Let's Carve A Saddle!

Got that knife sharpened and ready for some carving? Okay! Let's get started!

In the photos associated with this post you will find the pattern for the Saddle to the left. I've given both the side and front profiles. It's going to take a pretty thick piece of wood so some of you might have to do a little glue-up before you start.

In cutting the blank you will need a Bandsaw that has a 6" cutting capacity. Hopefully, this won't present a problem. Also, be extremely careful when you cut this blank, especially on the end profile. A Bandsaw that is opened to accept a wide piece of wood will grab it if you aren't careful. So get a good grip on the blank and keep your fingers far from the blade. Follow my cutting process and you shouldn't have any problems.

Saddles come in many styles but as this is in the Caricature style we have a little more latitude than someone carving one to scale. Still, we want it to look like a saddle so we'll try and make sure it has all the parts a regular saddle has. I've turned the Stirrups so they hang straight to make the carving a little easier for beginners and we will make the Girth strap out of leather to keep it simple. We will also use the same style of base for the Saddle as we did on the Boots. That metal Horseshoe really ties everything together.

Now, before you begin, I'd like you to do a little homework. Go to the Google Search Window over on the right side of this post and type in "Western Saddle" and do a little research to learn about just what you will be carving. Some of you probably own horses and already know all about this piece of Cowboy gear. For those of you who don't a little trip around the Internet will give you a lot of information that will help you complete this project. Just a suggestion!

So...Let's get started!

To be continued.......