Burnishing Wheel

[antipaladin]

I just picked up a nice piece of Lignum Vitae hardwood and I'd like to make a burnishing wheel like the one in the photo. Does anyone know someone in the Hartford, CT area who does woodwork?

[antipaladin]

I just bought a quantity of Lignum Vitae (not the Argentine variety) and Snakewood that I'm going to turn into mounted burnishers like the one in the above picture. I also purchased a small woodworking lathe.

If anyone is interested in my making one for them, I can try to get a feel for how many I can make in a weekend and how much is reasonable to charge. Let me know and I'll post pics of the one I make this week.

Edited December 1, 2008 by antipaladin

[rickybobby]

I would be interested.

I have one of Ivans felt burnishers and it works great!

I would like to try the wood one too.

Rick Jorgenson

[King's X]

I would interested, please send me a photo and the price you will be requesting. I appreciate you taken the initiative to help fellow members out like this.

- Greetings from Round Rock, TX

[Windy]

I just bought a quantity of Lignum Vitae (not the Argentine variety) and Snakewood that I'm going to turn into mounted burnishers like the one in the above picture. I also purchased a small woodworking lathe.

If anyone is interested in my making one for them, I can try to get a feel for how many I can make in a weekend and how much is reasonable to charge. Let me know and I'll post pics of the one I make this week.

I have to ask why you would buy the most expensive wood in the

world to make burnishers. Outside of that weird wood in China

snakewood is the highest price wood I have ever seen. Does it have some

mysterious oil that slicks leather like nothing else?

WINDY

[Bree]

I have to ask why you would buy the most expensive wood in the

world to make burnishers. Outside of that weird wood in China

snakewood is the highest price wood I have ever seen. Does it have some

mysterious oil that slicks leather like nothing else?

WINDY

Snakewood is just about the densest, hardest wood on the planet. Others are African Blackwood, Lignum Vitae, Ebony, Ironwood, Ipe etc. The burnishing action has little effect on such hard dense woods. You certainly don't want the wood splintering and sending slivers into your leather or you!

[hidepounder]

I like and use hardwood slickers...but take a look at my edges on the "legal size pad folio" and see what you think...they're done with canvas! I woudn't put too much stock certain types of wood having more impact in the final result. I think it's the process that matters.

Bob

[rickeyfro]

Id also be interested

[Peterk]

I am interested. Message sent.

[Peterk]

Went to Rocklers today too meet a wood turner who also leads a turning club here in town, and he refused to make one of these for me because he wants to do wood work for "fun" and if he took this on it would be for "work" which he won't do... I guess I understand to a degree but whatever...

Is anyone making one of these already for sale?

[DeuceTrinal]

Went to Rocklers today too meet a wood turner who also leads a turning club here in town, and he refused to make one of these for me because he wants to do wood work for "fun" and if he took this on it would be for "work" which he won't do... I guess I understand to a degree but whatever...

Is anyone making one of these already for sale?

Dunno what he's smoking, what's the point of turning if you can't use what you make?

I'm a woodturner in Los Angeles CA, and a friend asked me to make one of these for him. It should be straightforward and quick and easy, if the cold I'm coming down with doesn't catch up with me then I may get one or two made today. If they work out I'll put a few more together. I'm using a hardened steel 3/16" lag (timberlok) as the drive shaft, so it can be chucked up in a jacobs chuck, but I can make them with almost any thread/shaft you need.

If anyone has any design ideas (cove widths, shapes, depths, points, flats etc) let me know and I'll see what I can do. Here are some pics of what I intend to do, courtesy of gtwister09

The top one in the photo with 2 is a commercially available Weaver edge slicker. I intend to make one similar to the single pic. I have some blackwood on hand, I'll try that first, and pick up some cocobolo or something if I feel it's nessecary.

[JAM]

Antipaladin, I'm very interested in a hardwood burnisher like the one in your picture. Please let us know when and how we can purchase them from you when you get them made.

Julia

[tashabear]

Dunno what he's smoking, what's the point of turning if you can't use what you make?

He probably doesn't want to have to meet someone else's standards.

[esantoro]

He probably doesn't want to have to meet someone else's standards.

I was thinking that he was more interested in making something aesthetic than making a practical widget, even though the practical device would have been simple to do for someone who knows basic turning.

ed

[Peterk]

The guy from Rocklers said Rocklers is his job, and once he gets outta there the "job" part of his day is done and falls by the waist side, and anything he does after that will be for fun only. If he took on this project for me it would be like work during his off hours and he can't have any of that... Again, I can see where he is coming from, I was just hoping he would help a fellow hobbiest out, albeit not in the same hobby as he.

Deuce Trinal, I am very interested as well. I would like to request for myself that since I work mostly with double thickness of 8oz leather, that one of the grooves be slightly larger than 1/4" width to accomodate that width of leather plus the edges to burnish the rounded edges. So far beside the tool at the very top of this page, I have not seen another wood burnish wheel that has that wide a groove, not to mention larger, but then I guess you could use the othersurfaces to burnish anything larger. The point is needed and would be great in burnishing belt slots and inside. I will send PM with my contact info.

[ryano]

I just use canvas and glycerin saddle soap. The easiest way that I have found.

[DeuceTrinal]

The guy from Rocklers said Rocklers is his job, and once he gets outta there the "job" part of his day is done and falls by the waist side, and anything he does after that will be for fun only. If he took on this project for me it would be like work during his off hours and he can't have any of that... Again, I can see where he is coming from, I was just hoping he would help a fellow hobbiest out, albeit not in the same hobby as he.

Deuce Trinal, I am very interested as well. I would like to request for myself that since I work mostly with double thickness of 8oz leather, that one of the grooves be slightly larger than 1/4" width to accomodate that width of leather plus the edges to burnish the rounded edges. So far beside the tool at the very top of this page, I have not seen another wood burnish wheel that has that wide a groove, not to mention larger, but then I guess you could use the othersurfaces to burnish anything larger. The point is needed and would be great in burnishing belt slots and inside. I will send PM with my contact info.

Ahh, that makes a bit more sense, I can understand where that comes from, I hadn't realized he was an employee as well.

I made a first draft of a burnisher today, I'll be having Schno give it a test drive to see how it works. I used some 1" rosewood, and somewhat copied gtwister09's burnisher, because he was on generation 3 of his design, which should make a good starting point. I made a few coves of varying widths, ranging from about 1/16" to just under 1/4." I have a vague feeling the long point might be just a bit thick at the base, but we'll have to test. It is just over 7/8" in diameter at the largest, and has a 3/8" shaft (machine bolt). It is sanded and buffed, and the only finish is a little bit of hard carnuba wax in the pores from the final stage of buffing. I think it'll work pretty well, I just want to test and look for refinements. I'll be able to make these pretty much any size/shape you want, and I can make different shafts or attachments if needed. Here's a pic:

[esantoro]

Deuce,

That looks great.

ed

[JAM]

I just use canvas and glycerin saddle soap. The easiest way that I have found.

Ryano, that's what I always go back to, but it's tiring and slow if I have lots of straps to edge - so I'm always looking for the magic perfect way to burnish faster.

Has anyone ever found a good way to make a powered rotary burnisher with a canvas cover, charged with saddle soap?

Julia

[hidepounder]

Ryano, that's what I always go back to, but it's tiring and slow if I have lots of straps to edge - so I'm always looking for the magic perfect way to burnish faster.

Has anyone ever found a good way to make a powered rotary burnisher with a canvas cover, charged with saddle soap?

Julia

Sure Julia....just wrap a wood burnisher with the canvas. I've been doing that for some time!

[esantoro]

I'm still trying to get around to making small burnishers for the dremel from 1" stock with a 1/8" hole drilled into them for a screw to be chucked into a dremel. A permanent mandrel would even be better, maybe a screw that goes all the way through with some epoxy on the shaft. I've bought the screws (longer screws for the mandrel). Now I need to find the time to turn them. I've done a few by hand but they turned out lousy. They work fine by hand but unusable with the dremel, as they are out of round (hole not centered properly) and the channel is not filed out properly.

I'm trying to use pieces that are 7/8" to 1" dia. by thicknesses of 1/2", 3/4" and 1". Not sure if the weight of these will have adverse effects on the dremel.

Here's a pic.

Ed

Edited December 14, 2008 by esantoro

[Windy]

Sure Julia....just wrap a wood burnisher with the canvas. I've been doing that for some time!

I beleive that is the best looking edge I have

ever seen. Great job.

WINDY

[hidepounder]

I beleive that is the best looking edge I have

ever seen. Great job.

WINDY

Thanks Windy, I appreciate it. I think leatherworkers skip too many steps when doing edges........the project is almost done, they want to move on, burnishing is monotenous, etc., etc. The reality is that is if you want to present a finished looking job, you have to spend time on the edges. It's the mark of a professional and demonstrates your attention to detail.

Bob

[Peterk]

Thanks Windy, I appreciate it. I think leatherworkers skip too many steps when doing edges........the project is almost done, they want to move on, burnishing is monotenous, etc., etc. The reality is that is if you want to present a finished looking job, you have to spend time on the edges. It's the mark of a professional and demonstrates your attention to detail.

Bob

Bob, would you mind sharing the steps you do to burnish an edge? For example, what do you put on the edges prior to burnishing? I've heard of Bees wax, Gum Tra., water, etc. Do you put edge kote on the burnished edge after you're done? Thanks.

Peter

[hidepounder]

Bob, would you mind sharing the steps you do to burnish an edge? For example, what do you put on the edges prior to burnishing? I've heard of Bees wax, Gum Tra., water, etc. Do you put edge kote on the burnished edge after you're done? Thanks.

Peter

Peter...Here's my process:

First I edge, then wet the edge, liberally apply Fiebings Glycerin barsoap to the edge, mechinically slick with heavy canvas sparingly impregnated with Fiebings paste soap (at approx 1750 rpm). Next, I slick with a rub stick, either mechanically or by hand(depending on the job and how the finish is looking at this point) and then I dye the edges, making sure to get good penetration and full coverage (using Fiebings spirit dye). When the dye is dry, I wipe off the residue (re-dye anything I'm not happy with), slick again mechanically with parafin coated canvas (at 1750 rpm), remove the residue with a cloth, polish with a clean, dry, soft cloth. And there you have it! I will say, however, that this process is continually evolving as I learn new tips and discover new products and methods.

Hope this helps!

Bob