Fleece

[FarNorth]

Fleece too thin should it be replaced?

[keplerts]

With todays saddle pads you could probably get away without replacing it. BUT, being leather work is what we do, I would re-fleece it

And since I have no sewing machine, it would be stitched by hand. Perfect for a relaxing sunday afternoon!

Tom

[FarNorth]

Tom what does something like this generally cost? I think it's a late 1960s, early seventies vintage if that matters.

[Dwight]

A shearling skin from Springfield leather will cost you $99 + P&H.

One pint of Weldwood contact cement will be about $8.

Simply dissassemble the saddle until you get the skirts off, . . . remove the old, . . . glue on the new, . . . sew the edges, . . . trim, . . . re-assemble, . . . ride on, cowboy, . . . ride on.

Like Tom said, . . . it can be done in an afternoon, . . . but if you don't start until Noon, . . .and you've never done anything like this before, . . . I wouldn't plan on watching much of anything on TV before the late night news.

May God bless,

Dwight

[FarNorth]

Wow sounds complicated – how do you remove the old fleece? I have never done this before.

[CWR]

When I do a reline, I replace the strings (if it has strings), and tugs. Also give it a good cleaning and oil. If it is 40 plus years old it will probably need some other things done to it. To remove the old fleece, I run a stitch groover over the top of the stitches til it weakens them enough to pull them out with the old woolskin(Thanks Bruce Johnson). I use rubber cement instead of contact cement for relines but a lot of guys use contact cement. If you are hand sewing after you have your threads prepared rub them with a piece of brown paper sack. This burnishes the wax into the thread and it won't pull the wool into your awl hole and lock the thread. I sewed a lot of them by hand before I could afford a machine. Plan on more time than a day if it is your first one.

Good luck,

CW

[FarNorth]

Think I need to start with something that looks easier! The join at the back of the saddle the stitching is loose also needs replaced what do I use order?

[oltoot]

I'm old enough and busy enough that I would tell somebody to spend the money on one of the great new pads that have become available, but if the owner insisted, I would tell him that I won't wrestle with dirty old gear and wash, oil, restring and generally recondition for $200

[FarNorth]

Appreciate the reply. I do have a good pad. It’s a second saddle want to keep it usable as long as I can and I do love old saddles. Leather is good some worn stitching here and there and the fleece is thin in spots is all.

[keplerts]

FarNorth,

I would charge $240 for a re-fleece with real sheep skin. If I used synthetic sheep skin it would be $170. To clean, oil, and put a

finish of bag kote on, it would be another $60. Plus it needs the rear lacing replaced and do the strings. Which would probably add

another $25. But as I said, if you use a good pad (not a blanket) you wouldn't need to re-fleece it. If it is a project you would like

to try doing yourself, I say go for it! It is really fun and a great way to see the construction of a saddle. There always seems to

be a mystery about working on and fixing saddles that people don't want to try it themselves.

Tom