Making some custom equipment for fun

[Charlie Horse]

I've been making some progress. Check it out:





I did something unique on the cinch strap's hookup as you can see. Of course it was to make sure the strap didn't go over the carving. It has a little bit of spring to it due to the leather looping like that, and hopefully its not so much that it becomes difficult to keep it tight. If so I'll have to make some changes. There's some rawhide on the cross to attach some brass loops.

The brass and copper rivets have been given a patina:



First I sanded them with some 600 paper and dipped them in thinner to make sure there was no remaining coating of any kind.



The process is thus: Spray very salty water on them and suspend them over ammonia fumes. I heated the ammonia over a camp stove.



The greenish tint is mostly powdery and wears off leaving a brown/black patina.



Unfortunately the brass buckles I ordered are fake and wouldn't patina so I had to fake it with paint. I wasn't interested in ordering more since this thing has been expensive enough as it is.

Next I'm doing the pad and the cinch and front/back straps. Then there's the panniers. Its been quite a project let me tell you. Next one will go faster I think.