My daughter loves everything horses and is really into horseback riding. I thought it would be fun to make her a saddle stand. I’d say that out of all the bits of tack for horses, the saddle is the largest. They have a bit of a strange shape so they can be tricky to store. You can’t just toss them into a pile until you need it next time. A stand like this will keep it up off the ground and stored properly to maintain its shape.

To make this stand, I chose to use some of the Elm I milled up with my chainsaw mill. These are dried out but still in slab form. I took them to my local mill shop and had them straight line ripped and planed down into usable material. Its so satisfying to build a project out of lumber you milled yourself from a log. It took quite a while to get these all trimmed in the pieces I need for the project but eventually I got them all cut and was able to start gluing up the panels I needed.

The assembly went along well using screws, and glue. I wasn’t worried about using screws because I had a plan to cover the holes with spent bullet shell casings all along. I wanted to go for somewhat of a western feel so I feel that these polished casings paired with some decorative conchos, achieved that look. The whole project was finished with a homemde finish made from a blend of Polyurethane, Boiled Linseed Oil, and Mineral Spirits.

Here’s a video showing how I made that finish.

During this project, I was able to introduce 3D printing a couple times along the way. I made a couple tools to help me out with a few things. I thought it was cool to be able to design my own tools to help with a project. This is how I envision 3D Printing being used in my shop.

I am very proud of how this project turned out. I’m also very happy with the build video. I was able to keep the video longer and I like it that way. Check it out and be sure to let me know what you think. I can’t wait to see this being put to use.

Thanks for stopping by.

— Affiliate Links to Products Used —
Ryobi Biscuit Jointer (new version) – https://amzn.to/39QovtA
Bessey Parallel Clamps – https://amzn.to/392k0N6
Titebond 2 Wood Glue – https://amzn.to/39RmPjs
Creality Ender 3 v2 3D Printer – https://amzn.to/39R78J9
Wood Screw Concho Adapter – https://amzn.to/3izJMLT

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