AndyL1 Report post Posted March 11, 2009 Hey All, I have a friend with a lathe who offered to make an Edge Burnisher for me. He has some Oak scraps lying around that are the perfect size and price: FREE. Is this a good wood to use? I've seen some other burnishers on here made out of woods I have never heard of. It just needs to be a hardwood right? I can't imagine the oak won't do a good job... my plastic cheapo thing I have now does it adequately. I bought a 3" variable speed bench grinder from Harbor Freight that we will attach it too. -Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhall Report post Posted March 11, 2009 I made mine from Red Oak and they work just fine...Exotic wood is prettier..I don't know if it will last any longer! Supper price too! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pete Report post Posted March 11, 2009 where did you find the grinder? I looked on their web page and couldn't find one that was variable speed! Only on/off. Are you putting a rheostat on yours? pete Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyL1 Report post Posted March 11, 2009 (edited) Thanks guys! Pete here is the one I bought. It even has a Flex-Shaft attachment. I'm going to mount the burnisher on the left side. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=43533 Andy Edited March 11, 2009 by AndyL1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtwister09 Report post Posted March 11, 2009 Andy, My first saddlemakers bow, smasher and a couple of burnishers were out of oak. They worked OK. The one issue that I have is that oaks are am open grained hardwood whereas the others like cocobolo, bocote, lignum vitae, rosewoods, etc are tighter grained hardwoods. However like everything there is cost (your is free!) and quality tradeoffs. Will they work?. Yes. Are they the best in my opinion? No. A rotating edge burnisher would have less impact from the open grained hardwood than say a slicker or smasher. All the burnishers (rotating and otherwise), smashers, slickers,string tighteners, bows that I make are out of the tighter grained hardwoods (some of them are listed above). This is just my two cents worth. Regards, Ben Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rayban Report post Posted March 19, 2009 I just made this one out of Osage... While Oak may not have as tight of grain as some other hardwoods, I believe that in short time and use, the grain would fill in with leather dust, stain, Tag, or anything else that comes in contact with it, and in time be just as slick. Also, finish it off with some real fine grit sandpaper, like 300-400, while it's turning. With you using it at 1725rpm or so, you'll get good results. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badger Report post Posted March 19, 2009 Andy, My burnisher is a 1450 RPM 1/3 Horespower electricmotor with oak burnishers of different groove sizes that bolt directly onto the threaded shaft extender. Works great. Cheers, Karl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McJeep Report post Posted March 20, 2009 I made up some different sized burnishers to attach to my dremel - used a chop saw to cut some short pieces of an old broomstick - screwed a dremel arbor into the center - shaped em by putting them in the dremel and wrapping different sized drill bits with sand paper seems to work okay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rayban Report post Posted March 29, 2009 I wanted to try one in cocobolo and glad I did.....it seems to do a better job because it's a bit harder, thus slicker.....prettier too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted March 29, 2009 Thanks guys!Pete here is the one I bought. It even has a Flex-Shaft attachment. I'm going to mount the burnisher on the left side. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=43533 Andy Andy, How is this mini-grinder working out? I was thinking about getting the same one a while back. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shelly Report post Posted March 29, 2009 I wanted to try one in cocobolo and glad I did.....it seems to do a better job because it's a bit harder, thus slicker.....prettier too. This is really nice - I like the type of wood, also - any chance I can get you to make one like it for my slicker set up? I have some pretty deep grooves already in the burnisher that I purchased to try, on Ebay...normally, I use elbow grease, water/gum cut 50/50, or bar saddle soap, rubbed over web edge...more elbow grease...I'd like to try this instead - don't think it would collapse like the one I currently have! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rayban Report post Posted March 29, 2009 Shelly, I have the one in post #6 sitting around and I doubt I'll use it now that I have the recent one. It has to attach to a 1/2" arbor however....let me know if you're set up for that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shelly Report post Posted March 29, 2009 Ihave a 1/2" arbor on this motor...have you used this one enough to know if it will burnish the edges pretty slick, or will I have to 'work on it' before it will do that?? If it will need to be worked over, I think I'd rather pay for one with the tighter grain wood, so I can just go to using it right away...? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rayban Report post Posted March 29, 2009 Ihave a 1/2" arbor on this motor...have you used this one enough to know if it will burnish the edges pretty slick, or will I have to 'work on it' before it will do that??If it will need to be worked over, I think I'd rather pay for one with the tighter grain wood, so I can just go to using it right away...? The cocobolo seems to work better...also, my edges don't have to be all that shiny, or what some would call slick, to work for me, so I guess it comes down to a subjective thing...... Also, someone else on the forum has been making them and selling them at about $40 each, which after making a couple, I can attest to that being a good deal.....sorry I can't pass on the link just this minute....someone else will be by any minute now to help out......so i don't feel like I want to compete with him.....he makes em out of rosewood, I believe, and that's about as good as it gets..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted March 29, 2009 How is this mini-grinder working out? I was thinking about getting the same one a while back. I would be interested in knowing that, too. I passed on it earlier, because I didn't know if it would have enough power to grind stainless steel bolts (to make stamps). Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
