How Do You Sand And Burnish Your Edges?

[RoosterShooter]

I'm following the advice of a guy at Tandy Leather, and using a standard Dremel drum sander to sand my edges, but I'm not happy with the results! It takes off too much material, especially when I'm trying to even out the edges.

What are you using to sand the edges for evening?

Also, I'm using a hand burnishing tool from Tandy, and I think I could get a better tool somewhere else, but don't know where. Furthermore, the Tandy hand burnisher doesn't allow for burnishing inside belt loops, inside belt loop cuts, etc .... What are you using for a burnisher?

[electrathon]

Sanding: Leave all of the layers a little too long. After they are glued and sewn even them out with a belt sander, 36 grit, brand new very sharp belt. Fast and easy. Dremels are good for small inside corners and not much else.

Burnishing: Get a bar of glicerin saddle soap, about $7 for a lifetine supply. Dampen your edge with water, rub soap on it, briskly rub with canvas or denum cloth. Amazing edges fast and easy. The little round plastic thing Tandy sells is good to leave in your tool box to remind you not to buy another one.

[RoosterShooter]

electrathon ....

I know the tool that you are referring tool as an edge burnisher. It looks like a fishing line spool. That's not the one I am using. I'm using the 'multi-edge wood slicker' seen here ... http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/Tools/8121-00.aspx

I took one look at the plastic disk they sell, and told myself it wasn't any good.

Thanks for the tip on the sanding and using soap. I'll try that. Time to go get some new belts for the sander!

[joshk]

Dremels are good for small inside corners and not much else.

I'll respectfully disagree.... I use a pair of Dremels for all of my sanding and burnishing and have for the past few years.... tried other methods, including belt sanders, and the Dremels are what work best for me.... they're great tools when used properly and can quickly ruin a project when not used properly....

Edited October 7, 2012 by joshk

[TwinOaks]

I picked up the multi size burnisher from Tandy last Christmas, thinking it would be useful....and for a while, it was. It WILL slick down the edges, but that is not the final step. If you haven't read Bob Park's (Hidepounder) tutorial, you need to take the time to do so.

The Tandy version is 'okay' for slicking things down, but it requires additional preparation of the edge. Glycerin soap is good, so is Gum Tragacanth. But all you end up with is a slicked edge. You still need to use a medium coarse fiber material to finish the burnish. I've used canvas and denim, both with good results. If you use old blue jeans, be sure it's going to be a dyed edge, because there's a small chance of some color transfer (depending on the denim, of course).

What I use:

Belt sander w/ 80 grit...AND occasionally a dremel for small areas. Then I use a rotary burnisher made from Ipe (ee-pay)...I shameless borrowed the idea from Spinner and had a local guy turn it for me. It works pretty well, but I'll still probably ending up with one of the ones Spinner designed (Now made by Ed the Bearman or his son......contact member 'Bearman') because he spent a lot of time deciding on which wood to use and this one still leaves a bit of room for improvement.

[IngleGunLeather]

I use a drum sander on my drill press at approximately 1750 rpm to get the edges even. Then I dampen the edges and bevel. Re-dye and let dry. I use the Tandy wooden tools and some gum trag to "shape" the edges to a nice rounded edge. After that I use a piece of canvas to burnish. Works like a champ.

I've tried the dremel and it just burnishes more than I like.

Edited October 7, 2012 by CountryTrash

[Matt Alsaker]

I sand with a Dremel and for the most part follow Bob Parks article on burnishing. Instead of canvas, which I use occasionally and gives an awesome edge, I find myself using a wood burnishing wheel attached to my drill press most of the time.

[dirtclod]

If you use the table top belt sander you need to flip the belt part over. They run the wrong way ( away for you ) You want to run towards you. Theirs a nut / allen screw that needs to be loosened up and you can flip the belt over.

[Lobo]

When dressing the edges on a sander (belt or drum) it is important to keep the piece moving to avoid uneven removal of material. I use a drum sander and dampen the leather prior to sanding, which prevents airborne leather dust and lets the damp material drop to the bench top. After sanding the edges will need to be beveled, which can be easier with the leather damp (not wet, just dampened).

For burnishing I rub the edges with a 50/50 mixture of beeswax and parrafin, then burnish with a hard felt polishing wheel chucked into a drillpress and turning about 1700 rpm (a Dremel tool could also be used). Only moderate pressure is required, keep the piece moving, heat builds up quickly melting the wax and sealing the edges, and the felt wheel polishes the edge quickly and easily. With this method in the shop we burnish about 25 to 30 pieces (holsters, belts, pouches, etc) in about an hour. Then they are ready for sealant and final finish.

[katsass]

From the grump; I sand with differing grits of sanding drums in a 3/8" variable speed hand held drill, locked in a homemade fixture so that whatever is chucked in it is on the horizontal. After sanding square and smooth, I switch to a hardwood burnisher (made by Spinner) in the drill, . I then edge, moisten the leather, use a touch of Neutrogena (glycerin) bar soap along the edge, and go to burnishing. . I then polish the edge with a homemade wheel made from a 3/8" stove bolt wrapped tightly (and cemented down) with a strip of denim from an old pair of Levi's. I load the wheel with beeswax while running. I feel that the ability to vary speeds easily, assists in edge finishing. Mike

Edited October 8, 2012 by katsass

[chiefjason]

I guess I'll throw in my method.

I sand the edges with a dremel and sanding drum until they are even. Then I edge. Now for the time consuming part. I hand sand them starting with 80, 110, 220, then 800. I also only sand them in one direction. By the end they are pretty nice. Then I spray them with water and hand burnish them with a bone folder or some other tool I have on hand. After I vinegroon the holster I generally have to go back and possibly sand it with the 800 again. The wet raises the grain. Then I will use saddle soap and hand burnish again. Then I generally go back and wax the edge and final burnish with a piece of denim on a wooden dowel.

A lot of this is because I use vinegroon I believe. Burnishing with wax before grooning was keeping the groon from working. And trying to burnish grooned leather is difficult. But slicking it a bit with water allows the groon to work and keeps most of the grain down. I've tried other processes and they do not work as well for me. It takes time, but the finished result is very nice. IMO

And I have tried powered burnishing drums. I have the plastic one and a couple hand made wooden ones. I'm just not a fan of them. But I'm not putting out a lot of holsters either, To each their own though.

[Dwight]

Generally, . . . I make the belt, holster, pouch, . . . whatever, . . . it is fully "manufactured" so to speak.

I then dye the thing, . . . but I do a quick burnish on the edges first.

Dye it and let it dry, . . . usually leaving it at least 24 hours before I mess with it again.

Again, . . . burnish the edges, . . . using mostly a Dremel and the tools in the picture. I also have a similar rig on the end of a 1725 rpm motor, . . . used mostly for long pieces like belts, . . . works faster that way.

I do a final check out after the item is finished, . . . and usually "touch up" the burnishing. I only use water and beeswax during the earlier processes, . . . will use whatever is used for the final finish, . . . finger applied, . . . for any final touch up burnishing, . . . Resolene, Bag Kote, whatever is used.

I have never had a complaint on any of my edges.

May God bless,

Dwight

[renegadelizard]

Just an observation...

I think for the most part, edging is in the eyes of the maker...we spend alot of time considering edges and such while for the most part, i think, the customer really doesnt even consider it unless it is glaringly bad...take for example cross breed...they dont even attempt to edge, yet knowwhere have i read any criticisms concerning that...its amazing how anal we get in our pursuit of perfection when we (mainly this community here) are the only ones who really seem to notice...

[IngleGunLeather]

Just an observation...

I think for the most part, edging is in the eyes of the maker...we spend alot of time considering edges and such while for the most part, i think, the customer really doesnt even consider it unless it is glaringly bad...take for example cross breed...they dont even attempt to edge, yet knowwhere have i read any criticisms concerning that...its amazing how anal we get in our pursuit of perfection when we (mainly this community here) are the only ones who really seem to notice...

Amazingly true. I've been comparing mine to some of the off the shelf holsters looking for areas of improvement and I noticed on several that the edges weren't done. Take a look at the blackhawk leather holsters. They're done, but by no means does it look as good as some I've seen on this site. And their finishing sux and they use really thin leather. I think quality just goes down some when some companies go large scale and start looking at time saving methods. Additionally, I feel the average consumer doesn't even consider the brand of leather that the holsters are made from, ie HO or W&C. I think the vast majority price shop vice quality shop. Sorry for ranting, just got a lil fired up.

Edited October 10, 2012 by CountryTrash

[dickf]

Just an observation...

I think for the most part, edging is in the eyes of the maker...we spend alot of time considering edges and such while for the most part, i think, the customer really doesnt even consider it unless it is glaringly bad...take for example cross breed...they dont even attempt to edge, yet knowwhere have i read any criticisms concerning that...its amazing how anal we get in our pursuit of perfection when we (mainly this community here) are the only ones who really seem to notice...

To be perfectly honest, I totally disagree. The customer seeking custom gunleather may not know a whole lot of difference between mediocre from good, but they know good vs. great. If they dont, their buddy will and he won't hesitate to inform his friend.. Properly dressed edges are not only visually appealing, but are a sign of quality. They indicate the maker put in time to make sure they're rounded, waxed, and smooth so the holster lasts and performs. Your customer/end user is not the only one who will evaluate the holster simply based on aesthetics. Any successful and knowledgable holster maker will have a proper edge on their gear. I'm not saying that you don't share this philosophy, I'm just saying my experience reflects that the customer notices more than you might think.

Crossbreed was never interested in the leather. They came on the market for $50 with a 7 day turnaround time. You knew what you were buying was plastic fastened to a non molded piece of leather backing, and folks were okay with that. They filled the niche for cheap and fast (successfully, too I might add).

[chiefjason]

Actually, the edges are the main complaint I have heard about CB. Not many folks complain about them. But the one's that do talk about edges and poor cutting. I do mostly OWB hybrids, but I try to edge them nicely. A rough edge just does not wear well next to the skin.

FWIW, here is a quick pic on one of my current holsters I'm working on. This is sanded and burnished with water. I used a plastic clay modeling tool to burnish the edge. Basically, a round plastic stick. I have not molded the holster yet.

[renegadelizard]

To be perfectly honest, I totally disagree. The customer seeking custom gunleather may not know a whole lot of difference between mediocre from good, but they know good vs. great. If they dont, their buddy will and he won't hesitate to inform his friend.. Properly dressed edges are not only visually appealing, but are a sign of quality. They indicate the maker put in time to make sure they're rounded, waxed, and smooth so the holster lasts and performs. Your customer/end user is not the only one who will evaluate the holster simply based on aesthetics. Any successful and knowledgable holster maker will have a proper edge on their gear. I'm not saying that you don't share this philosophy, I'm just saying my experience reflects that the customer notices more than you might think.

Crossbreed was never interested in the leather. They came on the market for $50 with a 7 day turnaround time. You knew what you were buying was plastic fastened to a non molded piece of leather backing, and folks were okay with that. They filled the niche for cheap and fast (successfully, too I might add).

I drew this observation today after a friend of mine, an SF type, very gun smart and rather picky about his kit, was showing of his favorite IWB...all leather, horsehide he claimed, but it looked like cow to me...anyway, this was from one of the bigger manufacturers, im not gonna drop any dimes, but the edges were total crap....then he takes off his supposed horse hide belt, from the same maker, and the edges on it were total crap...they used edge coat on both and it was deteriorated badly, and it didnt look like it was burnished before painting....but this guy, a man who is dare I say spoiled when it comes to getting first class gear, absolutely loved it..though it was the best thing since sliced bread...hence the observation ...

bye the way, im gonna have to stop by one of these days and check out your angelus dip routine...i just got some in today and sponging/wiping it on isnt very easy...i got medium gloss leather and high gloss waterproof fingers...

[Lobo]

Much good information and advice here.

There is a market for high-end custom leather gear, and those customers will expect (and demand) the highest levels of work in every detail.

There is a market for budget-priced gear that is serviceable without much attention to aesthetics.

We all have to identify our market and produce accordingly. Under John Bianchi's able management Bianchi International grew from a young police officer making holsters one at a time on his kitchen table to a company that produced over 40,000,000 products prior to his eventual sale of the business. Bianchi's leather holsters featured edges done with some version of edge coating, a rubbery liquid coating material. Bianchi's leather products were highly regarded for decades. I understand that General Bianchi is now engaged in the production of extremely high-end western rigs, and I suspect that the methods used are different than those employed in mass production for a more general market.

Those producing custom orders, one or two at a time, may choose to concentrate a great deal of time and effort on every detail. Those producing dozens of orders every week for a more general market may choose to expedite some processes. The results will not be directly comparable in any way, but both serve specific market niches.

[renegadelizard]

Well said...

[RoosterShooter]

To be perfectly honest, I totally disagree. The customer seeking custom gunleather may not know a whole lot of difference between mediocre from good, but they know good vs. great. If they dont, their buddy will and he won't hesitate to inform his friend.. Properly dressed edges are not only visually appealing, but are a sign of quality. They indicate the maker put in time to make sure they're rounded, waxed, and smooth so the holster lasts and performs. Your customer/end user is not the only one who will evaluate the holster simply based on aesthetics. Any successful and knowledgable holster maker will have a proper edge on their gear. I'm not saying that you don't share this philosophy, I'm just saying my experience reflects that the customer notices more than you might think.

Crossbreed was never interested in the leather. They came on the market for $50 with a 7 day turnaround time. You knew what you were buying was plastic fastened to a non molded piece of leather backing, and folks were okay with that. They filled the niche for cheap and fast (successfully, too I might add).

I also agree.

You can't imagine how many $130+ holsters I've bought from certain 'Custom' holster makers only to find that the edges weren't even finished! The devil is in the details! I have two shoulder rigs and one crossdraw chest rig that both have 'raw' edges on the leather.

This is one of the main reasons I got into holster making. If I can make a quality holster for half the cost for my own use ... I'm happy with that.

[Steve75]

I also agree.

You can't imagine how many $130+ holsters I've bought from certain 'Custom' holster makers only to find that the edges weren't even finished! The devil is in the details! I have two shoulder rigs and one crossdraw chest rig that both have 'raw' edges on the leather.

This is one of the main reasons I got into holster making. If I can make a quality holster for half the cost for my own use ... I'm happy with that.

I am of the same opinion RoosterShooter. I have seen what is out there. I know given time I could produce a much better quality holster. As a newbie I am glad that I found this forum. I have learned a great deal from reading the many posts made by experienced hoslter makers. I am still in the process of getting my tools together, and look forward to sharing my first attempt at making a holster in the near future.