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Wanted to share my diy saddle

TFreeman

TFreeman

New Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
38
Location
Dallas GA
I decided to make this last week, seeing as I had most of the materials laying around the house. I found a template on here for the cordura and started from there, I ended up trimming a few inches from the sides. I watched a bunch of videos and decided to copy/blend features of the saddles on the market that I thought I would like.

I started hunting at 18 or 19 yo I think and very soon after fell in love with bow hunting and have been almost exclusively on public land in a metro Atlanta county. I started in the summit climbers and a few seasons ago I switched to the LW/helium sticks which was a very good move especially when I figured out I didn't need the junk I was carrying in a back pack and I cut some serious weight.

The thought of a saddle option came up for me this season when I decided to put trail cameras out on this property, the idea of having a pack became appealing again for the days I want to tote or move cameras, go further, or hunt longer and bring food for the day. Eliminating 12lbs of aluminum plus the full harness was the kicker.

I've got alot of practice/testing in the near future to do. Gotta figure out a platform/ROS option. Amsteel blue is on the way for the bridge and we will be set.

Any feedback is appreciated
 

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TFreeman said:
I decided to make this last week, seeing as I had most of the materials laying around the house. I found a template on here for the cordura and started from there, I ended up trimming a few inches from the sides. I watched a bunch of videos and decided to copy/blend features of the saddles on the market that I thought I would like.

I started hunting at 18 or 19 yo I think and very soon after fell in love with bow hunting and have been almost exclusively on public land in a metro Atlanta county. I started in the summit climbers and a few seasons ago I switched to the LW/helium sticks which was a very good move especially when I figured out I didn't need the junk I was carrying in a back pack and I cut some serious weight.

The thought of a saddle option came up for me this season when I decided to put trail cameras out on this property, the idea of having a pack became appealing again for the days I want to tote or move cameras, go further, or hunt longer and bring food for the day. Eliminating 12lbs of aluminum plus the full harness was the kicker.

I've got alot of practice/testing in the near future to do. Gotta figure out a platform/ROS option. Amsteel blue is on the way for the bridge and we will be set.

Any feedback is appreciated
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What kind of thread did you use? When I made mine i had to hand stitch it with the thread for my sewing awl, I was wondering what you used cause it looks like you may have used a sewing machine! If not you do amazing hand stitching!
 
Recurveaholic said:
What kind of thread did you use? When I made mine i had to hand stitch it with the thread for my sewing awl, I was wondering what you used cause it looks like you may have used a sewing machine! If not you do amazing hand stitching!
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Appreciate the feedback fellas.

I used v92 thread, and an old singer 15-91 machine from the 40s. I did the interior of my boat and everything i could throw at it with this machine.

On the really thick areas I had to turn the wheel by hand, when I did the top row of molle/ the lineman's belt, I did it straight to the 1-3/4" webbing so I didn't have to go through the tubular webbing, two layers of cordura, and both layers of the larger webbing. At the bottom where the leg straps attach I had to crank the wheel by hand.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
 
TFreeman said:
Appreciate the feedback fellas.

I used v92 thread, and an old singer 15-91 machine from the 40s. I did the interior of my boat and everything i could throw at it with this machine.

On the really thick areas I had to turn the wheel by hand, when I did the top row of molle/ the lineman's belt, I did it straight to the 1-3/4" webbing so I didn't have to go through the tubular webbing, two layers of cordura, and both layers of the larger webbing. At the bottom where the leg straps attach I had to crank the wheel by hand.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
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Well you did a fantastic job! I am in the process of trying to locate a good sewing machine but they are not that plentiful anymore! My father has his mother's, it is the old foot powered ones, but needless to say he will not come off that one!
 
Recurveaholic said:
Well you did a fantastic job! I am in the process of trying to locate a good sewing machine but they are not that plentiful anymore! My father has his mother's, it is the old foot powered ones, but needless to say he will not come off that one!
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I got lucky with this one, it was an eBay score in not working condition but it had all the pieces, I re wired the motor and a few other things and it's been kicking since.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
 
TFreeman said:
I got lucky with this one, it was an eBay score in not working condition but it had all the pieces, I re wired the motor and a few other things and it's been kicking since.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Nice!
 
Update: so I was planning to test this thing a few times before I climbed to hunting height and sat for hours.

Then today rolls around and I tested it at single stick height, shot a few times, and hit the woods.

Overall I like it, I need to figure out what I'll prefer for a platform, I used my top steps on the helium sticks and a screw in step at 9 and 3 o'clock on the tree.

I also have to figure out how to adjust for comfort and get my process figured out.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
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The saddle looks great. As far as adjusting for comfort I would shorten your prussik loop a lot. You’re sitting pretty low and your prussik is almost to the tree. That will at minimum give you a wider range of tether heights you can play with. I sit but I don’t sit that low. The lower I sit the more pressure I feel in my knees and more weight I have on my feet when I have to move.
 
EricS said:
The saddle looks great. As far as adjusting for comfort I would shorten your prussik loop a lot. You’re sitting pretty low and your prussik is almost to the tree. That will at minimum give you a wider range of tether heights you can play with. I sit but I don’t sit that low. The lower I sit the more pressure I feel in my knees and more weight I have on my feet when I have to move.
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Thanks for the advice, I noticed as I was in it that it just seemed long. Reading that helps me out, I haven't had a chance to really research those types of details yet. I'll play with that before the next hunt.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
 
So is that all you wear or do you also have like a rock /tree harness on over or under it?
 
Quadesdad said:
So is that all you wear or do you also have like a rock /tree harness on over or under it?
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I'm pretty sure most folks on here aren't going to like my answer.

I know a few things were not going to fail. The tether, prussik, bridge. Then that brought is to the 1-3/4" webbing, it was sewed in to a continuous piece then attached to the cordura. Which keeps the webbing in place along with the leg straps more or less, which wrap around that webbing and are attached also to the cordura.

Call it what you want. Stupid, brave, confident, ignorant, whatever. But a whole lot of that heavy thread would have to fail before the 1-3/4" webbing joint would be put to the test. Assuming that and how little the chance of it being shock loaded is, I felt ok making that decision.

It wasn't slightly sketchy at low or high level and gave no indication of any failure anywhere

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
 
TFreeman said:
I'm pretty sure most folks on here aren't going to like my answer.

I know a few things were not going to fail. The tether, prussik, bridge. Then that brought is to the 1-3/4" webbing, it was sewed in to a continuous piece then attached to the cordura. Which keeps the webbing in place along with the leg straps more or less, which wrap around that webbing and are attached also to the cordura.

Call it what you want. Stupid, brave, confident, ignorant, whatever. But a whole lot of that heavy thread would have to fail before the 1-3/4" webbing joint would be put to the test. Assuming that and how little the chance of it being shock loaded is, I felt ok making that decision.

It wasn't slightly sketchy at low or high level and gave no indication of any failure anywhere

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
With a kestrel, mantis, TL, or any saddle, we do not wear a harness in addition to the saddle. It does both. As long as you have tested your saddle and are confident in its safety then you are good. I probably would have tested it longer at ground level. Just to triple check it.
 
Hi, I'm new to all this, but am very interested as I believe it will help me expand from hunting just my private land to public land in the area also. What did you use for your lineman belt? Amsteel blue? Or do people just use that for their bridge? Do you have a materials list or a template you could toss my way? Could I replace the cordura with fleece? Thanks for any advice.
 
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