Horn cap and wrap

[bruce johnson]

I guess I am missing the point of the whole doughnut thing here. In my mind that filler has to be nailed down (or machine screwed through an aluminum bare horn) to keep everything from twisting too. Most of the leather horn repairs I see are from either not using a filler or thinking glue will hold it. These are on mostly the cutters and barrel racers. On the ropers they will twist even with a filler if you yank one hard enough.

For a cleaner look I usually soak my fillers, and then when the moisture is right, use a hand sledge or shaping hammer on my anvil to really compress them. I think the boot guys do this for heels and call it hammerjacking. I started doing this about a year and a half ago or so. It firms and compresses the leather and I don't have such a clunky edge. For the barrel and cutters I will sand those edges even a little thinner to make a nice pretty edge. By sanding the edges or thinning the edges of my fillers, I can help to maintain a slight dome on my caps too.

[Echo4V]

Bruce- I was actually looking at it from the idea that a flat topped horn was the goal of the donut instead of a solid filler. That's why I was wondering about a smaller hole and thinner edges to screw/nail through into the horn.

David

[greg gomersall]

If you have a dome before you put your filler on you should still have a dome when your done and if you have a flat horn it should be flat when you are done so why not order the tree the way you want it. With or without dome. Greg

[Newfman]

Part of me says to shut up but here goes anyways. . .

If you peen only the center of the filler down (Similar to Bruces "hammerjacking" method), would this not help significantly reduce the dome look, at the same time provide an outer perimeter to nail down through that still has a fuller thickness (more tear/twist resistant) rim? So, instead of making an actual doughnut, use a peening hammer to compress the "hole area" instead of completely removing the material, yet be sure to leave room for a proper nail hold in the thicker part. Of course, i could be missing the point entirely.

Edited January 30, 2009 by Newfman

[Bob]

I fail to see why you would put a doughnut filler in, except to make a domed horn more flat, other wise, whats the point? It would be much stronger with a complete filler that can be nailed though out.

It just seems kinda pointless to make a large hole in the filler, and a complete waste of time, except to remove the dome that was put in the horn to begin with. Unless of course, I'm missing the whole point. I do however, like the idea of putting the wings on the bottom piece instead of the top one....

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

If you have a dome before you put your filler on you should still have a dome when your done and if you have a flat horn it should be flat when you are done so why not order the tree the way you want it. With or without dome. Greg

Greg's right! Order it the way you want it. Bottom line is that the filler should be tacked down by either the machine screw method or the tack method. I have repaired 100's of saddle horns , a lot of them belonging to people that do not even use their saddles to rope, or dally, or pony. They simply grab hold a lot, or set them down on the front of the fork and the front of the horn, (which is the correct way), and they come loose. In many cases the saddles are only a couple of years old. This (skipping the tacks in the filler) is a short cut that is used by manufacturers of "store bought" saddles. A large number of those saddles I have repaired were Circle Y saddles by the way. So many that I actually called them and tried to get them to let me set up as a repair center up here in Michigan. They weren't concerned about the need for repairs. They said "if they want them fixed they can send them back.

Happy Trails!

Bondo Bob

[mike59]

Greg's right! Order it the way you want it. Bottom line is that the filler should be tacked down by either the machine screw method or the tack method. I have repaired 100's of saddle horns , a lot of them belonging to people that do not even use their saddles to rope, or dally, or pony. They simply grab hold a lot, or set them down on the front of the fork and the front of the horn, (which is the correct way), and they come loose. In many cases the saddles are only a couple of years old. This (skipping the tacks in the filler) is a short cut that is used by manufacturers of "store bought" saddles. A large number of those saddles I have repaired were Circle Y saddles by the way. So many that I actually called them and tried to get them to let me set up as a repair center up here in Michigan. They weren't concerned about the need for repairs. They said "if they want them fixed they can send them back.

Happy Trails!

Bondo Bob

Unfortunately, it seems that the rule of thumb has become, " To Hell with Quality,...Get the money and run"! I suppose I shouldn't complain, It helps my bottom line doing repairs. Just seems like a shame.

[spur2009]

Reckon I have to go along in most part with Bruce. IThe majority of the saddles that I make are for working hands that do some heavy roping,

both dally and hard and fast. I believe the filller must be a solid piece and nailed down to prevent twisting when saddle is roped from.