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Before, after and another kind of FULL

Changes in trees and lots of barrels in the shop tonight.
Here's some pictures from the shop tonight, as the look of some trees changed dramatically, and the rawhide room is very full - of large, blue containers... Subscribe to RS… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/before-after-and-another-kind-of-full/

We told you it would be good...

A very sad tale of the life, and death, of a saddle tree.
Subscribe to RSS Feed Our saying has always been "We won't say you can't break one of our trees, but we do say we want to hear the story, because it's going to be go… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/we-told-you-it-would-be-good/

Of trees, and trees...

Inside trees and outside trees - we worked with both this week.
Subscribe to RSS Feed This week, Rod built four trees, and today he rawhided a couple of them.  They are for a husband/wife combination. Hers is a barrel racin… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/of-trees-and-trees/

Off to the Heritage Ranch Rodeo

Here are some of the trees we are taking to show at the Artisan's show during the Heritage Ranch Rodeo in Edmonton this year.
Well, Saturday we are headed south to Edmonton.  We have been invited again this year to participate in the Artisan's show during the Heritage Ranch Rodeo during Farmfair.  We… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/off-to-the-heritage-ranch-rodeo/

It's been a week...

but here are some pictures anyway of trees Rod got rawhided earlier in the week.
Subscribe to RSS Feed I took these pictures on Monday evening, planning to put up a quick post that evening.  Here it is late Friday and I am finally getting the cha… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/it-s-been-a-week/

A few trees from the past weeks

Here's some pictures of a few of the trees we have built in the last while: a Low Pro Roper, an OY Calf roper, a Bowman fork in a cutting style tree, a wood post Packer and a pretty typical Wade.
Subscribe to RSS Feed I finally got around to labelling a bunch of pictures of trees we have built over the last few weeks.  While we have been doing a fair number o… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/a-few-trees-from-the-past-weeks/

Just a neat looking tree

Take a normal Will James fork outline shape, add a wood post horn, extra stock and one inch of back sweep and you get a really nice looking tree.
Subscribe to RSS Feed We shipped this tree out last week.  The customer wanted things a little different - nothing really dramatic but mixing and matching some diffe… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/just-a-neat-looking-tree/

Ya gotta look inside...

Comparing two horse of vastly different builds, and two trees of vastly different specs...
Subscribe to RSS Feed Maybe this post should be called "a tale of two horses". Meet Mouse.  He is a Fjord.  He's short.  For those familiar with the Dennis Lane sys… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/ya-gotta-look-inside/

Yesterday in the shop

Some of what we did and a look at some trees ready to ship.
Yesterday in the shop Rod finished building another side saddle tree.  Since he had most of it done the day before, it only took the morning to finish it up.  This one is goin… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/yesterday-in-the-shop/

Pro Roper saddle tree

Here are pictures and a description of the Pro Roper trees I shipped out today.
Here are some pictures of a couple of Pro Roper saddle trees we shipped out today.  They are both headed to the same saddle maker in Manitoba but despite the name, neithe… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/pro-roper-saddle-tree/

It's been metal horn swell fork month

Less than half the trees we build have a metal horn as the majority of our customers go for a wood post horn on either slick or swell forks. But this month has been the opposite.
Subscribe to RSS Feed On the top of the bench in this picture are finished trees, varnished and ready to go.  The slick fork on the left is a wood post 3B.… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/it-s-been-metal-horn-swell-fork-month/

Wood Post Will James saddle tree

Some pictures of a wood post Will James that Rod built this week. Like most of this type we have built, this one will be heading south of the border.
I got curious so I crunched some numbers.  Our stats may be a little skewed because at times we can get a maker that really likes a certain fork style… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/wood-post-will-james-saddle-tree/

This week in the shop - so far

Pictures of the trees we have built and shipped this week.
So far this week, Rod has built three Wades... Subscribe to RSS Feed and one Modified Association. We also shipped off this Wade... and this Wade… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/this-week-in-the-shop-so-far/

Last week 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 t… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/last-week-in-the-shop/

Rod's been busy...

The drying surfaces are filling up! Five trees rawhided this week.
filling up the drying stones again!  Five trees drying now.  Sideways on the left is a Wade with an 8" wide fork (hard to see from this angle).  Then, going left… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/rod-s-been-busy/

"The cupboard was bare..."

When we go away, even for a day or two, we have to make sure the trees we leave behind are dry enough not to need daily attention. This means that when we get back, the trees are generally dry enough to varnish, leaving our drying surfaces empty. But the…
This is what our drying stones look like at the moment. This is what they normally look like. Why the difference?  Let me explain… Rawhide covered saddle … http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-cupboard-was-bare/

A special saddle tree for a special lady

This tree is going to a lady who had her right leg amputated above the knee. She wanted something with more security to it in case her horse spooked at something when trail riding.
I shipped this tree yesterday.  It is going to a saddle maker here in Alberta who will build the saddle for a woman who had her right leg amputed above the knee. … http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/a-special-saddle-tree-for-a-special-lady/

This week in the shop

Building a Wade, a Martha Jose barrel racing saddle tree and a wood post Bowman saddle tree.
Rod putting the finishing touches on a wood post Bowman fork. Still no frost!  The grass is green and the flowers are blooming and it is still warm enough to be working … http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/this-week-in-the-shop2/

This Week in the Shop

Two Wades, two Modified Associations
Two Wades, Two Modified Associations These will both be going into cowboy rigs. This one is an 8" width. This one is a 9" width.   … http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/this-week-in-the-shop1/

This Week in the Shop

A description of four swell fork saddle trees ready to go. Discussion of number of trees we can build in a week.
Here’s a picture of the last set of trees we had ready for shipment.  It is unusual for us to have four swell forks at a time, since more than half of what we bu… http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/this-week-in-the-shop/