Frank Meanea 1/2 seat

[cowboysaddlemaker]

I was needing a little help with a saddle project. I have a Frank Meanea tree to build on for a customer but have never had a chance to get a close look at how the seat and swell cover are put on. It will be a 1/2 seat with exposed stirrup leathers, no seat jockey so I guess my question is where does the swell cover stop? I have only got a chance to look at one of these types of saddles and that maker stopped the swell cover in the center of the stirrup leather ( underneath it). I was thinking of taking the swell cover all the way to the ground seat. Any suggestions? Also where the finished seat rolls over the front of the ground seat how do you secure it on the bottom? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks, Alan

[Casey Jordan]

Alan,

Here's a of picture of how I did it on a Main & Winchester the same style you are talking about. The detailed picture is of a miniature saddle that I made to match the full size one. I just stoped the swell cover in the center of the stirrup leather. And where the seat leather came over the ground seat it was just glued. You could also tack it to the ground seat.

Hope this helps!

Casey (minisaddlemaker)

[Casey Jordan]

Here's a picture of the matching set. Just could not figure out how to post with the other picture.

Need Johanna to take me by the hand and get it through my thick skull.

Casey (minisaddlemaker)

[cowboysaddlemaker]

Here's a picture of the matching set. Just could not figure out how to post with the other picture.

Need Johanna to take me by the hand and get it through my thick skull.

Casey (minisaddlemaker)

I am not sure if this is where I go to reply, but thanks for the info, the pictures really help. I built a 1/2 scale 1875 Denver saddle that I say in the book "Saddles" very similar to the one you built and I did it the same way, but I was just winging it and didn't no if it was right, Thanks alot, Alan

PS. I like the design in the seat, did you draw that?

[Don101]

Here are some pics to show you the cut i used to fold over the front of the seat, Don

[cowboysaddlemaker]

Here are some pics to show you the cut i used to fold over the front of the seat, Don

Thanks Don, I really appreciate the pictures, that really helps!

[Casey Jordan]

I made my cuts just like Don. If you get a chance take a look at some spur straps he has posted.

The pattern I used was off an original Main & Winchester saddle. I like the pattern because there is so much background that the pattern stands out. Hours of backgrounding though.

Casey

[D.A. Kabatoff]

Hi Alan,

I have no experience building a half seat saddle but did read an article in the Leather Crafter's Journal, written by Dick Sherer. He mentioned that one of the common problems with half seats was the seat leather coming unfastened where it was folded over the groundwork at the the front of the seat. The article mentioned he had seen this fastened every way imagineable but still working loose over the years. His method to try to overcome this problem was to use a layer of rawhide in the groundwork and use tiny, self tapping, brass screws to screw into it. This said, he also mentioned that while he believed this to be the best method he could come up with, it wasn't a proven fix over the long term.

good luck,

Darc

[cowboysaddlemaker]

Hi Alan,

I have no experience building a half seat saddle but did read an article in the Leather Crafter's Journal, written by Dick Sherer. He mentioned that one of the common problems with half seats was the seat leather coming unfastened where it was folded over the groundwork at the the front of the seat. The article mentioned he had seen this fastened every way imagineable but still working loose over the years. His method to try to overcome this problem was to use a layer of rawhide in the groundwork and use tiny, self tapping, brass screws to screw into it. This said, he also mentioned that while he believed this to be the best method he could come up with, it wasn't a proven fix over the long term.

good luck,

Darc

Thanks that sounds like a viable solution, I know that Dick Sherer has repaired many of this type of saddle so he should have a pretty good idea of what might work the best. Alan

[TrooperChuck]

Like you, I am also planning on building a half-seat saddle, and had no idea how to do it. The information posted here has been a great help to me. Thanks, folks.

The Dick Sherer article that Darc mentioned is in the Sept/Oct 2004 issue of LCSJ. I ordered a copy of it from the LCSJ website.

[Aurelie]

never built half seat so far...but it's getting into my brain to try to make one....

your advices are really nice

but i have another question :

prior to cover the half seat

How do you do the ground seat for the half seat???

I mean : you can't use a strainer i guess?

what's the trick?