Chapter XII: Pads for Coach and Team Harness

The subdivision of labor and the improvements made during the past ten or fifteen years have, by making specialties of certain parts, such as pads, gig saddles, etc., taken some of the harness maker’s work out of his hands, and enabled him to purchase ready-made articles at reduced prices, yet there are times when these must be made under the supervision of the manufacturer in order that they may correspond with all other portions of the harness.

Patent pads, which constitute the greater portion of those made up for the regular trade, are constructed in various ways, and as their manufacture is confined to the patentees, no advantage would accrue to the harness maker by a detailed description of the manner of putting them together. Instruction, therefore, in this respect will be confined to a few of the hand made pads which best represent their respective classes; more than this it would be useless to do, as the variety of style and processes of manufacture are so varied.

COACH AND CARRIAGE PADS.

By coach and carriage pads is meant all, whether light or heavy, that are designed for carriage harness in contradistinction to those used on team or draught harness. The process of manufacture is the same in all cases, whether the pad be light or heavy. Directions for making up will be confined to the pad, independent of the sides. The plates, which should be of wrought-iron, must be trued up, and the ends filed off thin and smooth. Cut out the top, punch the holes for the hook, terrets, and pad screws, blind stitch the ornamental portion, and stitch the pad plate lining to the top; trim off the edges to a sharp under bevel, then split the lining lengthwise, insert the plate, and whip stitch together with strong threads. Cut the socket piece of harness leather one half inch larger all around than the top; the point, or pole, as it is sometimes called, should extend from 1¼ to 1⅜ inches below the end of the plate; in cutting allow at least ⅜ of an inch for fulness between the terret holes, and ⅛ of an inch between the terret and pad screw holes. Skive off the edges on the flesh side quite thin, and back ½ inch from the outer edge, punch holes for terret nuts, insert them, and rivet them in place; in like manner insert the nuts for the pad screws, and screw them in position by means of a small cap piece stitched on. Screw in the pad hook, place the nut piece in position, and pound down enough on the pad screw nut to obtain the exact size, then remove the nut piece, and cut away for the pad hook nut; then place the nut piece in position, screw in the terrets, insert a short piece of harness leather the same width and thickness as the pad side, and set in the pad screw (be careful to set the mock side in proper position); then, with a hammer, set up the bolt piece to the plate, work in all the fulness, and turn up the edges square and smooth, and set the pad aside to dry. After the leather is dry, cut the pad filling out of heavy felt, paste it on, and, when dry, trim to the required shape. Cut the bottom from light collar leather, moisten it on the flesh side, work it up smooth, and paste to the edges of the nut piece; when dry, trim off flush with the top, skive the edges quite thin, and paste on the binding, being careful to work it up smooth and even; when dry, stitch across the center, leaving the gullet piece about 1½ inches wide, then place the pad upon a block, and carefully stitch the binding; trim the edge, and black if necessary. Pads put up in this way are firm, and much easier to make than those in which hair is used for stuffing.

The following directions apply to the manufacture of pads stuffed with hair. The routine for making is also somewhat different: Prepare the top and lining, and insert the plate as before directed, fit the hook and crupper loop in their proper places, bend the latter up so that it meets the edge of the top, fasten the screw or nut piece with a pad screw to the top, and force it up in the center so as to obtain the requisite fulness, mark the holes for the screws and terrets, and also the outlines for the plate; make the pole 1¼ inches long, remove the nut piece, and punch the burrow holes by the lower edges of the marks; this will secure the necessary fulness in the center; skive off the edges of the nut piece, secure the burrs to it, and fit it up to the top with a hammer, being careful to turn the edges up true and smooth, and set it aside to dry; when partially dry, repeat the process so as to be sure that the edge is properly shaped; do not remove the top until the nut piece is perfectly dry. Cut the bottom piece out of collar leather; to get the proper size, make a pattern of sheepskin. This is done by dampening it very lightly, turning up the end around the gullet, tack it to the top, fit the other end around the pole, and tack it in like manner, then turn up the edge all around, and mark a line level with the top. This will give the exact shape without fulness. Remove this piece, and draw a line for the swell, the greatest fulness being opposite the center of the terret holes; taper gradually to the center and ends, then cut the bottom piece to the new line by the pattern upon the leather for the bottom piece, and cut it out. Cut a small piece out of the center in order to obtain fulness enough for the edges, whip together smoothly, turn the edges in the center and fasten with a few stitches, draw the ends down and fasten the points with tacks, paste between the burrs and the lining on the edge, pop stitch together, leaving the ends open. Stitch across the center, leaving a space 1½ inches, paste the bottom to the edges of the nut piece, and, when dry, trim off to the required shape; paste the binding, and, when dry, stitch carefully; trim the binding close to the stitching, holding the knife so as to cut under in order to avoid showing a ragged edge. In stuffing, first work out the edge, then fill up the center, tapering off gradually to the point; close the ends and tuft the point, and fit up to the top for the last time.

Fitting up the nut piece is the most important part of the work, and care must be taken to secure the requisite fulness to make a good job; also, to have the leather properly tempered so that it will retain the shape given it.

SOFT PAD.

A very large majority of the plainer lines of farm and team harness are made up with what is known as soft pads—that is, those without plates. The great number of styles makes it impossible, in a work of this kind, to give any more than a general notice, and as an illustration the one shown on page 154 is selected. It is one of the best, and embraces the general principles by which all soft pads are made. The tops and sides are cut of one piece of heavy harness leather, forty-four inches long; and, if designed for a one and three quarter trace harness, it is cut one and a quarter inches wide in the center, two and a quarter inches at the pad bilge, two inches at the side bilge, one and a quarter inches at the narrowest point between the top and side bilges, and seven eighths of an inch at the bottom. Treat the leather the same as in making harness, and crease the edges with a double creaser.

The pad bottom is cut of good fold leather. In making the pad, cut a heavy piece of felt, nine inches long, for each side, of the same shape as the pad top, but about one quarter of an inch narrower. Cut extra pieces about five inches long to make the requisite fulness for the bilge of the pad; cover the felt with the pad bottom, and lace the edges of the latter together on the top (the pad bottom should be wet while being worked, so that it can be fitted up to a good shape); then secure it to the top by a single line of stitches, or by binding with fancy colored leather, allowing the binding to terminate at the bottom of the pad, or to extend across the top in the form of a fold as shown by X, part A.

The pad trace bearer is shown by B; its full length is nineteen inches, width at top three quarters of an inch, and at the bilge one and a quarter inches; the upper end is attached to the pad top by a plated rivet, and stitched from four and a half to five inches from the end. The points are cut twelve inches wide and laid up on the pad side three inches, the lower ends of the trace bearers rest on the points and are stitched to them, one half inch bevelled plugs being placed between the two; the whole is further strengthened by copper rivets. A ring for the back strap is attached to the center of the pad by a chape stitched and riveted on.

This pad is sometimes made up with a short plate, extending down far enough to receive the pad trace bearer, a terret being used instead of the rivet; when this is done, a loop check takes the place of the ring. The parts represented are: A, pad top section; B, pad side section; C, pad trace bearer; D, one line of the pad bottom; E, pad trace bearer in position.

PLAIN HARD PAD.

This, while being much firmer and stronger than the soft pad, is but little more difficult to make. It is designed for heavy wagon harness where terrets and hooks are to be used. A very good idea of its construction and appearance may be gathered from the illustration on page 157, which represents the various pieces drawn to one third their actual size.

The top, which is shown by section 1, is cut out of heavy patent or harness leather; the openings show the positions of the pad screw and terret: this may be blind stitched if desired, but for general use it is quite as salable if left plain. If harness leather is used, trim the edges to a light oval and crease them with a fine creaser.

The bottom piece or lining is shown by section 2; this is cut of light harness or fold leather. The socket piece, the lower end of which is shown below the pad top 1, is cut to the same shape as the top, a point a little below the center of the hole for the pad screw, then it takes the shape designated by the dotted lines.

The housing is shown by section 3. This is made of patent leather with a scolloped border bound around the edge, as shown by A; the square hole showing the space cut away to admit the back-band.

The pad plate is shown by section 4. This is of wrought or malleable iron with threads cut in the holes for the pad screws and terrets; the crupper loop is cast or forged upon the plate.

In making up this pad, cut the socket piece from patent leather, the same size as the plate, and secure it to the latter by means of copper rivets at the points designated by X, section 4; then draw over the bottom and tack it to the socket piece, the nails clinching as they come in contact with the plate; lap the ends of the bottom so as to obviate the necessity of using a separate gullet piece; then stuff the pad and place the housing on the socket piece; tuft the ends of the bottom socket and housing as shown by the cross lines on the lower ends of 1 and 3; then place the pad top in position, and secure it by the terrets and pad screws.

The side pieces are always cut straight and creased or stitched; if trace bearers are used, the top ends are secured by the pad screws. The housing is not a necessity with this pad, but it makes it more ornamental, and is therefore preferred by most buyers.

Another style of pad which may be made up with or without pad plates or stuffed pad, is made by cutting a housing piece from heavy patent leather to the required shape, and covering it with soft collar leather. If no plate is used, the back strap, which is perfectly straight and about one and one quarter inches wide, is stitched to the pad piece before the latter is covered; a chape is attached to the center for the back strap ring, or a loop check hook may be used instead; four rivets, with round heads, are used to strengthen the pad and to give it an ornamental appearance.

A plain pad, which is used to a considerable extent in New-York upon team harness, is made of two strips of harness leather; one, forming the pad and sides, is cut two and a quarter inches wide and fifty-six inches long, the points one and an eighth inches wide and ten inches long; the layer is cut seventy-nine inches long and one and an eighth inches wide; this is stitched to the pad twelve inches each side of the center; the lower ends are placed even with the bottom ends of the points, and stitched to them and three inches up on the sides, the fulness thus secured to the layer makes it answer for a pad trace bearer; small brass head rivets are placed in the center of the layer the whole length between the points at intervals of about three inches. The layer may be left loose in the center, forming a loop for the back band to pass through, or a billet and ring may be attached instead. A thin pad, made of two thicknesses of felt and fold or collar leather, can be added if desired.