Tin Seat Strainer

[presleyleather]

Having a hell of a hard time installing this tin strainer and getting it flush with the bars. How flush and smooth is it supposed to be exactly? I imaging as smooth as you can get it, but can't seem to get it looking nice, it seems clunky and It's not shaping very easily at all for me. Plum broke my rubber mallet on it (are they supposed to be this difficult to shape) 

Finally had it sitting nice and shaped how I wanted, then lined the bottom and skifed down the edges and set it back on and it just doesn't look good at all 

 

Slick fork Wade saddle, have plugs installed. 

 

Looking for tips or installation pictures. And maybe your favorite place to buy tin strainers.

 

Thanks in advance, really frustrated here and looking for some advice.

Edited April 7, 2018 by presleyleather

[oltoot]

Look at old threads, there is one there with lots of pics.

[presleyleather]

I was looking through old stuff but most threads seem to be arguments about leather ground seat vs strainer. 

I'll try to find the one with pictures 

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by presleyleather

[Goldshot Ron]

Here's one tip if you haven't tried it yet; make angled cuts between the nail holes along the bars.  The cuts should be uniform in length and distance between each other.  The cut would be from the edge of the strainer, and no further than the edge of the bar (approximately 3/4 to 1 inch).  Cuts don't have to be made along the cantle section.  This allows the strainer edge to conform to the bars without hammering the hell out of the center seat part of the strainer.  You shouldn't be hammering the plate so hard that you break a mallet.  Also, use an anvil to help shape the plate, not your tree.   I have a piece of train rail for my anvil.

Also, make sure that the bottom of the strainer is not so flat that it lies on the horse's spine, or pushes the pad down causing a pressure point along the back.  Everyone lays the ground seat pieces differently over the strainer, so remember that the leather primarily forms the seat, not the metal strainer.

Hope this helps, Ron

Edited April 10, 2018 by Goldshot Ron
adding photo

[oltoot]

If you can't find it, I can email you the pics from which the thread was made if you would like. Send email addy to oldcoot1913@outlook.com. Ron's tip will go a long way toward solving the problem.

[debwilliams]

On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 10:24 AM, oltoot said:

If you can't find it, I can email you the pics from which the thread was made if you would like. Send email addy to oldcoot1913@outlook.com.

To Oltoot: I sent an email and also PM to you but your email won't go through.  Could you post the pictures for the seat strainer thread you mentioned? 

There are many older tutorials on this site that no longer have any pictures included (such as the leather ground seat tutorial) so the tutorials are no help to new learners like me.  I know that posting the pictures takes time and effort on your part and thank you for your help and contributions.

Deb Williams