good answers. There are some real pros on this board. What specifically are you stuck on right now??? Just tryin to help. Tim ps...I know what you mean about the Harwood and Watt videos!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Edited September 4, 2008 by Timbo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickybobby Report post Posted September 5, 2008 Hello, I am new to saddle making but have wanted to do it for a long time. I worked and took a class last year with a friend that let me watch him build a wade, and I took notes and pictures....and now am trying to make my own. I have almost every book available on saddle making, almost all videos and DVD's (I saw almost due to Dale H. and J. Watt being a little more than pocket change), and have a good foundation on how saddles are made. I have my ground seat in......but I am stuck. How do you learn to do this? Are there other resources that I missed? Part of my problem is that I am trying to build a modern saddle and the class we took was for a wade, so there are a little differences here and there......but I made a pattern for my rigging, but have soooo many questions I can't seem to get past it. Is there any advice that someone wants to contribute about how they learned, resources, just stumble through it......I have the talent to do this, and I have the ability....I am just a perfectionist and am stuck! Hi... I learned the same way you did, Books, and watched anyone that would let me see a saddle taken apart and put together again. The Stohlman books are a good resource, I was able to sort out the long way they did some things and what I had picked up from elsewhere and get to the next step. I am now working in a saddle shop to "perfect" my saddle building. Some things we need to know to get you going, :wtf: Do you have the Stohlman books? (They can be a help) What tree are you working with? What style rigging are you looking at useing? Can you take and upload pic.s for us to see? Rick Jorgenson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
equiss Report post Posted September 5, 2008 Hi...I learned the same way you did, Books, and watched anyone that would let me see a saddle taken apart and put together again. The Stohlman books are a good resource, I was able to sort out the long way they did some things and what I had picked up from elsewhere and get to the next step. I am now working in a saddle shop to "perfect" my saddle building. Some things we need to know to get you going, :wtf: Do you have the Stohlman books? (They can be a help) What tree are you working with? What style rigging are you looking at useing? Can you take and upload pic.s for us to see? Rick Jorgenson I thought about posting pics right after I posted this. I am working on my rigging now. One problem I had, which I think that I might just keep going, is that I made my pattern piece, it fit well, cut out my outer piece and the piece for the lining, then cased them and slicked them - that made them stretch - so then they didn't fit the cantle very snugly after that. I will get a pic of my rigging issues and post them, I do have the stohlman books, I was trying to work off of the instruction that I had from my class, but that isn't going well. I have a typical association tree, not making a slick fork - I will post pics of that also. I think that is part of the problem, even though he said I could do it fine, we did a wade in class, this one is more the modern western saddle - not slick fork...but having trouble with the small differences. Thanks Rick, I will get pictures today and upload them and then ask my questions, I know I was asking for too much at once. Charlene Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cowboy Crafts Online Report post Posted September 13, 2008 (edited) Charlene, What kind of questions do you have? You said that you are building a modern saddle, I will take it that you are building a swell fork arena saddle. About the only change in building that and a Wade are the swells. You will build everything else the same. I would recommend getting the stolman book on how to cover swells with welts. That will give you an idea or you could just put it on with out welts. It will be alot more work and trial by error. I would also add for the knowledge you get from Jeremiah and Dale it is well worth the money. With the cost of leather I dont believe that you can waist by not knowing what you are doing. Ashley Edited September 13, 2008 by snakehorse saddler Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
equiss Report post Posted September 15, 2008 Charlene,What kind of questions do you have? You said that you are building a modern saddle, I will take it that you are building a swell fork arena saddle. About the only change in building that and a Wade are the swells. You will build everything else the same. I would recommend getting the stolman book on how to cover swells with welts. That will give you an idea or you could just put it on with out welts. It will be alot more work and trial by error. I would also add for the knowledge you get from Jeremiah and Dale it is well worth the money. With the cost of leather I dont believe that you can waist by not knowing what you are doing. Ashley That is correct; I have the Stohlman books and they have been a big help, my problem is that I am a perfectionist, and you just can't expect that the first several times you build a saddle. I am saving the $$ for the Watt and Harwood DVD's - but this is all really new to me, and we don't have many local resources. But, it has been a fun experience - thanks for the input - Charlene Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
