First attempt- diy saddle

[Chistavocat]

I picked up a singer 15-91, cabinet and stool off of Craigslist for $50 with the intentions to learn how to make my own gear. After replacing the cord, cleaning and oiling the machine, I played with the tensions and had it stitching well. A little practice and it was time to make something. I figured I would start with a saddle to test the capabilities of the machine and be able to learn on a variety of thicknesses.

This first saddle has some of what I like about the kestrel and some of what I like about the mantis. The main webbing was salvaged from a summit safety harness. Basically 2” seat belt webbing. The fabric is 500D cordura with tubular webbing. I’m using Gutermann tera 40, although I practiced with some Coats extra strong and it seemed to stitch better and was stronger. I used two colors so that I could monitor the stitches easier.

The seat is all kestrel. I’m a sitter and it fits me like a glove . I made the seat 2” wider than a size 1, just to see if it made anybdifference in comfort. For me the height of the size 1 is perfect so I kept it the same.

I made the protective covers on the bridge loops longer, like the mantis, trying to avoid that split second heart attack you encounter when your bridge catches the bottom of the loop as you sit. I realized a hot knife would come in handy when the fibers of the amsteel bridge would catch on the melted end of the webbing. I added a couple covers, the top ones having shock cord loops for attaching a milkweed pouch via a button.

The leg straps are sewn at the bottom like the kestrel but are g-hooked to the waist belt like the mantis. To me this configuration makes it easier to put the saddle on. There are only 2 molle loops I use on a saddle (where those gigantic hooks are attached) so on future saddles I may stitch the lineman loop webbing different, trying to avoid the bunch up of the waist belt and the stiffness that comes with it. I did turn the machine by hand for most of the heavy stitching running through 4 layers of webbing and the cordura. The machine would do it but it didn’t really want to.

Anyhow, I feel it turned out good. I did some things well and some not so well, but I gained some experience to help me with some other projects.

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[CarolinaDog]

Great job!! Im about take the sewing challenge. My mom is giving me her old singer and I'm looking forward to learning. I hope my first go at it looks as good as yours

 

[peteherbst]

Wow very nice. Makes me want to get into the sewing game.

 

[RavenHill]

I can’t believe how well these diy saddles turnout! Great job, looks like a production model.

 

[Bourdeau]

Wow great job always wondered what kind of machine I would need to try this, actually want to try a DIY pack for carrying sticks easier!

 

[RavenHill]

A local leather craftsman was selling his old singer because he just bought a new one, and I was going to pick it up. I missed it by 5 minutes. when I called someone else just agreed to buy it. So disappointing!

 

[rambotogo]

Man if I could sew like that I would never buy anything .

 

[LeanMachine]

For a 1st timer, your sewing skills are on point! Great work.

For those looking to get into sewing, it is not difficult at all to get professional results. Once you understand proper thread tension, its all about being patient and taking the time to do it right.

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[Murph4028]

That's is really cool. Looks like you bought it

 

[shwacker]

Awesome man! I made a couple kite/mantis style with a singer 99k recently. Looks like your stitches are a lot nicer than mine, haha. Love the satisfaction of doing it yourself and being able to make that custom fit and add any desired accessories. Great work!


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[71rutherford]

Looks great good job!!

 

[halltrail]

That is a great looking DIY Saddle.

 

[g2outdoors]

Well done. I like your little shock cord hole for milk weed. Genius!

 

[Adrena123]

DUUUUDE...! If that fits like a kestrel/kite, i say winner winner chicken dinner. Now i may need you to send me one for test N tune....Nice job.

 

[Chistavocat]

Thanks for the complements guys!

After going through the process I have a much greater appreciation for the work, time and craftsmanship it takes to produce a saddle. The materials are not overly expensive and my next build will go much faster, but when you buy a commercially produced saddle, you are really getting your $$$ worth IMO.

With that said, anyone looking into getting started, as stated by others, it is fairly easy. A machine like the one I picked up is solid, has available parts new and used (50,000 produced) and can be had quite cheap. Find a machine for sale, research the model number, assess the condition and decide if it will work for you. Info on restoration, set up and “tuning” can easily be found, at least in my experience with this 15-91.

It goes without saying that this is a do at your own risk endeavor. I’m no expert nor am I the safety police but I would recommend researching stitch pattern strength and the materials you plan on working with. Here’s a tip that helped me dial in my machine. Find a commercially make heavy duty product, a seam ripper and take it apart. Most of us have a unused tree stand safety harness laying around. Some stitches are designed to fail to release the stress from a fall while others are made to prevent a fall. Now sew some identical stitches using the same material and take those apart. Are they removed with the same effort? Are your stitches on par with those of a high quality stitch? Thread quality and strength may be different but this can show you wether your tension, stitch count and pattern are adequate.

Chomping at the bit to get going on a backpack! Oh the ideas are flowing!!


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