removing latigo lining

[cowboy bill]

I have a good used reined cow horse saddle an old saddle making friend made some years back.  I want to remove the latigo lining on the fenders.   I figure I can cut the stitching (nylon) with a scapel, but wondering just how hard will it be to pull the latigo liner off, glued on no doubt with the best of glue!!!   It is a using saddle and not worried about the remaining stitching holes!  Thanks

[Hasbeencowboy]

As a rule, heat will reactivate the glue (if it is contact cement).  I have never tried this on leather but when I was a general contractor and would need to remove a piece of formica from a counter top, I would use my heat gun to heat the formica and gently peel the old formica off.   I don't see why it won't work on leather, but then again, I have never tried it.  I have also been told that a hair dryer will work if no heat gun is available.  Hope this is of some help to you

[cowboy bill]

Thanks!

[Rahere]

48 minutes ago, Hasbeencowboy said:

As a rule, heat will reactivate the glue (if it is contact cement).  I have never tried this on leather but when I was a general contractor and would need to remove a piece of formica from a counter top, I would use my heat gun to heat the formica and gently peel the old formica off.   I don't see why it won't work on leather, but then again, I have never tried it.  I have also been told that a hair dryer will work if no heat gun is available.  Hope this is of some help to you

Just keep the heat moving around.

[Hasbeencowboy]

After a mistake a couple of days ago on gluing a liner in a ropers flank cinch, I used my heat gun and heated the liner.  That worked slicker than snot on a kid's lip for getting the liner off, and now I know that what worked on removing formica works on leathr

[Ken Nelson]

You do realize the back of the fender will be quite sticky.  Dirt and  other stuff will stick to it.   If the saddle were mine , and it is not, I would remove the lining and put a new one on it if  the latigo is worn or damaged.   On removing the stitches,  there was a post on here several years ago on an easy way to do that. Actually removing sheepskins from skirts but I have done it on lined fenders as well.   It used a stitch groover of a certain type and cuts the stitches on the top and then pull the lining off and you won't have to pick maybe just a few stitches.  I use a horseshoe brand stitch groover to do this.  I am not certain but I think it may have been Bruce Johnson that had that post.  Kind of one of those things that makes you go "Why didn't I think of that"!

[bruce johnson]

50 minutes ago, Ken Nelson said:

You do realize the back of the fender will be quite sticky.  Dirt and  other stuff will stick to it.   If the saddle were mine , and it is not, I would remove the lining and put a new one on it if  the latigo is worn or damaged.   On removing the stitches,  there was a post on here several years ago on an easy way to do that. Actually removing sheepskins from skirts but I have done it on lined fenders as well.   It used a stitch groover of a certain type and cuts the stitches on the top and then pull the lining off and you won't have to pick maybe just a few stitches.  I use a horseshoe brand stitch groover to do this.  I am not certain but I think it may have been Bruce Johnson that had that post.  Kind of one of those things that makes you go "Why didn't I think of that"!

Ken, It probably was me and shared to me by an old guy 20+ years ago. . A freehand stitch groover/patent leather tool/gum tool (whatever you choose to call it is the trick. It will cut the top of the stitches off or severely weaken them so the liner pulls right off and takes most of the stitches with it. Shameless plug - I sell that tool

[Ken Nelson]

Naw,  just good salesmanship,  letting potential customers know how versatile a particular tool is.  Whose do you sell?