[NAGDU] custom guide dog harnesses

[Buddy Brannan]

Hi,

You asked me about Circle E on Twitter, and, umm, yeah. Short attention span. 

I'm very happy with my Circle E harness, although I suspect you'll have trouble with the custom fasteners on the GDB clone handle. Arnie will do an ergo or an offset handle if you like, but he'll need a drawing to work with to get the bends right. He makes handles from aircraft aluminum and will use panic snaps by default, or something else if you'd rather, like a trigger snap for example. I've given some thought to the trigger snap, but the panic snap is all right. Sometimes one side gets disconnected, but i suspect that will be less of a problem once I get the fit right. 

Speaking of fit, yeah, I really measured wrong. I started too far back, and measured too far over, so my side straps turned out considerably longer than I actually needed them. I'd suggest having someone go over the Youtube video of measurements, or at least the diagram on the PDF, so you don't make the same measurement mistakes I did. Instead of all the straps meeting in the middle of the chest, the two side straps attach to a leather breastplate a couple inches wide, in a sort of Y, roughly speaking. One really nice thing about Arnie's design is that it's very modular. The side straps attach to the saddle and the breastplate by threading through metal buckle type things that aren't actually buckles. That way, if something breaks, you can get just that part replaced. 

Instead of rivets to hold the D-rings in place, Arnie uses a Chicago Screw, which is a screw that screws into a metal back, so it's sort of like a rivet but it's removable and replaceable and easier to handle. The downside is that it may come loose if it's not installed properly. Arnie uses a special tool to be sure they're tightened, and also puts some LockTight in the metal backing that the screw screws into. He tells me fingernail polish would do similar duty in a pinch. 

Anyway, after purchase support is good. I emailed him a few times, and he didn't answer, but that's because the Internet ate my email, and he never got it. But when I called, he was right there. I'm now waiting on replacement, shorter side straps, because, as I mentioned, I measured badly. And the error was mine, so I'll happily pay for the replacements, which, mercifully, are not very expensive. 

-
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name




> On May 25, 2016, at 10:04 PM, Sean Moore via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I know this has been  done to  death  so  off list replies  if    someone  wishes  to  reply.
> 
> what  would be  the  best  place  to  try and  get  a handle  made  for my  old  GDB harness clone?
> 
> the  guy  I  went  to  did great  on  the  correctors  for the  handle  part  needs  some  work. 
> 
> I’ve  looked at  plastics  places  but  they  seem to  want  a  high  amount  of  money.
> 
> since  the  original  GDB handle  is that  plastic / metal combination .
> 
> thanks  for  some thoughts 
> 
> Anyone ever  done  work with  Circle  E out  of texas ?
> 
> Thanks 
> 
> 
> 
> Yours,
> Sean Moore & 
> Southeastern Guide Dog Rob 
> 
> email: seanmoore87 at gmail.com 
> 
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