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TomE

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Posts posted by TomE

  1. Posted · Report reply

    Looks like an adventure!  Keep us posted, Jonas. I am considering buying a large clicker press from a friend for less than a custom die will cost.  He closed his business making boot insoles for major brands like Thorogood and has retired.  It would take up space in my machine shed but I'm considering clicking out the yokes and decorative pieces for farrier aprons like the one I previously posted.  I haven't done any production work before and I'm debating whether to branch out or stick with made to order tack.  

  2. Posted · Report reply

    A leather rougher/scratcher will prep the grain side for gluing if you need a strong bond to the grain.  The wire teeth are pointed and sharp to tear through the grain and create a suede like surface.  A wire brush doesn't do this.   I routinely rough up leather filler strips inserted into a rounded leather piece that is wet molded around the filler.  Roughing the leather is necessary to hold it together until the leather dries and can be sewn.  The larger rougher in the link below is a very sturdy tool.  You can find smaller roughers at lots leather crafting supply retailers.    https://sorrellnotionsandfindings.com/product/scratcher/

  4. Posted · Report reply

    Harness and bridle leathers are vegetable tanned cow hide that is stuffed with fats/waxes for water resistance.  Plain vegetable tanned leather will accept tooling, stamping, and wet forming better than bridle or harness.  Harness leather is generally stiffer than bridle bc of additional waxes added during the currying process.  Bridle leather typically has a more polished/shiny finish than harness.  I make English reins for jumpers and dressage out of 9/10 oz bridle leather.  I make split reins for western riding from 10/11 oz harness leather.  The split reins that I am familiar with are not sewn.  The bit end either folds back on itself, or is capped with a leather chape and is tied with a latigo saddle string.

    I think the best bridle and harness leathers in North America come from the Herman Oak Leather Co. and Wickett and Craig Leather.  The Hermann Oak bridle and harness leathers tend to be stiffer, which I equate with stretch resistant.  Wickett and Craig is a bit softer temper and they offer bridle and harness leathers in a wide variety of colors.  You can request samples from either tannery.  Both are top quality tanneries.  Wicket and Craig has no minimum order whereas Hermann Oak generally requires a minimum of a roll = 5 sides.  Single sides of either leather can be purchased from retail distributors.  You can request a side for reins and they will select a larger hide that should cover 7+ feet along the topline.  Springfield Leather sells Hermann Oak and does a lot of custom clicking/cutting.  They could probably sell you the straps you need for reins.  

     

     

  7. Posted · Report reply

    For bridle leather, Fiebings Aussie conditioner tends to maintain the original color better than Blackrock Leather N' Rich, Bickmore Bick 4, and Effax Lederbalsam.  I apply a light coat of neatsfoot oil before conditioning.  Once the oil soaks in the original color returns.   I don't seal projects, except the edges, so I don't have expeience with those finishes.  Another idea is to use neutral shoe polish for shine and some water resistance.  I think it will stay on top of the grain.  Lincoln stain wax (shoe polish) is a quality product.

  14. Posted · Edited by TomE · Report reply

    29 minutes ago, BrainTannedKiwi said:

    i made the burnisher today and its working there is one side with groove and one side flat, the flat side im not so sure about but groove works well. Yea ill see how much freight costs to new zealand how is the moss sealing solution applied?

    I use a sponge or a wool dauber to apply BT639 then slick the surface with glass.  Moss-back refers to the glue that tannerys used in the past for finishing the back of bridle leather - made from peat moss.  I bought a slicker with smooth rounded edges from Springfield Leather Co.   BT639 is available in quarts if you contact Campbell-Randall.  You might try Tokonole first if it is more readily available.

  15. Posted · Report reply

    18 minutes ago, BrainTannedKiwi said:

     

    yea imma try saddle soap just because it might be a bit quicker. yea turning ally is satisfying haha i just turned my own burnisher on the bench grinder that im using, means it turns pretty true to the wonky shaft it has. i still need to find a good way to burnish flesh side as the leather im getting can be quite fluffy

    I've used this water soluble flexible adhesive for sealing the flesh side of leather https://campbell-randall.com/product/sup-bt639-g-leather-finish-for-sealing-flesh-side-moss-back-suede-1-gal.  Tokonole also works.   Can also apply wax with a heat gun.  A glass slicker is useful for burnishing the flesh side.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    1 hour ago, BrainTannedKiwi said:

    Yea right so saddle soap is just a lubricant that makes sense i need to go get some and should have the burnisher made this week. Yea i like the idea of using beeswax also because i think my customers will like the idea of using natural products (as do i). Do you make many belts? or just horsey stuff.

    I haven't made many belts and not surprisingly they turned out looking like horse tack. :)  If you plan to seal edges with beeswax you might look into using heat to help the wax penetrate the leather.  I use Duane Watts' lollipop burnisher that I heat with an alcohol lamp.  The video from Cary Schwarz shows an edge iron that I think he made.   Similar to a Dixon edge iron.

     

  18. Posted · Report reply

    3 hours ago, BrainTannedKiwi said:

    Thanks for your 3 cents, thats a lot of insight. The leather Im working with isnt too stiff, fit for purpose as I am only doing belts not something a horse could yank off. I will definitely get some saddle soap, and the cloths damp so edge doesnt burn correct?

    I will test out my theory of a plain cylinder of wood for the flesh side polish then try the canvas sleeve and see how long that lasts me, could beeswax or gumtrag be used as a final sealer rather than tokonole or is tokonole the best?

    A slightly damp edge will help the fibers compress into a smooth surface and a bit of lubricant (saddle soap, conditioner, etc) helps prevent overheating with the power burnisher.  Need to find the right balance of moisture and friction to get the results you want.  You sure can use beeswax or gumtrag to finish, but I find it easier to get a smooth, hard, shiney edge with Tokonole.  I am guessing it is essentially glue in some type of slippery vehicle, probably silicone based like cyclomethicone used in hair products.  A wax treatment might be a better choice for sealing the edge for outdoor use but it is more work and doesn't shine like Tokonole.  For horse tack there's an expectation that it will be maintained by cleaning, conditioning and occasional oiling so I am not aiming to seal the leather.  There are a lot of variables to play around with.  Let us know how it goes.

  19. Posted · Report reply

    2 hours ago, BrainTannedKiwi said:

    so is the canvas attached to the burnisher or is that by hand? Lots of people are pointing towards saddle soap, seems like the go there are a few types though haha, paste bar spray, allsorts. Im just trying to think of the best way to have good  consistent edges and flesh side using a motor burnisher.

    It is a small square of canvas that I use to apply saddle soap to the edge before power burnishing with the wooden Cobra burnisher.  I've tried making a canvas sleeve to fit over the Cobra burnisher (either side) but the sleeves wear out quickly when burnishing 9-10 oz bridle leather.

    I guess I've experimented nonstop for several years with burnishing protocols.  I've used gum tragacanth, water, saddle soap, Martin's Edge Solution, polyvinyl acetate (Elmer's white glue), beeswax +/- paraffin, a homemade paste of carnauba wax-beeswax-neatsfoot oil, and Tokonole.  Slicking with canvas, wooden/plastic/bone burnishers, and the wooden power burnisher +/- a canvas sleeve.  I've also done a topcoat of beeswax applied with a heated edge iron.  All that stuff works, more or less.  The biggest thing for success with a power burnisher is learning how much water and lubricant are needed to produce a slick edge without overheating.  Just need to practice for your type of leather and burnishing machine.

    Here's my current protocol for bridle leather.  I try to avoid sanding the edges unless they are really rough because edge finishing is already very time consuming, and sanding bridle leather can do more harm than good - the coarse fibers tend to pull up and the edge gets rougher.  I apply Pro Dye to the edge with a block of heavy felt or Magic Eraser held in a clothespin (or use one of the refillable markers with the felt tip).  Once the dye has soaked in but the edge is still damp I apply some saddle soap using a damp piece of canvas then immediately power burnish as a first pass.  I then dab on Tokonole (or Elmer's glue diluted 4-5x with water), wait for it to become tacky, then power burnish.  I finish by polishing the edge with a piece of dry canvas.  If I'm going to further seal the edge I dab on softened beeswax and work it into the leather with a heated edge iron.  I then rub the edge with a piece of canvas to remove excess wax.

    I guess I will continue to experiment and would enjoy hearing others' experiences.  The HO bridle leather is difficult to slick, compared to regular veg tan, but I like its firm temper for horse tack.  Wickett and Craig bridle has a softer temper and is easier to slick.  HO traditional harness is waxy and easy to burnish.  That's my 2 cents.

  20. Posted · Report reply

    9 hours ago, BrainTannedKiwi said:

    I think it should be ok as long as i use plenty of fluids 

    Saddle soap is a good lubricant.  I switched to Fiebings paste saddle soap applied to the edge with a damp piece of canvas.  This works better for me than swiping a wet sponge on a bar of saddle soap, which delivers more water and less glycerin lubricant to the edge.  I am using a Cobra burnisher set at about 2000 (?) rpm.

  23. Posted · Report reply

    3 hours ago, Mulesaw said:

    Looks great. I especially like the padded belt. That is a nice touch!

    Thanks, Jonas. Tried to incorporate methods I know. 

    3 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

    Very nice! Farriers are very important people that do a job that can be quite dangerous. They need all the protection they can get!

    Thank you. Yes, I trim 15-20 of our broodmares and youngsters, and pay a farrier to shoe a couple that are in work and need shoes. I feel comfortable working on horses I know, and only have myself to blame if they act up.  The apron is heavy but my farrier says he likes the 7oz split better than his worn out 6 oz apron. 

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