So, I have a new project in mind. Almost certainly beyond my abilities to do it right, but I'm going to give it a shot ... as soon as I find an anvil.
Here it is: re-covering a Brooks Swift saddle with a titanium trampoline instead of leather.
I picked up a badly stretched Brooks Swift with ti rails and copper rivets at a stoop sale for a dollar. The saddle is ruined for riding but the skeleton is perfect so I pulled the leather off. I then bought a small piece of .05" thick Ti plate on eBay for $14 ($21 with shipping). I still need to pick up some solid copper rivets, but those are easy to find on eBay.
And the rivets are $12 (shipping included) on ebay.
How I shape it is anybody's guess. I'm thinking it will take a ball peen hammer and a number of different size and shape anvils and a lot of banging at it. I don't think Ti is the most malleable or accommodating metal for sculpting so I'm sure this will be difficult. We'll see.
Wish me luck.
Oh! Why do I want to do this? Because how bitchen' would my Merlin ExtraLight look with a saddle upholstered in titanium?!! Comfortable? Not likely. Awesome? Totally!!
