You know it's spring where... Subscribe to RSS Feed You know it is spring when Rod can put newly rawhided trees outside to start drying. This is the norm during the summer - outside just long… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/it-s-spring/
Pictures from the saddle tree shop. Subscribe to RSS Feed I thought rather than bore you by showing yet another picture of Rod sitting and rawhiding a tree, I'd do something different. Here he is… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/a-couple-of-changes/
Pictures of the trees we have built and shipped this week. and one Modified Association. We also shipped off this Wade... and this Wade... and this Modified Association... and, for something different,… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/this-week-in-the-shop-so-far/
Some tricks Rod uses to get the rawhide looking good on our trees. One of the things Rod had to learn was where to leave the hide loose and where to stitch it more tightly, because rawhide doesn’t dry evenly. For example, in the center of… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/rawhiding-again/
We never know where some of our trees will turn up, or when we'll get asked about them. Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/you-never-know-where-or-when/
Here are some lower cantles compared to our more common orders, and some ideas as to why we have a few all at one time. Subscribe to RSS Feed Oh yeah, I did that one already too… Isn’t it funny how that when you get an unusual-to-you order, you often get more than one in very close… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other1/
Sometimes, this is how things go... Yup – the apron! After we’ve-forgotten-how-many years, it was finally time to spring for a new one. We bought it where we got the last one – from H and M meats in Grande… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/this-week-in-the-shop3/
Dead socks... Who'd ever think there was a use for them? But there are many uses for them! Subscribe to RSS Feed is in the plastic bag in the center of this picture. That’s right – dead socks… I wandered around today and took some pictures of all the places… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-handiest-tool-in-the-shop/
A look at different horns on Wade trees. Subscribe to RSS Feed It is unusual for us to build three orders with horn caps this large all at one time. Anything larger than a 4" horn cap is fairly uncommon, and… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other/
seems like people are more apt to order it. So we have another order for an itty-bitty kiddies tree. Subscribe to RSS Feed We build a lot of wood post Packer trees for one particular customer. Why? We think it is because he built his wife a saddle on that style of… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/if-you-have-it-sitting-in-the-shop/
This is one of the most difficult things to explain about trees. Hopefully the pictures will help. Subscribe to RSS Feed We recently built two trees that were almost identical. Forks, fit and seat length were all the same. The cantles had the same specs too for… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/taylor-versus-regular-cantles-see-the-difference/
Some pictures of what all is happening during a normal day in the shop. Subscribe to RSS Feed Today was just a normal day in the shop for us, and I thought I'd show you pictures of what all is happening in a normal type day. I know it is… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/today-in-the-shop1/
"Grandma" wants a saddle for her grandkids to ride, even though the oldest is only three now. Since "son" is a saddle maker, she gets to do it! So here is the smallest riding tree we have built to date. Subscribe to RSS Feed We have built a few kids’ trees over the years (primarily for saddle maker’s kids, interestingly enough), and quite a few half sized trees for… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/itty-bitty-kiddie-tree/
Just because the saw is big doesn't mean you have to use it like a big saw. Rod does a lot of careful, free hand cuts to almost start carving the bars with the bandsaw. Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/big-equipment-careful-cuts/
Here's the tools Rod uses when he is rawhiding saddle trees. Here you can see a couple of constantly used tools. On the back of Rod’s right hand are the straps that hold his palm protector in place. It is a piece of metal encased in… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/tools-used-when-rawhiding-a-saddle-tree/
There are markings on the tree we are currently duplicating, but no makers name. This one is built better than most production trees and we are curious as to who might have made it. Subscribe to RSS Feed We recently received this broken tree to duplicate so the customer can put the old leather back on again. Although there are some markings on it,… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/anyone-know-who-built-this-tree/
There are a lot of damaged and broken trees being ridden because the owners can't see the damage and don't know it is here. Here is what a broken tree can look like when you finally get to see under the rawhide. Subscribe to RSS Feed We picked up a “saddle in a tub” from the Greyhound station this week. The story on this one was that it was on a young horse that was tied to a… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/things-to-see-on-a-broken-saddle-tree/
But making rawhide has to be done! Here's how it goes inside the shop during the winter. Subscribe to RSS Feed especially when confined in a small space inside the shop. But that was the biggest of the jobs for today. We are no longer building saddle trees,… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/making-rawhide-isn-t-fun/
Rod is finishing rawhiding the trees we built before going to Edmonton, and I am gluing up wood for next week. Just a typical kind of day! Subscribe to RSS Feed We are no longer building saddle trees, but we have two videos about how Western saddles fit horses available on our westernsaddlefit.com website.… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/today-in-the-shop/
Two Wades, two Buster Welch cutting trees. Two Wades, two Buster Welch cutters. All ordered by the same maker, these trees are going to Australia. Here they are with all three coats of varnish on them. Rawhiding is the… https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/last-week-in-the-shop/
