Burnishing edges on a holster

[ABC3]

The edger is not part of the burnisher/sander. It is a device (from Weavers) that you run your belts through that edges both the belt (on top) and the liner (bottom strap) in one pass. It is used for belts or straps and cost $795. But if you do alot of belts - it's a time saver.

[hidepounder]

LeatherCaptain,

There are a lot of alternatives to purchsing a Weaver Burnisher. I purchased mine hoping it to be the end of all burnishers......it was not!!!! I ended up wrapping the burnishing wheel with canvas, because that's what produces the best results! In time I am going to modify it again.

Weaver will sell the wood burnisher separately (I paid $30 for one a couple years ago) which could be mounted on a motor or chucked in a drill.

DueceTrinal sells some of the best burnishers I'v ever seen right here on LW. I'm going to order a couple for myself. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...p;hl=Burnishers.

The bottom line is you still have to burnish with heavy canvas! I did this by hand for years, as did every saddlemaker in the country. If you're doing a lot of burnishing, then a mechanicl set-up is the way to go. If you are only burnishing occasionally, the mechanical set-up is a luxury. There is nothing wrong with using elbow grease to burnish with canvas, and then finishing the process with a rub stick.

I see a lot of people producing excellent products with mediocre edge finishes (and that's being kind!). They burnish with wood burnishers and use Gum T because Tandy or someone else sells it to them. Then they call it good because they went throught the motions! I have never been able to understand this! I know as well as anybody that fiinishing edges is a boring, monotonous process, but if you want to produce a quality product, it has to be done! Keith Siedel advertises that his edge finishing process involves 13 separate steps. That's a lot of work! Most of us want to get the piece finished and so we skimp on our edges, but the truth is that finishing edges is a major part of the process in producing a quality project...there's just no way around it!

Holsters can be tedious because of the contours you have to deal with after the piece is molded, but they are by no means difficult. And nothing looks better burnished than the 3 or 4 layers of a holster when they're done correctly!.

If it were me, and I was just doing holsters on a part time basis, I would probably burnish with canvas by hand, and follow up with one of DueceTrinal's burnishers mounted in a dremel or drill. When using the wood burnisher, I'm not sure that the higher speed is bad. Most drills and dremels are available with variable speeds. When using canvas, you have to stay down around 1750 rpms.

I feel like I'm rambling so I'm going to quit....hope this helps you!

Bob

[LeatherCaptain]

LeatherCaptain,

There are a lot of alternatives to purchsing a Weaver Burnisher. I purchased mine hoping it to be the end of all burnishers......it was not!!!! I ended up wrapping the burnishing wheel with canvas, because that's what produces the best results! In time I am going to modify it again.

Weaver will sell the wood burnisher separately (I paid $30 for one a couple years ago) which could be mounted on a motor or chucked in a drill.

DueceTrinal sells some of the best burnishers I'v ever seen right here on LW. I'm going to order a couple for myself. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...p;hl=Burnishers.

The bottom line is you still have to burnish with heavy canvas! I did this by hand for years, as did every saddlemaker in the country. If you're doing a lot of burnishing, then a mechanicl set-up is the way to go. If you are only burnishing occasionally, the mechanical set-up is a luxury. There is nothing wrong with using elbow grease to burnish with canvas, and then finishing the process with a rub stick.

I see a lot of people producing excellent products with mediocre edge finishes (and that's being kind!). They burnish with wood burnishers and use Gum T because Tandy or someone else sells it to them. Then they call it good because they went throught the motions! I have never been able to understand this! I know as well as anybody that fiinishing edges is a boring, monotonous process, but if you want to produce a quality product, it has to be done! Keith Siedel advertises that his edge finishing process involves 13 separate steps. That's a lot of work! Most of us want to get the piece finished and so we skimp on our edges, but the truth is that finishing edges is a major part of the process in producing a quality project...there's just no way around it!

Holsters can be tedious because of the contours you have to deal with after the piece is molded, but they are by no means difficult. And nothing looks better burnished than the 3 or 4 layers of a holster when they're done correctly!.

If it were me, and I was just doing holsters on a part time basis, I would probably burnish with canvas by hand, and follow up with one of DueceTrinal's burnishers mounted in a dremel or drill. When using the wood burnisher, I'm not sure that the higher speed is bad. Most drills and dremels are available with variable speeds. When using canvas, you have to stay down around 1750 rpms.

I feel like I'm rambling so I'm going to quit....hope this helps you!

Bob

You're not rambling at all...i'm glued to the screen. I totally agree with what you've said so far about people stopping short on the edge work. I really think it's just because they don't know how to do it properly or that they don't know what a nicely finished edge looks like. That's why I've asked for a "show and tell" of how/what people are doing. If I can see it, then I can typically reproduce it. I may have to ask a ton of questions, but I'll get there.

As far as Canvas, just any kind of canvas? Can I stop by JoAnn Fabrics and pick up a square foot or two of canvas?

[ABC3]

Hidepounder,

As mentioned earlier I have the Weaver burnisher / sander as well. And as far as burnishing not too impressed.

I noticed your "get up" and thought I might rig it up & give it a try. How many times did you wrap your canvas? I could not tell from the pic's. Also, how much pressure are you using. In other words are you pushing up or down with some force?

Burnishing is probably one of my weakest areas. I just can't seem to get a nice slick rounded edge.

[TomLine]

I've been burnishing the holster edge before the final wetting/fitting. This reduces the tendency of the leather swelling on the edges which makes the thread get swallowed up.

I wrap denim strips (old jeans) around a drill bit. I sit the drill in a vice and press bees wax into the denim bit. I rub beeswax into the holster edge, then run it slowly back and forth against the drill bit. Watch using denim or a piece of blue material can stick in the edge.

John Bianchi cuts discs out of pure wool scraps and punches a center hole in them. Then he slides them over a bolt and screws washer and nuts tight to compress it. You don't want to use synthetic materials because they will melt.

[dbarleather]

DANG IT BOB!

Now you have me overhauling my burnishing procedures. Thanks for the advice.

Daryl

[hidepounder]

As far as Canvas, just any kind of canvas? Can I stop by JoAnn Fabrics and pick up a square foot or two of canvas?

I recommend using the old heavy canvas they use on wall tents. Lighter canvas will work, some people use denim, but I think the heavy canvas makes a difference. I saturate the canvas with Fiebings yellow saddle soap. I've been told the white soap works well also, but I've never tried it.

I noticed your "get up" and thought I might rig it up & give it a try. How many times did you wrap your canvas? I could not tell from the pic's. Also, how much pressure are you using. In other words are you pushing up or down with some force?

Burnishing is probably one of my weakest areas. I just can't seem to get a nice slick rounded edge.

Tom, I think there are three or four wraps around the wood form. I used Barge to help hold the outside edge down. It didn't take very long for the canvas to conform to the wood. I don't put a lot of pressure on the leather...firm pressure I guess. I have a harder time not over-burnishing...staying on the canvas too long creates a rough edge....partially from the heat caused by friction, I think. Th yellow saddlesoap helps keep the canvas lubricated. As far as getting the edge round is concerned, I think that depends on the size edger you use and shape of the groove you use when burnishing.

I've been burnishing the holster edge before the final wetting/fitting. This reduces the tendency of the leather swelling on the edges which makes the thread get swallowed up.

Tom, the only time I've experienced what you are talking about, is when my stitching, for what ever reason, was close to the edge. When that happens, I use a rub stick along the stitches to push the lether back in place and smooth it out. I prefer sewing after I do the edges, just to avoid that condition which, obviously, you cannot do when forming. Have you considered leaving everything long and uncut until after you've formed the holster? There is nothing that says you have to cut to your final lines before you form the holster. This would allow you to create a little more room between the edge and the stitches. Just a thought...

I haven't looked at John's edges in a long time....as I recall, they looked good. I think he burnishes and then uses an edge finish...but don't quote me on that. Remember, John is producing in volume....he cannot afford to spend the amount of time on the edges of a holster, that I spend on one of my custom pieces. I'm making one...he's making hundreds! He has to produce a nice looking edge, that is durable, and he has to be able to do it quickly. That is a lot different than making one of a kind custom pieces as most of us here do. Our edges should be better...it's custom work, not production work....and we get to charge more for it. At least that's my position.

[LeatherCaptain]

Lobo,

I got your package in the mail yesterday...THANK YOU!

I've been working on a Glock 36 holster with attached mag pouch for someone and this gave me a chance to try out my new edge finishing procedure.

I used the method described by hidepounder...I stopped by JoAnn's and picked up a yard of heavy canvas (duck cloth). I had some Fiebing's glycerin saddle soap at home and some wonderful wax was dropped off at my house yesterday. I glued a strip of canvas to a block of wood that I was using for burnishing and once the molding was done and dried I sanded the edges (very important to start with heavy grained sanding drum first and then finishing with a smoother drum afterwards), used a larger guage edger to cut down the edge and then followed with the sander again to really carve out a nice rounded edge. Then I passed over the edges with a wet sponge and rubbed on some saddle soap. I hit the edge with the canvas block that I chucked into a drill and WOW...it's like a light bulb went off...this actually works! Once I completed that step, I dyed the piece and then hit the edge with the beeswax/parifin that I got from Lobo. It seemed to take a lot of elbow grease but I think it does a wonderful job of really smoothing out the eges and to hide any slight imperfections. Then I covered the piece with acrylic resolene. It's drying now and when it's finished I'll rub on a coat of carnuba wax and then follow with a coat of renaissance wax buffed with a nice microfiber.

I'm not quite to the level of what I see in hidepounder's photos but, it's goin' to be beautiful! ...I almost don't want to sell it!

Thanks for all your help. I'll post some pics when it's done.

[Lobo]

Your customer is lucky to have you! That is a lot of work you have done.

Best regards,

[Bree]

My process is a little different than the others posted here. First off, I agree with everybody else, you should do your burnishing after the holster is molded. Once it's molded and dry, this is what I would do:

01.) SAND EDGES - I use a mounted belt sander with a 150 or 220 grit belt and always move against the direction of the sander. All I'm trying to do hear is to insure that all the leather layers are even and all the reisdual glue and finish has been removed.

02.) EDGING - I use an edger to remove the corners of the edge.

03.) WET & SOAP - Wet the edge using a sponge and then rub glycerine bar saop well into the edge.

04.) BURNISH - I burnish with heavy canvas satuarated with Fiebings yellow soap. The canvas is wrapped around a wood burnishing wheel (I use the Weaver set-up)

05.) DYE - At this point I dye the edge with Fiebings alcohol dye. I use this because it is absorbed into the leather...it's not just bonded to the outside like an edge paint is. I also dye at this stage because I can get a nice neat, clean line because the leather is smooth and the fibers are all tight and bonded together. If you dye the edge before you burnish, you cannot get a nice clean dye line!

06.) HAND BURNISH - I use a clean cloth (old t-shirts are great) to rub the edge to remove any residual dye and to determine if a second coat is necessary. If not, I use a hand burnisher to rub any imperfections out of the edges and create an even smoother finish.

07.) POLISH - At this point I use a soft drum wrapped with cordura nylon (Mounted on the other side of my Weaver burnisher) and gererously impregnated with parafin, and burnish again. Once I'm satisfied with the finish, I polish to a high luster with a dry cloth.

08.) FINISH - apply the final finish.

Here are some examples of the my finished edges on a belt I completed this weekend, and a photo of the edge on a pad folio I posted earlier this year.

Here is my burnishing set-up:

This has worked pretty well for me, however, I'm always adjusting as I learn new tricks and techiques.

Hope this helps,

Bob

Bob...

You can't argue with success. You produce some of the finest and most professional work I have ever seen. Your willingness to share makes you Best in Class as far as I am concerned.

I have been using a different method... a simpler but less satisfying method. I think that I am going to try your method with the canvas. Thanks for sharing!