Chapter XI: Making Gig Saddles

Formerly every harness maker made up his own gig saddles, and any general information on that line of manufacture was of great value, but of late years a large percentage made are by parties who carry on the business of saddle making exclusively, or in connection with winkers, fronts, etc., and but few harness makers can afford to make up the lower grades of saddles. There are those, however, who will not purchase ready-made saddles, and they would not think the manual complete without some instruction upon this very important branch of the harness business. To such the following plain details may prove of great value. The tree selected is the well known Tompkins, it being used more generally than any other.

The covering of the seat is the first part to be performed. To do this and make a perfect job, fit up the tree; for no matter how well it may have been made, there may be rough spots on the iron, and the wood in the cantle may need to be reduced in thickness. After having thoroughly cleaned the tree, unscrew the seat and remove it from the frame; varnish it with shellac varnish to prevent its rusting, or, better still, draw on a piece of sheepskin. When it is dry, proceed to prepare and draw on the seat leather, as follows: Cut a piece of patent collar leather, of the size required for the seat to be covered, dampen it with warm water, but do not wet the varnish and avoid using too much water; stretch it to conform somewhat to the desired shape, put a tack on each side of the cantle, and clip the edges to admit of its being drawn down. Pull each way and cut off the surplus leather, then sew the parts underneath the seat with a cross stitch, after which pull up the cantle part and tack it all around to the wood. Cut a piece of leather of about the size and substance of the middle leather (this is to be removed when the jockeys are put on,) place it in position, and screw the seat to the frame in order to secure the seat leather firmly in its place; use a washer temporarily until the seat is screwed on to remain; then file off the projecting portion of the screw. When the seat leather becomes dry, put on the back pieces, draw the tacks from the cantle, cut off some of the surplus leather, dampen the part over the cantle edge, and with a pair of plyers set up the leather drawn over the cantle, clipping it where needed. Cut a piece of patent collar leather for the back piece of the cantle, of the same shape as the seat leather; fit it nicely, and punch holes for the crupper loop, and cut apart from the hole to the bottom; secure it in position by a few tacks, and prepare it for the binding. To do this, use a single thread carefully in such a manner that the stitches will not show through the binding, paste the two upper edges together, and hammer to make them firm and smooth. When dry, cut off the surplus leather, leaving just enough to form a binding-edge, and with a very sharp edge tool trim the back part, and it will be ready for the binding. To bind, cut a strip of enameled leather, about seven eighths or one inch wide (cutting parallel with the grain to prevent the varnish from cracking) and of the proper length, which can be ascertained by stretching it over the cantle edge; skin one side to a thin edge, paste, and with a slicker turn down the edge one quarter of an inch, rub it down and crease it for stitching; then draw it over the cantle, tack one end properly and carefully adjust it in its place until the circle is completed and the other end secured in the same way. Regulate it with a slicker (which should be about one inch wide to work well), after which allow it to dry, and stitch as neatly as possible; when stitched, slick, regulate, and trim off the binding on the back part, black the trimmed edge, and it will be ready for the jockeys.

To prepare the frame for the seat and jockeys, trim off the rough edges from the middle leather, cut two pieces of hard stock, about six inches long and of the same width as the depressions in the frame, skive down one end of each piece, and tack one in each of the depressions, with the skived ends toward the center; holes must be punched in them for the terret nuts, which should be secured with annealed or clout nails passed through the leather and clinched.

To make the jockeys, take a pattern of the required size, made of heavy leather or sheet iron, scribe and cut the jockeys, if for a covered seat, in two pieces; if for a japanned seat, in one piece; for a covered seat, skive the parts that meet on the center of the tree, dampen with water, and bend them to fit nicely over the seat. After stitching the jockeys, take off the edge with an edge tool, black, and rub smooth, and polish with a little ballblack. When they are ready, tack them to the middle leather on the frame in their proper place, screw on the seat, file off the screw if too long, wet the front and back edges of the seat leather, carefully draw it down, tack the front and rear, then trim off all surplus leather, and it is ready for the flaps.

The crupper loop should be covered before the seat and frame are put together. Cover it with plain or enameled leather, in the same manner as in covering a buckle or ring, and, when dry, stitch firm, trim off the edges, black, and rub smooth. To cut the flaps, patterns should be provided the same as for the jockeys; lay them on the leather, scribe around them with a round awl, and cut them out, true and smooth, with a sharp round knife; grease the under side with hard tallow, but do not allow it to touch the cut edges; immerse them in water for a few minutes, then lay them aside until the water has softened the leather enough for it to receive the crease-mark; a little grease applied to the glazed side will prevent the creaser scratching. After creasing, allow them to dry, then bevel and black the edges.

To flap off, cut the ends of the flaps to the requisite shape, so as to allow a portion to settle down in the depressions of the tree on the top of the stiffeners, leaving room for the back-bands; fit the parts nicely, butting them against the crupper, so that the jockeys will hit the guide marks on the flaps; place them so that the tree is in the center, and nail through the holes in the frames, clinching the nails on a flat iron. The back-bands being in their place on the flaps, adjust them on the tree, punch holes in them for the terret shanks, tack them fast, and secure the nuts with clout nails. After putting in the forepiece, sew down the jockeys. If the flaps are lengthened in front, the forepiece can be dispensed with when making cheap saddles.

To make the leather loops, cut two pieces of thin harness leather, three and a half inches long and one and a quarter inches wide; also two other pieces of good leather, about as heavy as bridle leather, one inch wide by three and a quarter inches long; paste these on the thin, wide pieces, then cut four strips, a little more than one eighth of an inch wide, from the heaviest leather (as it is easier to paste before cutting); paste them three sixteenths of an inch from the outer edges, pat them down with a hammer, and allow the paste to dry; when dry, skive the ends, and they will be ready for the covering leather. Next cut a piece of good enameled leather of sufficient width to cover the body piece, shave down a little, slick out, cut in two pieces, paste them, and put them around the body piece; while damp, bind them over a piece of wood, three eighths of an inch thick on one edge, and, after adjusting them to suit the eye, tack them to dry; when dry, stitch them twenty to twenty-two stitches to the inch, and they will be ready to be put in the flaps.

To lay up the points for stitching, rough out the upper pieces eleven and a half inches long and three quarters of an inch wide, if for a three-inch saddle or under, of good but not heavy leather; cut the linings one and a half inches shorter and of lighter material; wet the leather as directed on page 54, and when partially dry it will work easily. If the upper pieces are not of uniform thickness, place the heaviest ends next to the flaps; slick them smooth, lay on the pattern, mark it, and cut out the ornamental section that is stitched on the flap; skive down the uppers on the flesh side where they lay on the flaps, leaving the edge the heaviest just at the end of the latter, as they are liable to break at this point if not well protected. Round the lower ends and skive them down a little on each edge; for a good job, make the two parts a little oval by bending them over the edge of a board, or by rubbing them down in a groove, crease the edge, and afterwards crease for the stitching. Skive the linings on the edges, paste them and the tops together, smooth with a rubbing-rag, and let them dry, then stitch from ten to sixteen stitches to the inch, according to quality. When stitched, dampen the leather a little, slick down the under side, and crease the edges again; trim them to the desired shape, black them, and rub smooth with a rag containing a little tallow, and with a stiff brush clean off the stitches. They will then be ready to attach to the flaps.

To make the back-bands, rough them out to the required length and width, using the best quality of leather (the upper piece should be of good substance, but the lining may be of lighter stock); dampen them in the same manner as directed for the points, lay the upper pieces together, and mark off twelve inches for the points and one inch for rounding, if the parts above the points are to be ornamental; if not, round four and a half inches, leaving the remaining portion flat, to go under the jockeys and be secured by the terrets. The ornament above the loop should be made to correspond with the other ornamental work on the harness. Skive the edges of the under pieces, and cut the tops to the desired width, leaving them a little wider at the loops; sew the rounds where the loops are to go very strongly, round up smoothly, and paste the top and linings together in good order above and below the loop rounds (some prefer to paste up before sewing the rounds). Crease up for straight or ornamental stitching, whichever best suits the harness, and settle the mark for the stitches with a tickler. Where there is not enough substance to make a firm job, a middle piece can be used to advantage. Finish in the same manner as with the points.

To make the pad, cut the lining to the required shape, using the best English serge, and the body piece of sheepskin or enamelled duck. If the former is used, it may be necessary to cut this piece a little smaller than when duck is employed, as it does not work up so much in sewing, and it is not necessary to take quite so deep a hold. Sew them together in the center with a few stitches on each side, to keep them in place, and scribe guide marks crosswise on the sheepskin or duck, to serve as guides for closing up the long cut after stuffing. Cut the facings of patent leather about one inch wide for all saddles under three inches, increasing the width for larger sizes. Be governed by the dimensions of the body piece in the length of the facings and fillings; the latter are preferably made of leather, but reeds are also used. In preparing the fillings, reduce them in the center at the hook, also at the ends, to make a good finish; baste the facings on the fillings with long stitches, having them a little damp. Sew them all together—the facings forming a welt, beginning at the center—with a strong thread, about four stitches to the inch; finish the ends neatly.

After sewing, cut the body piece lengthwise, turn the pad, and sew together with a long loop-stitch; the guide marks will assist materially in so joining that the original position is maintained; regulate the facings while damp. If there be sufficient time, tack the pad out on a board in the shape to suit the flaps, and smooth the facings with a half round creaser, the same as for any rounded piece, and let it remain until thoroughly dry before stuffing. In making common saddles this may be omitted, the whole being worked dry; but with a good saddle these points must be observed. Stuff from the center with well-beaten hair, a little at a time, working it evenly into its place, and keeping it compact and smooth with a round awl; after thus regulating it, quilt the pad up to the bearings, being careful to have each side correspond. Next sew the lining to the body piece, keeping the fullness of the lining drawn toward the lower ends of the pad; stuff the bearings, and work with a round awl until they are sufficiently full, then with a proper tool pound the pad where it is quilted and stuffed, and it is ready for the saddle.

Before flapping, make the holes in the flaps for the loops, and prepare each of the latter for stitching. After the flapping is done, and before sewing down the jockeys, draw the loops in their places over the rounds of the back-bands and down through the holes made for them in the flaps, pulling them tightly to their places, and tacking temporarily with small tacks; sew them to correspond with the stitching on the jockeys, punch holes through the top ends of the back-bands for the terrets, and nail them securely. Tacking is not absolutely necessary, but it serves to make a firmer job. After so doing, put in the terrets and hook, using annealed nails to secure the nuts, clinch them thoroughly, and sew down the jockeys. Trim up, regulate, and put in the pad, lace it thoroughly, clean off, and the saddle is finished.

Where a change is necessary in the shape of the flap, or larger or smaller patterns are desired, strike a line lengthwise through the center of the pattern, then take a pair of dividers and lay out the shape or size preferred, working from the center-line; when the shape is secured, cut one side, fold the pattern together, and cut the other. In this way a true pattern is obtained, while no changes are made in the part that fits the tree. Alter the patterns for the body and lining to correspond.