Chapter X: Directions for Making Team Harness

In making up team-harness there is as good an opportunity for a workman to display genius in designing and skill in execution as there is in making the most elaborate coach or fine, light carriage harness. The difference, however, being that in the one skill in decorating as well as in finishing are the primary points to be considered, while in the other adaptability, strength, and fit are first to be secured, after which attention may be turned to finishing and trimming. The idea is by far too prevalent that it requires but little skill to make a farm harness, and unskilled, cheap workmen are employed who could not make up carriage harness of any kind. A good, careful mechanic will not only make the team harness better than the careless one, but he will, with no more expense, give it a much finer finish, thus producing a more salable and durable article.

In selecting stock, be governed by the directions laid down in Chapter I. Having chosen a side suitable for the weight of harness to be made, proceed to cut out the various straps by first straightening the back, and measuring off a strip from 18 to 20 inches wide; draw a line with a straight edge, and cut the side in two pieces; the back will contain the heaviest and firmest part of the leather, the belly and flanks that which is softer and more uneven. Before cutting out the straps examine the grain as well as the flesh side carefully, to see that there are no cuts or imperfect spots; too much care can not be taken in this respect, as a blemish, no matter how slight, will show after the leather is wet up and while being worked. If the harness to be cut is a heavy one select a large spread side which will weigh from twenty to twenty-two pounds, cut the traces and all other straps which receive the strain, from the back, the folds, chapes, etc., from the belly part. The traces should be cut 76 inches long and 1¾ inches wide; if the leather is even and of suitable thickness, filling will not be necessary. The breast and pole straps should be cut next after the traces, the former 66 inches long and 1¾ inches wide, the latter 54 inches long and 1¾ inches wide. After the buckle is sewed on, slip on a ring for the collar strap. Cut the collar strap 34 inches long and 1 inch wide. Use wrought-iron cockeyes for the traces, and in addition to the stitching secure each buckle and ring chape with copper rivets; these relieve the stitching from much of the strain that would otherwise be put upon it. Cut the hame tugs from heavy, even leather of equal strength with that used in the traces; they should be 18 inches long after being fitted up, and of the same width as the trace; the laps should not be less than 3 inches long. Use firm leather for the loops, channel on the back to allow the stitches to sink below the surface, and trim the edges a slight bevel. Cut the bottom hame strap of good, firm leather, 26 inches long and 1 inch wide; the top strap, 28 inches long and 1 inch wide, of strong but more pliable stock, as it has to adjust itself to the shape of the top of the collar pad.

Pads for these harness are made up in a variety of ways, the old style soft pad being the most desirable. Cut the top of good, even, and moderately heavy stock 22 inches long and 1¾ inches wide, narrow the ends to 1½ inches, tapering up 3½ inches; cut the ring piece 26 inches long by 1¼ inches wide, and round up 5 inches in the center; fit the ring piece to the pad top with the round well raised up, and place a martingale ring under the round for a tie strap ring; then stitch a ring on each end of the top. For the nut pieces cut straps 18 inches long and 1¾ inches wide, of heavy, firm stock. At the ends of the round ring piece punch a hole for the pad screw; 3½ inches from that point punch another for the back-strap loop. To make a showy pad, use a patent leather housing.

The breeching folds should be cut from the smoothest part of the flank, and shaved down to an even thickness. If the harness maker will treat the folds as directed in regard to rein leather, he can produce a broken grain which will look much better than the plain leather, and will not so readily show checks from use. Cut the fold forty-four inches long and five inches wide. In all cases cut folds wider than the actual measurements, as the leather will narrow down in places while being worked; they can be cut to the required width, when ready for fitting up. Cut canvas of the requisite width and fill in the folds; coat the leather on the flesh side with tallow, and also apply warm tallow to the fillings. This will secure a durable job. Cut the back strap five feet long and one and a quarter inches wide; split it fifty two inches, leaving a short part uncut to wrap around the ring. If the leather is not heavy, use a wear leather where the back strap is attached to the hame rings. Stitch the hip straps to the rump rings before fitting up the bucklepiece. If a pad-safe is used under the rump ring, cut it half an inch wider than the rump strap, stitch it on with the edges even, and leave the swell end open, to permit its being stuffed with hair. For lead-ups for the breeching, use a six and one half inch chape of sufficient width for the buckle; cut the layer eleven inches long and seven eighths of an inch wide, with a hole under the buckle for the hip strap points to pass through. Use one and three quarter rings for the breeching and one inch ring for the center lead up.

Cut the side straps from the center of the side, as it is necessary that they be of even thickness. These should be six feet long and one inch wide, leaving six inches for the turnback; fit up with two loops, and use a snap and a slide loop to hold the latter to its place.

Make the belly bands of heavy folds, five and one half inches wide and eighteen inches long; lap the edges in the center, contracting the ends to the width of the buckle chapes; stitch through the center with one row.

The bridles, though plain, are a very important part of a harness of this kind, and the workman who slights them makes a great mistake. They need to be larger than other kinds, as the horses they are used upon are heavier. The fronts should be sufficiently long to allow the crown pieces to lay one inch back of the root of the horses’ ears. A short front will draw the crown pieces forward and spoil the set of the bridle. Fifteen to sixteen inches should be the length used. The length of the crown is another important consideration; under no circumstances should it be less than twelve inches between the billet splits, the whole length being twenty-four inches. The cheeks should be seven eighths of an inch and throat latch three quarters of an inch wide. Cut the former thirty inches long; set the buckle above the winker. The winker braces should be cut fifteen inches long, rounded nine inches; cut the face piece twenty-one inches long, and split it ten and one half inches. All straps on the bridle other than the face and winker should be flat. Cut the inside checks sixty-one inches and outside checks twenty-six inches long, by three quarters of an inch wide; make up the outside with a ring for take-up. Use a plain leather winker, six by four and one half inches, with round corners and an oval end. These wear better and are less liable to be damaged than the square winkers.

Cut the lines from the best part of a side weighing about sixteen pounds; see that there are no cuts on the grain or flesh side. Make them up flat, about twenty-four feet long and one inch wide. The inside or cross lines must be six feet six inches long; billets, twelve inches long; finish off the ends with a billet in such a manner that a snap can be attached if desired.

The mountings, though of the plainest kind, must be strong, and in neglecting to procure those suited to the strain to be borne, harness makers often entail pecuniary loss upon themselves and injure their reputation. A weak buckle, ring, or hame, operates just as injuriously to the harness maker as though the leather used was inferior in quality and the workmanship poor. The trace buckles are subjected to a severe test, and unless they are strong and perfect they will not sustain the heavy strain put upon them. There are a variety of patent trace buckles in the market, and, owing to strong competition, prices have been very much reduced, so that manufacturers have been tempted to make them much lighter than they should be. It is necessary, therefore, to examine them closely, and to buy the strongest and those most easily adjusted. The hames, which are of wood, should be strong and of good shape, provided with extra rings for split back strap and loose loops at the bottom. The small buckles should be strong and of a good pattern—that is, so shaped that the strap is not bent too much in passing through, and the edges are not borne too heavily upon. The common wire horseshoe buckle, which is used more than any other, is the poorest article in the market. The “Sensible” is a good buckle, and there are others which answer quite as well, a full description of which is given in the chapter on harness mountings. But of all the buckles made, there is none better than the large barrel roller-buckle for a draft harness: this possesses great strength, is easily loosened, and does not cut the strap in the least.

The stitching throughout should be done with white thread, as it is much stronger than black; it can be colored easily when blacking up for finishing. Traces and tugs should have six or seven stitches; all other straps eight or ten to the inch. Coarse stitching is the strongest, and accords best with heavy harness.

The above instructions, though ostensibly for a team harness, can be followed in a general way in making up all kinds of draft harness. The following practical working guide will be understood by the workman.

Before doing any thing toward fitting up, see that every strap is cut and laid upon the work-bench. First skive down all the folds, wet them and slick them out, cut them to the required lengths, and skive down and shape ends; fold them and hammer them down; fill them with canvas, felt, or leather, and sew them up; then shape up the chapes, skive down the ends, punch the buckle-holes, and black and crease the edges; tack on the chapes and layers, and as soon as the leather is dry they can be stitched.

Before stitching the folds, wet all the stock, allow it to dry a little, then slick it out, point up the straps, take off the edges where it is necessary, and crease while damp. If the edges are rubbed down at the same time, they will finish better when dry; but the blacking must not be applied until after the leather is dry. If folded traces are used, mark a line in the center on the flesh side, and with a gouge take out about one half the thickness of the stock. This will prevent the leather cracking when being bent over. If doubled and stitched traces are used, paste up, tack, and crease them, and lay them one side to dry. Fit up the breeching tugs, turn four inches; use loops one eighth inch narrower than the tugs. Crease and stitch the winkers, put some paste on the plates, and shove them in; rub down with a round end slicker, and tack them on a board to dry. Fit up the winker brace, wet it thoroughly, and bend it like the letter B; tack it down, and allow it to dry before being stitched in. Make all the laps on the bridle two inches long; lap billets, three inches.

After all the straps are dry and stitched, trim the edges, using a spokeshave instead of glass to true them; black them, and then apply a little tallow and rub with a rag. Clean up the loops, and the harness will be ready to receive the final finish.

HEAVY ORNAMENTAL TRUCK HARNESS.

Among the many devices resorted to for the purpose of advertising a special business is the use of display teams, the harness for which is made in the most expensive manner; and it is no uncommon occurrence for a four-horse set to cost $2000, or a single set to cost $1200. As all these harness are made up in special styles, according to the taste of the party ordering them, a general description is all that is necessary.

The bridles are made up full coach style, the winkers square, with slightly-rounded corners; swivel gag runners are used, and the ornaments are alike on both sides; the cheeks, throat latches, and reins are cut three quarters of an inch wide; the winker braces are generally rounded; the face pieces are made with ornamental pendants, and are lined and stitched throughout. The entire bridle is fitted up with as much care as though designed for a coach harness. The metallic ornaments are of an appropriate design, to illustrate the business of the owner.

The wheel harness have no pads; the crupper or back straps extending forward to the top hand straps; the crupper bodies are made with wide scroll safes, padded; the layers, which extend the entire length of the safes, are cut to a suitable ornamental pattern, made up martingale fashion, lined and stitched with four rows, fourteen to sixteen to the inch.

The hip straps for each breeching are cut in one piece, having a swell two and a half inches wide, the split ends being one inch wide; between the ends there are ornamental pendants, which are cut out of the same strap, fitted up quite full, and stitched with four rows, the center of the frog being provided with a metallic ornament; the hip straps are secured to the crupper body by metallic screws.

The breeching bodies are of solid leather, two and three quarter inches wide; the layer straight and stitched with four rows; the layers and hip straps are stitched fourteen to the inch; the tugs have full safes, with loops before and after the buckles; on each tug is an ivory ring in place of the ordinary breeching rings: they are put up the same as collar buckles, having loops for the tugs and trace bearer frogs, the latter being of some neat, appropriate pattern.

The breeching straps act as pole straps as well, as they extend from the breeching to the neck yoke, and are provided with heavy straps at the pole ends, and attached to the breeching martingale fashion. Bearing straps are attached to the forward ends, and are secured to the harness by swivel snap hooks.

The traces and safes are cut in one piece, the safe end being four and one half, the other portion two inches wide, and attached to the harness by a heavy loop and three plated-head rivets; they have three straight rows of stitches, ten to the inch.

The lead harness, bridles, traces, and collars are made up the same as those for the pole team, except that they are lighter; they have, however, pads, but no breeching. The former are of plain leather, cut in one piece, with swelled sides doubled throughout and made very firm, the bearing part lined and padded, and the tops stitched in the same manner as the tops of coach pads. The trace bearers are made heavy and strong, and in addition to being stitched to the pad by four rows they are each fastened by two pad-screws, to which are fastened ivory rings; rings are also attached to the top in the center of each pad through which the turnback passes to the hame straps. The cruppers are made up in the same manner as those of the pole harness, excepting that they are provided with billets for the docks; the latter are extra large.

The loin straps are made up in the usual coach style, with swell ends and hip ornaments and trace bearers the same as those on the pole harness.

The mountings are generally silver-plated, all the buckles being the “sunk bar.” The round reins are of russet, and the hand parts of heavy buffed leather. The collars are heavy, having piped throats, lined with thin harness leather.