Order Of Events

[stef73433]

I am making a barrel saddle, full tooled.

1) do I soak fenders and straps, stretch BOTH, dry, then moisten and tool?

2) I am doing an in skirt rigging, and creating a slip cover pocket for tree to set in.do I block skirts, dry, sew on wool, them sew the two layers together and slip tree in, then finish sewing?

3) do I need to add filler leather to bottom of skirt since I will already have two full layers from slip cover?

Thanks!

[JAM]

Hi, Stef,

Here's my two cents' worth, based on what I've learned from saddlemakers a lot more experienced than me:

1) Soak, then stretch and dry (the leather is going to stretch, and if you don't stretch it now it will stretch in the finished saddle); then cover the backs of the fenders with contact paper to prevent tooling stretching, dampen as needed for tooling, do the carving, dry, and peel the contact paper off. Done.

2) For any inskirt rigging: block and plug the skirts, add the rigging hardware and outer leather layer (I call that the rigging plate), make sure it all fits the tree and the rigging hardware is balanced, and stitch them all together (except for any bits inside the rigging rings where the woolskin has to be included in the stitching). Glue and stitch the woolskin on last because it only gets stitched on around the entire perimeter of the skirt. Think about having to re-line that skirt someday - you want to be able to take the woolskin off and replace it without having to reconstruct the skirts and rigging.

3)Regarding plugs - no, you do not need to add any filler leather out at the edges of the skirts - your two layers are plenty. BUT the point of the plugs is not make the skirts stiff at the edges (well, I guess for some folks it is, but not for me) - the function of the plugs is to ease the transition from the tree edge to the skirt. You want to make carefully skived plugs like puzzle pieces that fit into the gaps around the bar edge that are left by the blocking so that in the finished saddle you can run your hand along the underside of the skirts and not feel the edges of the bars. This eases the transition of the weight-bearing surface for the horse. (But not right under the rider's legs - leave those curves un-plugged.)

Hope this helps -

Julia

[stef73433]

Thanks, this is very helpful

[oltoot]

I would offer a different view. First, the skirt plug advice is spot on. AND ALSO the advice to think about replacing the lining someday. My mentor would often point out in the design of something, "think of the poor @#$%^& who will have to repair it, if you hang around long enough it might even be you!" With regard to the rigging and plugging it I offer this. In my many years of building and repair I noticed that 'rigging plates' would wear and need eventual replacement if they presented an obvious bump for the stirrup leather to contact on it's back and forths so, for years, I have been 'plugging' between the rigging plate and the skirt so that smooth transitions are presented instead of bumps. If you elect to do this first consider the ability of your sewing machine to handle the extra and place plate and plugs and design accordingly.

[GrampaJoel]

Oltoot

Would you happen to have a photo you can post in regards to you plugging between the rigging and skirts method?

Thanks

Joel