Heating painted edges.

[SUP]

Has anyone tried to warm painted edges gently over an electric stove set on low? I tried it today and it seems to work.  The temperature was set so that I could hold my hand over  the stove comfortably while I held the leather for a couple of seconds. To make sure the paint gets absorbed into the leather, I hold it at an angle and move it around.   

Anyone have an idea if it will  cause any problems? I cannot think of any issue as long as I don't burn it. I have ordered an infrared thermometer gun to check the temperature, so will be able to do that soon. Much easier than heating a creaser over a spirit lamp and then using it. 

[fredk]

Would not using a pyrogravure* on low heat not be a lot easier and safer?

I don't use edge paint much but mostly a beeswax mix. Rubbing that in and buffing it real good with a coarse cloth rubbed hard and fast builds up enough heat to soften the wax and get it into the edge

* or an old electric soldering iron on low heat, maybe with a brass burnisher?

as seen here

[SUP]

@fredk I do not use edge paint much either but this is soft chrome tanned leather and it just does not get burnished. So I have to paint the edges. I did not think of a pyrography instrument; do such machines have low enough temperatures? I will investigate that.

I have just received my soldering iron. I did not have one earlier. Will try to use that too but I did wonder about using the stove. It makes everything so easy and fast and the leather does not have to be firm or medium-soft. Firm or even medium-soft leathers , of course, can be burnished, which I much prefer.

That is a beautiful brass burnisher by the way. Is it yours?

Edited August 4, 2023 by SUP

[fredk]

No, that is not mine, but I have one like it and another of different profile, more square-ish. They are, or were, fairly cheap to buy. Altho I've not used mine for a while since my last soldering iron died

With these you don't need any pressure, just a light swipe along the edge

A pyrogravure is just a glorified soldering iron. Most good ones have some sort of temperature settings

Main point is tho, keep the heat localised to protect your hands. Too much dry heat can dry out your fingers and hands, You'll need to put hand cream on after each session to prevent dry cracks forming on your skin, which can be very painful

Something for only those who know what they're doing; when I was a bee keeper I put a resistor into the mains supply feed line of a 40w soldering iron to make it reduce its heat so it would just about melt bees' wax

[SUP]

@fredkI'm afraid I am completely ignorant about things electrical, mechanical etc., so cannot modify anything. But the soldering iron I just bought has a lowest temp setting of 80 so hopefully that should work. Besides, it has bad reviews that the temp soon stops going higher than about 90 so it would, hopefully, work for me. 

Let's see. Until then, the stove and lots of hand cream.

I would love to get a brass burnisher like the one above. My search for this evening.

[fredk]

15 hours ago, SUP said:

I would love to get a brass burnisher like the one above. My search for this evening.

They are becoming hard to get

I just remembered I got one of mine free. I bought it from China via ebay. I ordered the one with round profiles and they sent a square profiled one. I complained through ebay and the seller apologised, told me to keep the wrong one and they sent me the correct one. I tried to pay for the wrong one but ebay isn't set up to do that. I didn't want to take advantage of the seller.

Found these on ebay. a reasonable price. You can use these in a mini-motor tool as well

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/364008622688?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201210111314%26meid%3Dfad5ee17d88a4ad181cff908186f64e3%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D385165560986%26itm%3D364008622688%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D3458402%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithLambda85KnnRecallV1V2V4ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRankerAndBertRecallWithVMEV3%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p3458402.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum%3A364008622688fad5ee17d88a4ad181cff908186f64e3|enc%3AAQAIAAABUPqB0EgCndAssfMWNy0AT0GytGzF9%2By0G%2BlcW69DgBK3Qlz4BjwJQqPkN4K8I7qz9GoVciN1QNWqyS8EeqYS8rZRsDvyvw34m3N%2FyJKokwCTIIc3RNym2SNW8ARudP72DyiwgIY0dfUnIr5%2BMZDTaovm%2F9i6HbqogXHgrRtlBOXJBpTaj6VaBdDGueRiM2kTHzxVZaNY4y9kDOJFMEzaakQx%2F4NYu00LohEwG8x9DCOSYMhS%2FBQrbdnB6WWKKU1tfGkQW7bnrhnZ5hb0JQ34JDg1V91Cmh8qr1TGWwphIOclAnOdqvKdlYxe6unAQ8BeCUaEimvhqgrmtaM%2BmgXL5in5TYj58%2F7uLCGik9Ckbim5JtD0%2BuJ9hhuvSwgPwjOeSg0GYE8j82MG1o1pTbwbM6uqSkP4OXTLl6GzgCb4eKApLrXBP1rDpe7P6Ynzux5OGA%3D%3D|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A3458402

 

[SUP]

@fredk thank you. That is a reasonable price. I found the same on Ebay US and will be ordering it today. You are right about them becoming more difficult to  get. Just one or two sellers selling the brass ones; the rest sell the wooden ones. Same on Amazon.

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by SUP

[chuck123wapati]

16 hours ago, SUP said:

 so cannot modify anything.

don't put yourself down like that you modify leather don you? You can anything any other person on earth can do.

[SUP]

@chuck123wapati true. Thank you for that.

[chuck123wapati]

26 minutes ago, SUP said:

@chuck123wapati true. Thank you for that.

“Can't you give me brains?" asked the Scarecrow.
"You don't need them. You are learning something every day. A baby has brains, but it doesn't know much. Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get.”

[SUP]

However, I am completely inexperienced in things electrical or mechanical, so it is not advisable, I think, to do something without some guidance. At this point, just the leatherwork is taking up all my time. So all other things are best left to others and I work with what I can get from outside. It is nice to get a proper caution like @fredk gave, as I sometimes think I am superwoman, as my daughter teases me, and try to do everything, which is not always  advisable. 

It is very nice to get advice in every way from all of you. 

Back on topic, I have my soldering iron but still use the stove as it is faster and my daughter's birthday is next week, so rush orders! After that, I will relax and learn to use the iron and brass burnisher which I should receive by then, for the next project.