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Saddle rebuild

Cap and glueing, Colorado saddle logo, finished horn and blank, fixed tear

Ground seat and leather, head and neck cap, head and cap, head and profile

Rebuild horn, horn and anchor, anchor detail, horn to pommel and glueing

Horn and wrap, laces, stirrup and fender, pommel and cantle

Pommel and skin, under pommel, pommel underside and tacked in place, pseudo-grinder

Seat repair, rigging and plates, free seat belt webbing from wreck, sheepskin and stiff leather panels eliminated from skirts

Stitch repair, tear on left seat, tear on right seat, Amazing Goop, tree label

Treeless rebuild notes

skirts etc.
becomes the new foundation to which rigging and leathers attach. almost floppy without the sheepskin panels and a second layer of leather

fix L tear.JPG
goop-saturated piece of nylon webbing

pseudo grinder
I originally tried to shape the horn blank by placing the saw on the floor, holding down the trigger of the saw with one hand, holding the horn blank in pliers, and bracing the saw with my foot. This is safer and not stupid.

inished horn blank
This goes inside the horn cap leather; a screw goes thru the horn wrap, through the horn cap, and into this. The original on the horn split when I soaked the horn to get the leather off. Nailed onto holder for safe grinding.

head profile
I eyeballed this to get the profile for the horn blank. Note where stitching tore when I pulled out the horn. Destined for gooping due to laziness haste, lack of stitcher; I think it doesn't matter. Jason from downstairs' irrelevant feet.

head cap.JPG
blank inserted but not glued in yet. Wires will pull together the split on top (through which the blank is inserted) for gluing.

R seat repair.JPG
Repair popped stitching. Heavily gooped leather and nylon web patch. The fix last night on left side looks bombproof. Not shown: gooped seam on finish side.

stitch repair.JPG
Also shows the slit which allows cap to expand, allowing insertion of the horn head (or in this case, the wooden blank).

pommel cantle
I was going to reinstall these and then I thought, what the hell, I can always put them back in later if I must. Let me see how My Little Pony and I do without them. Maybe I will stuff these places with foam.

sheepskin and stiff leather panels eliminated from skirts
I'm having second thoughts about ditching these. I like saving weight but I'd like something stiff to distribute weight. Can re-include.

tree label
From 1952! Tree was solid as a rock and just as heavy 50 years on... I just started cutting the thing up with a sawzall before I realized how easy it was to disassemble, and then I realized I didn't want any of it at all anyway.

Colorado Saddlery logo
Comparable saddles new (this one is a little beat) from CS aren't cheap. I sure hope this wasn't a valuable antique or something.

The amazing Goop
About $5 at Home Depot; I think I want a lot more of it. Anybody seen it in bulk? It goes quick.

pommel under
Web horn anchors saturated w/Goop, pommel underside tacked on with wire at rear edge, front edge heavily Gooped prior to joining.

horn to pommel gluing
Must preassemble (because neither end of the horn goes thru the hole in pommel easily), then apply glue, then press into position. Next time I'll mask the finish surfaces, was awkward and messy.

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