Edge Burnisher For Dremels

[K-Man]

K-man: There's nothing that says we can't both offer our wares to the LW members. Some folks may even prefer the metal (I'm assuming aluminum?) ones to wood or vice versa.

I appreciate the photos and the size advice. The first difference (aside from materials) I see in the two styles is that I am confined to an area 7/16" long due to my current method. That's not the case with yours so they serve different personal preferences, etc.

I would suggest actually putting them online somewhere if you're going to offer them though. I searched google, LW.net and even your website after your posting and still can't find them.

Friendly competition is healthy as it gives the makers a reason to improve on designs and everybody wins that way. Good luck to you as well!

As I mentioned to you in the email I sent, we had them offered here on LW. However, I've not been able to find that thread any more. It's possible it might have been lost as a result of some of the computer/server problems that have occurred here since originally posting them.

To me it does not make sense to put them on my website where I retail holsters and other leathercrafted items I make. There was a greater exposure to the market here on LW. I saw less than a 1% likelihood that anyone would look for them on our website. We've offered other products specific to the leathercrafter and have listed those here on LW and on eBay. Specific items pertaining to leathercrafters are going to have a greater likelihood of selling on a forum such as LW or eBay rather than on a retail holster website. I may be viewing it wrong, but I don't think so.

Perceived interest in your product by certain LW members will bring you better sales, and it looks like you're on that track.

Kevin

[westtxcowboy1979]

I would like a couple of diffrent sizes.

[LNLeather]

To the folks wanting to buy these: I'm not a rich guy and this was initially an experiment so it may take me a

week or two to purchase all of the shanks. I have plenty of wood between tulipwood and cocobolo (cocobolo does

work as well by the way). I'll buy the shanks and make them as I can and message you in the order you replied to

see if you're still interested.

King's X was right about the cost, it looks like $15 each, including shipping is about right.

Between the buying shanks, little boxes and shipping and T & M that's what it worked out to. If folks are getting more

than one, it will be a little cheaper per as we'll be able to combine shipping.

~ Chris

HI Chris

........................................................................

I am in noooo hurry

and by the way I was thinkin that you should charge a little more... so that is just fine with me.

[Spinner]

Hey John, have fun making a few. If you need any info when you give it a spin let me know.

K-Man, got your email and I'll reply to that as well. Yeah, I did a LW search as well and couldn't find anything. You might want to consider just adding an extra page to the website where folks can check stuff like this out. I actually work in leather, wood and metal and have divided my site map up for this so I can add little things like this that may not be heavy volume but might be sought for. Either way, good luck with everything.

WestTX, no problem. As I mentioned, I'll let foks now as I get them made.

Cheryl, I probably could charge more but for now this seems far and isn't my main business so just being able to provide my fellow leatherworkers with another option at a reasonable rice is good enough for me. (Unless of course I start losing money then I may reconsider. )

[LNLeather]

Cheryl, I probably could charge more but for now this seems far and isn't my main business so just being able to provide my fellow leatherworkers with another option at a reasonable rice is good enough for me. (Unless of course I start losing money then I may reconsider. )

What I was saying was... you had started out saying $10. each and

I was thinkin that you should charge a little more...

then you changed it to $15.

I was just a sayin.......... I was still interested.

[Spinner]

What I was saying was... you had started out saying $10. each and

I was thinkin that you should charge a little more...

then you changed it to $15.

I was just a sayin.......... I was still interested.

Oh, hehe...I get it now. Yeah, the $10 was off the top of my head and then after talking to King's X a bit in PMs and factoring some stuff like the little boxes in that I hadn't thought about it bumped them up a tad.

Update: Got another custom job request tonight so hopefully I'll be able to start ordering the shanks in a day or two!

[Antrax]

Wow that is a nice burnisher! I tried to do one for myself and didn't come out as nice. I want one of each size. I live in Puerto Rico but I'm more than happy to pay extra for the shipping. So please add me to the list. Diego

[Jazznow]

Hi folks, 

First: Many thinks for that little How To. I made an edge burnisher myself yesterday, but am not really happy with the burnishing of the little wheel. 

The edge stays a little rough/raw. 

Maybe i used the wrong wood. I've got only beech at hand, so i used that. 

I then brushed some gum tragacant on the edge anad burnished it, first carefully and the experimented a little bit with pressure and speed of the dremel. The only result, that i would call burnished, was when i used much pressure and then it was something like burned. 

So maybe u have some hints, what i'm doing wrong.

Greetings,

Jazznow

[mike59]

If you are seriously considering marketing these, please put me down for one.

Thanks,

Mike Massey

I have a lathe, a grinder & a polishing set up but I didn't have a good way to adapt any of them to burnishing (the lathe is usually loaded with wood or shavings and the grinder has two wheels I need for well, grinding) so I decided to see what I could make for my Dremel since I couldn't find anything. What I found is that if you take the sanding drum bits apart they make an excellent shank for a wood burnisher. Unscrew the little screw at the top, remove the sandpaper and then pull the rubber compression bushing off and what you are left with is a shank 7/16" long x 1/8" dia. So I pulled out some Tulipwood (dense & naturally oily like Cocobolo with 1/2 the weight) cut it to 7/16" long and drilled a 1/8" hole down the center and then turned the profile for 2 different sized leather edges. Sand to 600, hit it with some friction polish as a base for Aussie Wax and then reassembled everything onto the shank. Works beautifully and since the Dremel is variable speed I can find the sweet spot speed to get the edge I want.

Just thought I would share the process and finished product in case other were wondering if it could be done.

Chris

[Spinner]

Hi folks,

First: Many thinks for that little How To. I made an edge burnisher myself yesterday, but am not really happy with the burnishing of the little wheel.

The edge stays a little rough/raw.

Maybe i used the wrong wood. I've got only beech at hand, so i used that.

I then brushed some gum tragacant on the edge anad burnished it, first carefully and the experimented a little bit with pressure and speed of the dremel. The only result, that i would call burnished, was when i used much pressure and then it was something like burned.

So maybe u have some hints, what i'm doing wrong.

Greetings,

Jazznow

Hey Jazznow,

First off the beech is too soft/porous to work well for burnishing. Best bet will be with a more exotic wood like cocobolo, tulipwood, blackwood or lignum vitae (ironwood). The reason these work better is they are more dense and have very tight grain patterns so they don't absorb so much of the heat and product.

I have used mine a few times in the last week and found a couple of things:

1. you need to prep it - meaning you have to burnish some scrap to get a good burnish on the wood first. This will close the pores even more and essentially seal it.

2. varying the speed - on thinner leather I found faster speed works better while slower speed works best with thicker leather.

3. I tried saddlesoap, gum tar and plain old spit, they all seemed to leave a slightly burnished edge, but not perfect. When I switched to using a light coat of Aussie wax, it worked much better. The key to this type of burnishing is the heat/friction more than the pressure.

4. a few times I found if I 'warmed' up the wood bit on a piece of scrap before hitting a finished project it worked better.

I find this type of burnisher is used mainly to take the grunt work out of burnishing and doesn't necessarily replace a good hand burnish. By using the wood 'bits' first, my hand burnishing is cut down by half and ends up being more of a buffing/clean up step.

Chris

If you are seriously considering marketing these, please put me down for one.

Thanks,

Mike Massey

Hey Mike,

I don't know about seriously marketing them, but I will be making them for LW folks that want them so I'll put your name down and let you know when I have them.

Chris