Covering an A fork or weatherly swell

[Timbo]

Is there a way to do this without a seam?? All the ones I seem to see have a seam sewn or laced up on the seat side of the swell cover. Is it just a matter of getting enough stretch out of the leather or is it just physically impossible to do??

Any tips or tricks to this??

Tim

[bruce johnson]

Tim

The slick forks are the easiest to cover because you don't have much slack to work out. The split you see in the handhole is the result of getting the cover over the horn and not having a big hole at the neck. If the horn cap is big or it necks down a lot, you have to split it to get it over. On some horns if you do a tradtional one piece cap and wings and cover the horn first, you might need to split one that wouldn't need it on the bare horn.

[Hidemechanic]

Tim,

Ditto Bruce. You just have to get the feel of "working" your leather(No you don't need to use crappy soft stuff just good leather). It is not a quick process. I use a combination of rub tools(bouncer, rub stick or my chinaman handle) but there is also stretching and pulling(lasting pliers). I do some skiving and feathering around edges that need to make a smooth transitions, which helps things lay right.

I'll anchor on side, pull to the other side,(watch the centering of the horn hole) then start working.

Sometimes I will pink the horn hole which helps in stretching over the horn yet pull up tight around the horn base(or the appearence thereof) I will practice on scraps first before trying on the actual cover. Different ways to decorate around the base if one likes.

Depending on how I do my front edge I may remove the cover a few times to do other work. If I have to use a lace up back, I don't cut all the down the back, just part way so I don't have to worry about pulling too much away from the split when shaping the rest of the cover(slick shouldn't have that much stretching and pulling anyway).

As Bruce said, it depends on how big you horn cap is, but I have done and seen done some pretty ratical swells covered with one piece(no welts, no split and lace) covers. I think it's fun because those who know recognise what it takes.

I also will do a split and lace to show off my lacing.

All takes practice. Good luck Have fun GH

Kind of asshamed to show some this early work, at least I know what I would change now.

#1,#2,#3 and one piece swell covers. #2,#3 are before and after dally wrap

#4 is one piece with laced back, Rawhide binding front(had a better angle but lighting made it hard to see).

[Timbo]

Glad to hear that is is not a necessity. So from what I am taking from this the smaller the horn is the less likely it will be that I have to split the swell cover.

Now for the next question: What is the best way to keep the horn as small as possible??

Guess it depends on how big the horn is to begin with, but I am going to try to keep it as small as possible..........any tips??

thanks,

Tim

[Hidemechanic]

Well first, splitting the sell cover isn't a bad thing. There are ways to lace it that is not complicated and looks good.

Second when it comes down to it, you will probably put a dally wrap on it anyway so no one is goning to see it but you when and if you change the dally wrap. Look at pics 2-3 they are the same saddle but 3 has the dally wrap on it.

Maybe the others will chime in here and I'll learn a trick or two. I'm game.GH

Edited November 1, 2008 by Hidemechanic

[Timbo]

I wasn't planning on putting a dally wrap on the horn. Not saying I won't, just not planning on it at this point. If my horn comes out crappy looking I will for sure do a wrap on it!!

Tim

[Hidemechanic]

To me it depends what the saddle is going to be used for, but rarely do I not do some kind of dally wrap if the horn is going to have something hang from it at all. The D wrap helps protect the horn cover, not just for roping, but of course you don't have to wrap the horn.GH

[Hidemechanic]

Well first, splitting the sell cover isn't a bad thing. There are ways to lace it that is not complicated and looks good.

Second when it comes down to it, you will probably put a dally wrap on it anyway so no one is goning to see it but you when and if you change the dally wrap. Look at pics 2-3 they are the same saddle but 3 has the dally wrap on it.

Maybe the others will chime in here and I'll learn a trick or two. I'm game.GH

[Timbo]

Now if I could lace like that I wouldn't worry about making a split!!!!

Nice job!!!

Know of any tutorials on that??

Tim

Edited November 4, 2008 by Timbo

[Hidemechanic]

Thanks Tim, looking back I probably should have used smaller holes so things blend better and so you can't see through to the tree.

I'll see if I can put something together on that pattern, if someone doesn't already have something they can put on here. Just takes practice, like all this stuff.GH