Wood Burnishers

[triage1998]

Anyone have a source for wood burnishers I can use in a drill press?

[particle]

In a pinch, you can simply use the largest dowel your drill press can hold. Turn it on, then cut your own grooves with a round wood rasp. Angle the rasp up/down to create various sizes of grooves.

If you want to do even better, drill a hole in the bottom of the dowel and epoxy a threaded rod (long screw) into the dowel.

I've done about 250 orders with this method, simply using the wooden handle from a sponge-brush I bought from Lowes - it still has a lot of life left in it. I'll probably make my next one out of an oak dowel, instead of the soft wood that brush handle was made from.

Here's one from Tandy, but you'll have to mount your own shank for the drill press.

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/Tools/8121-00.aspx

Here is one from Weaver, though I personally question the strength of the short shaft and its ability to resist breaking under pressure when mounted in a drill press.

http://www.leathersupply.com/downloads/catalog/LeatherworkingTools/Edgers.pdf

[Steven Kelley]

Best one I've used is from www.leatherburnishers.com.

[gtwister09]

Chris said a while back that he was retiring from the leather burnisher business but may still be making them.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=34128&view=findpost&p=211431

Here's a thread with several others listed that are making them. Hope that helps.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=24469&view=findpost&p=169075

Regards,

Ben

Edited November 3, 2011 by gtwister09

[DuaneS]

I bought this one from Chris a short while back and it works Great!

Leather Burnishing Bits for Drill Chucks

[Eaglestroker]

I bought one of Chris's on his "last run," I had used a wooden dowel up to this point. After using this tool I won't touch another given the option.

[Spinner]

Thanks guys. Officially, the hiatus is over but I'm having a few issues with the Etsy store so I've backtracked & updated LeatherBurnishers.com so folks can see prices & email me with requests. Hope to have the technical side of things figured out by next week so I can keep myself in the shop where I belong!

Chris

[triage1998]

In a pinch, you can simply use the largest dowel your drill press can hold. Turn it on, then cut your own grooves with a round wood rasp. Angle the rasp up/down to create various sizes of grooves.

If you want to do even better, drill a hole in the bottom of the dowel and epoxy a threaded rod (long screw) into the dowel.

I've done about 250 orders with this method, simply using the wooden handle from a sponge-brush I bought from Lowes - it still has a lot of life left in it. I'll probably make my next one out of an oak dowel, instead of the soft wood that brush handle was made from.

Here's one from Tandy, but you'll have to mount your own shank for the drill press.

http://www.tandyleat...ls/8121-00.aspx

Here is one from Weaver, though I personally question the strength of the short shaft and its ability to resist breaking under pressure when mounted in a drill press.

http://www.leathersu...ools/Edgers.pdf

Thanks particle for the idea. I think I will just spend the money and pick one up from Chris.

Thanks guys. Officially, the hiatus is over but I'm having a few issues with the Etsy store so I've backtracked & updated LeatherBurnishers.com so folks can see prices & email me with requests. Hope to have the technical side of things figured out by next week so I can keep myself in the shop where I belong!

Chris

Chris I sent you an e-mail about purchasing a "Holsters Makers' Special" burnisher

Thanks everyone for pointing me in the right direction!

[LeatherWerks]

I bought this one from Chris a short while back and it works Great!

Leather Burnishing Bits for Drill Chucks

I bought one of these from Chris as well. Do you use anything on the leather during the burnishing process? I've heard people say to use bees wax.

Steve

[Sylvia]

Thanks guys. Officially, the hiatus is over but I'm having a few issues with the Etsy store so I've backtracked & updated LeatherBurnishers.com so folks can see prices & email me with requests. Hope to have the technical side of things figured out by next week so I can keep myself in the shop where I belong!

Chris

Hey Chris: I'm seeing a similar burnishers on Ebay... is that you as well?

[Elton Joorisity]

Not tryin to steal business...but competition is good for business! Here is one of mine. They sell for $35 and are made of a variety of woods...cocobolo being the main one.

[Spinner]

I bought one of these from Chris as well. Do you use anything on the leather during the burnishing process? I've heard people say to use bees wax.

Steve

Hey Steve, Beeswax works just fine as a final burnish but I recommend saddle soap suds up a little for the primary burnishing. Reason being that the saddle soap doesn't seal the edge and allows to dye a contrasting edge if you like. Beeswax will seal the fibers and prohibit further dying.

Hey Chris: I'm seeing a similar burnishers on Ebay... is that you as well?

Hey Sylvia, thanks for the heads up. Those are poor imitations and definitely not my work.

I don't bother other folks selling burnishing items that are of their own design but this schmuck has blatantly stolen my very specific design (Holster Maker's Special) and will be reported to Ebay's VeRO Unit for it theft of intellectual property. Thanks.

Not tryin to steal business...but competition is good for business! Here is one of mine. They sell for $35 and are made of a variety of woods...cocobolo being the main one.

I enjoy a good & fair competition Elton, good luck with yours!

I've heard good things about your tooling/stamping tools also.

[Steven Kelley]

I use Chris' burnishers as well. Excellent product!! I dropped and broke one, while Chris was on hiatus from spinning, so I bought one from Weavers to try. It was horrible. The steel shaft in Chris' burnishers make all the difference. You can tighten them into a drill press and they spin perfectly true. The one from Weaver's does not have such a shaft. It's 100% wood. Those cannot be properly tightened into the chuck of a drill press. You just compress the wood. It's loose, wobbles, and is just not even in the same league.

Excellent product Chris!

[JoelR]

I also have one of Chris's burnishers. Very good design and work well but I honestly find myself using a wood slicker for the initial press-down and duck cloth for the final burnishing when push-comes-to-shove. Never really had enough time to learn to get the drill-mounted burnisher to work just the way I want it to. I will use it for the initial press-down for belts though since it is much faster and easier on the hands than the wood slicker. I use straight water with a pre-dyed edge.

[cleveland]

I also have one from Chris. Top notch work! I am considering buying an extra just in case he stops making them. :-)

[camano ridge]

Realizing this is an older thread brought back to life, thought I would add my two cents worth. I bought two of Chris's burnishers, I could not be happier they work great. I oredered mine in early December and recieved before Christmas and have used them on a half dozen projects so far.

Scott

[Spinner]

Thanks folks, glad you like them!

I also have one of Chris's burnishers. Very good design and work well but I honestly find myself using a wood slicker for the initial press-down and duck cloth for the final burnishing when push-comes-to-shove. Never really had enough time to learn to get the drill-mounted burnisher to work just the way I want it to. I will use it for the initial press-down for belts though since it is much faster and easier on the hands than the wood slicker. I use straight water with a pre-dyed edge.

Hey Joel, try adding a touch of saddle soap or glycerine soap to the water you use for burnishing. The fats/glycerine in the soap will penetrate the top fibers of the leather better and allow you to slick it much easier and faster whether by hand or mechanically. Not sure of your process to prep the edge, but Bob Park's method is the one I recommend. Short version is: edge the leather, lightly sand the edge to get a truly round profile, dab on a light coating of saddle soap/water combo with your finger/rag, burnish with your chosen tool, dye the edge if you haven't already, seal the edge (wax, neat-lac, etc) and do a final buffing with a soft cloth.

Hope that helps, hit me up with any questions.

[JoelR]

I've tried it with unsatisfactory results. It shines up nice but feels like a soft edge as opposed to the hard edges I get with just water.

[Spinner]

I've tried it with unsatisfactory results. It shines up nice but feels like a soft edge as opposed to the hard edges I get with just water.

Very interesting...wonder what the difference is (leather type, burnishing speed, etc.) as I have found the reverse. Well, either way the important thing is you have a method that works for you and results you are happy with!

[JoelR]

Could be I use too much soap in the mix. I had an issue for a while where my edges looked and felt great just after burnishing but softened and 'Furred' up after drying due to too wet of an edge.

[Spinner]

Could be I use too much soap in the mix. I had an issue for a while where my edges looked and felt great just after burnishing but softened and 'Furred' up after drying due to too wet of an edge.

Ah, ok. It actually sounds like too much water, at least based on how I do it. I open the tin of saddle soap, spray a light mist of water on top and use the little bit of moisture to create the suds. Then I simply scoop up just the suds from the top with my finger and rub them into the edge and then burnish.

I recently heard some really good feedback about Sheridan Leather's "Wyosheen" so I ordered up some with my last leather order. Would be nice to have a pre-prepped product if it does all they say it will.

[Elton Joorisity]

I also started building them because of the Weaver model...I am a saddle maker and also make saddle specific tools...this rings true of my slickers as well...I designed them with saddle makers in mind.