aspanol Report post Posted January 9, 2011 Hi all! Was wondering, How do i burnish the edge till like this? What is item is needed? i have read bob park's finishing edge. However,i don't really get what item is used to wax. Is it like the guide, using saddle soap or glycerin bar soap? Many thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phatdaddy Report post Posted January 10, 2011 Hi all! Was wondering, How do i burnish the edge till like this? What is item is needed? i have read bob park's finishing edge. However,i don't really get what item is used to wax. Is it like the guide, using saddle soap or glycerin bar soap? Many thanks! I'm pretty new to this as well, however I use beeswax and a piece of denim my wife cut off her pants to hem them. I'm hoping to acquire a piece of canvas as I have read many times is better. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
terrymac Report post Posted January 10, 2011 Hidepounder says that after you have sanded your edges and edged them, take a damp rag and wet the edge, and then take a glycerin bar and rub over the damp area. This really starts laying the fibers down. Then he takes saddle soap on a piece of canvas (old Levis or Wranglers will substitute) and begin burnishing. If you don't have a burnishing wheel, then it will still work with good old fashion elbow grease. It is a lot of work, but well worth it. Hope this helps, Terry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGGUNDOCTOR Report post Posted January 10, 2011 My Mom used a Lignum Vitae burnishing stick that my Dad made. Burnishing means to polish by rubbing. Even if you didn't add anything to the leather, and just rubbed it with something smooth it would start to be burnished. Additives fill the voids, and help to make a less porous surface which will take a better polishing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJLeatherworks Report post Posted January 10, 2011 I use Gum Tragacanth on the edges and a slicker wheel made of coco-bola wood. Others I know use bees wax, or bees wax mixed with paraffin. Rubbing the slicker wheel creates heat which aids in the burnishing. A piece of old denim (dye is washed out unless you WANT blue edges), or un-dyed canvas creates the heat too. The faster you rub the slicker wheel or the canvas, the more heat you get. If you are thinking if mounting the wheel on a drill, keep the speed slow or you can burn the edges instead of burnish them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chief31794 Report post Posted January 11, 2011 I use a wood burnisher for hand burnishing and I have a burnishing wheel mounted in a drill press. You can achieve a very nice edge just by wetting and burnishing, I normally do that then after dying and finishing, I use gum tragacanth to really seal the edge. I haven't tried the beeswax but I keep a couple of cakes of it around and might try that. Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
