Burnishing edges on a holster

[raysouth]

Just wanted to tell you that your information about the burnisher/s was great help for me. Was deciding which power unit to go with and you saved me from making a costly mistake. Scotts burnishers look great and I have the tool here in which to use them.

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

[zaptoid]

Old thread, but for what its worth here are a couple pics of my edges. I do a pre-dye burnish with water, followed by a final Burnish using Gum Tragacanth.

[SooperJake]

Hey there, I just wanted to edit the process that I've been following in the hopes that it helps someone out.

After using several of my holsters and getting feedback from of my customers, I've found that I needed to get a better depth in the dying of the edges. So, I've adjusted my process just slightly.

All of the typical steps still apply but I've changed when I dye the edges and I now use predyed leather...cut, sew, wet mold, dry, sand edges, bevel edges, dye edges, saddle soap and canvas, finish, wax edge with beeswax/paraffin mix and cotton cloth.

I think that applying saddle soap after you dye the edges really helps to lock in the dye. I also wanted to comment that I take a chunk of saddle soap and grind away on the edges. Basically, you'll end up putting a grove in the bar of soap which helps in forming a nice rounded edge. Also, I'm not shy about using the saddle soap. Prettty much as soon as I apply the dye to the edge, I start working em over with the saddle soap. It seems like the more I apply, the smoother and more uniform the edges look.

Anyway, hope this helps.

The more saddle soap you apply, or the more dye you apply? Please clarify.

Thanks

[Cyberthrasher]

The more saddle soap you apply, or the more dye you apply? Please clarify.

Thanks

I think he means the saddle soap. The solid soap will actually fill in any uneven spots in the leather.

[snubbyfan]

I guess I'm just different. I'm disabled and leatherworking's a hobby which also serves as both physical and mental therapy. I do everything by hand. After I bevel the edges, dye and stitch, I'll wet the edges and burnish them with a small 2 point antler. It's got lotsa shapes and curves to use in rounding the edges. When the edges are smooth and round to my satisfaction, I finish the whole thing with Tan Kote then buff with a soft cloth. It's time consuming but works for me.

Not that good of a picture but you can see the light reflecting off the top edge.

[samcolt45]

I've been studying this thread off and on for a few weeks now. Thanks to eveyone who offered their insight. Refamiliarimg myself with the craft after more than 20 years hasn't been easy, and it would be significantly more so without such guidance.

One question I have refers to the reference to those who use a 50/50 mixture of beeswax and parafin. How do you mix, prepare and apply it? It it best to heat it, or when applied separately to the holster?

Bob

I've been studying this thread off and on for a few weeks now. Thanks to eveyone who offered their insight. Refamiliarimg myself with the craft after more than 20 years hasn't been easy, and it would be significantly more so without such guidance.

One question I have refers to the reference to those who use a 50/50 mixture of beeswax and parafin. How do you mix, prepare and apply it? It it best to heat it, or when applied separately to the holster?

Bob

[Steven Kelley]

I've been studying this thread off and on for a few weeks now. Thanks to eveyone who offered their insight. Refamiliarimg myself with the craft after more than 20 years hasn't been easy, and it would be significantly more so without such guidance.

One question I have refers to the reference to those who use a 50/50 mixture of beeswax and parafin. How do you mix, prepare and apply it? It it best to heat it, or when applied separately to the holster?

Bob

I use a 50/50 blend of Bees and parafin wax on the edges of my holsters. What I do is melt the two waxes together and make a small block, then just rub the block on the edges. This leave a small amount of wax on the edge. Then I run the edge on a hard felt wheel in a drill press. The wheel presses and melts the wax into the edge. To melt the waxes together, I use a "soft" boiling method. Just put some water in a pan. Place aluminum foil over the top of the pan and press down in the center to make a bowl. The foil will be supported by the edges of the pan and be above the water. Put equal amounts of each wax on the foil. When the water starts to boil, it will slowly melt the wax without burning it. When completely melted, just remove the foil from the pan and let cool. Once cool, you can break or cut it into chunks. I usually place it in the refrigerator to quicken the cooling.

[Craig44]

Does nobody use gum trag for burnishing edges any more? Here's what mine look like.I glue, then stitch the mainseam, then dress the mainseam on a bench sander and bevel the edges. Then I dye and wet mold the holster, let it dry, then apply gum trag to the whole thing and burnish my edges with the wood slicker from Tandy. It usually comes out looking like one solid piece of leather. Then I apply my final finish.

[RoosterShooter]

Hidepounder ....

I looked on Weaver Leather's website, and can't find the burnisher. Any ideas?

[wolfe9]

See if that helps , it was under supply and then machines on their main site .

http://weaverleather.com/Supply/OurProducts/MasterToolsMachinery.aspx#

Edited July 22, 2013 by wolfe9

[Blevins60]

Hidepounder

You are right on the process, I have used that process on Belts, Holsters and boots.

Dan

[badLoveLeather]

Funny, this info is over 4 years old and its priceless to me. I'm not gonna waste the money on that weaver machine now!

[samcolt45]

I've been following this awesome and informative thread for quite a while. My burnished edges are noticeably better. I primarily use Hidepounder's method with a Foredom Moro tool and wood burnishers.

Some members reference using a rub stick. Is this before, during or after burnishing?

Samcolt45

[Leprechaunleather]

thanks guys ! and here was me rubbing a wooden burnishing too on it and all i was getting is resistance , i brought it to a buffing wheel and it worked wonders

[Rayban]

After following hidepounders instructions (post #6) just about to the letter.....I realized the glycerine/canvass wheel step is what was missing and keeping me from getting the edges that I was after.....now that I've added that step in my process, I'm happy with my edges.

I still like rubbing the edges with my cocobolo sticks prior to the final finish........

Thanks hidepounder!

Edited April 13, 2014 by Rayban

[Piedmont]

Love this thread, thought I'd keep it alive.. But the edge coat or dye.. I'm having a heck of a time getting a straight line.. I burnish and then dye/coat, but there are usually little hiccups here and there.. I've used a sponge, and then I just recently got this table top dyeing wheel from Tandy that works ok.. heck I've even tried taping off the leather to get a good edge but that's no good either..

Any tips out there?

Thanks

Todd

[Red Cent]

No coffee or alcohol.

[billybopp]

I can only avoid those long enough to not cut myself when cutting, Red. Otherwise, wavy edges be damned!!

Bill

[snubbyfan]

Since my last post on this thread, I've changed my edge work a little. I've also worked on my picture takin' too.

After the holster's tooled, dyed, molded, contact cemented and before stitching, I do my edge work.

First I sand it with a sanding drum chucked in my drill press, then it's bevel, wet, burnish, let the edge dry then gum trag, burnish, let it dry then gum trag and burnish again. After that dries, I do the stitchin', top coat then burnish the edge one more time.

I'm pleased with how it turned out. I do all my burnishing by hand.

Edited November 6, 2014 by snubbyfan

[hidepounder]

Weaver used to sell the machine with a cordura sleeve on a foam padded drum. I used to use that drum to apply parafin to my edges after I burnished with soap. Now I use a cocobolo wheel on a dremel to work in the parafin. The newer Weaver machines have a sanding drum on that side now, but I believe the cordura drums are still available.

[hidepounder]

Love this thread, thought I'd keep it alive.. But the edge coat or dye.. I'm having a heck of a time getting a straight line.. I burnish and then dye/coat, but there are usually little hiccups here and there.. I've used a sponge, and then I just recently got this table top dyeing wheel from Tandy that works ok.. heck I've even tried taping off the leather to get a good edge but that's no good either..

Any tips out there?

Thanks

Todd

Peidmont,

The right tool makes all the difference when dyeing edges. I use a modified Partner Pen (which I sell). It's essentially a chisel tip piece of felt in a PVC handle.You dip it in the dye and apply it to the edge of the leather. It allows you to get a straight, crisp dye line. They are sometimes called Ready Flow pens.

Since my last post on this thread, I've changed my edge work a little. I've also worked on my picture takin' too.

After the holster's tooled, dyed, molded, contact cemented and before stitching, I do my edge work.

First I sand it with a sanding drum chucked in my drill press, then it's bevel, wet, burnish, let the edge dry then gum trag, burnish, let it dry then gum trag and burnish again. After that dries, I do the stitchin', top coat then burnish the edge one more time.

I'm pleased with how it turned out. I do all my burnishing by hand.

snubbyfan,

Nice job on the edges! I noticed you have some fuzzy leather showing on the flesh side of your holster. Here's a tip. Apply gum trag to the flesh side of the leather and slick it with a glass slicker. It will dress up the flesh side and give it a more professional "finished" look.

Edited November 7, 2014 by hidepounder

[snubbyfan]

I use Tan coat on the fuzzy side. looks like I missed a spot, didn't notice it until I looked at the picture..

Ya'll weren't supposed to notice that.

[hidepounder]

I use Tan coat on the fuzzy side. looks like I missed a spot, didn't notice it until I looked at the picture..

Ya'll weren't supposed to notice that.

Pictures will "catch you" every time! I can't tell you how many finished projects I've photographed only to discover little "issues" which went unnoticed!

Bobby

[Rayban]

I visited a promenant belt makers site this morning. He carries a line that looks like it's put together real quick and he says: "we leave the edges rough for that rugged look"...I though that was kinda funny.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Rayban

[snubbyfan]

There ya go hidepounder, I left it that way on purpose to give it a "rugged look."