esantoro Report post Posted June 21, 2008 I read a while back about using a dremel to burnish edges. So, I decided to try one of the felt polishing wheels for the task, and was very pleased. The only thing I need to do is find a wider felt wheel and cut a rounded groove in it so that the felt wheel creates a rounded burnish instead of a flat burnish. Anyone have any tips for doing this or other attachments that allow using the Dremel for burnishing? Thanks. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted June 21, 2008 is it possible to buy 1/2" or 3/4" thick felt sheets from which I can cut my own cylinders for use with a dremel? Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timd Report post Posted June 21, 2008 Ed, try here: http://www.mcmaster.com/ just put felt in the search box Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted June 21, 2008 (edited) Ed, try here: http://www.mcmaster.com/ just put felt in the search box Thanks, Tim. That link is perfect. Now I just have to figure out what type of felt to get. McMaster also seems to the place where I should get single layer felt sheets for applying edge coating. I currently use thin polyester felt sheets from which I have to cut strips to be tripled over. The only problem with this polyester felt is that it gets a bit stringy rather quickly. ed Edited June 21, 2008 by esantoro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted June 22, 2008 While using the dremel can speed things up, I've found a downside to them. If you don't keep it moving, or reverse direction without lifting the tool, you can get a 'spotty' look. It's just where certain places are more burnished than others. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted June 22, 2008 I've ordered the F1 corded felt for burnishing and F7 felt sheets for applying dye and edge coating. I'm also looking into getting a hard wood burnisher to see if that helps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigprairie Report post Posted June 22, 2008 I've ordered the F1 corded felt for burnishing and F7 felt sheets for applying dye and edge coating. I'm also looking into getting a hard wood burnisher to see if that helps. I just found pre-shaped felt wheels at Lee Valley Tools. Try this link - these may be of use to you http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...t=1,43072,43080 Ron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HandyAndy Report post Posted June 22, 2008 I use one of the 1/4" thick felt polishers that I shaped with a 1/4" sanding drum. I put the polisher in the dremel and used it like a lathe while I held the sanding drum in-between my thumb & index finger to sand out the groove. Works great! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pavilionpony Report post Posted June 22, 2008 I use one of the 1/4" thick felt polishers that I shaped with a 1/4" sanding drum. I put the polisher in the dremel and used it like a lathe while I held the sanding drum in-between my thumb & index finger to sand out the groove. Works great! I apologize for sounding dumb, but what is burnishing? Is that smoothing the edges? I've never heard the word before. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rawhide Report post Posted June 22, 2008 I apologize for sounding dumb, but what is burnishing? Is that smoothing the edges? I've never heard the word before. Yes, burnishing is the act of heating the edge to fuse the fibers together for a smooth edge. It's also a term used in metalworking to give a highly polished surface. (P.S., no questions are dumb here. That's what the forum is for.) Marlon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted June 22, 2008 The surface of the leather can also be burnished to create shaded (not pear shaded) areas to help contrast elements of a project. The method I use to darken an area is to use an old t-shirt, single thickness, and briskly yet firmly rub the area. It kinda has the same effect as giving the leather a sun tan. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted June 22, 2008 Ed, try here: http://www.mcmaster.com/ just put felt in the search box Instead of going with 1/2" thick sheets and finding some kind of /2" diameter cookie cutter drill attachment, I ordered the 1/2" diameter F1 felt cord, thinking it would be easier to just cut off the desired length of 1/2" polishing wheel. I have no experience with felt cording. Does all the reasoning here seem sound, or will the F1 felt cording not do the job. According to all the specs -- hardndess, abrasion resistance, density, etc. -- F1 grade felt seems to be the way to go. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timd Report post Posted June 22, 2008 Sounds like the plan, Ed. Keep us informed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigAlC Report post Posted June 22, 2008 I've wondered about uses for a Dremel in Leathercraft. There was a post a few days ago about very small holes in a strap. When I make a hat band I use the Dremel to make tiny holes in the band so that the buckle fits real tight. It works for me. Has anybody out there got another odd use for this bit of kit? Regards Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
custer Report post Posted June 23, 2008 I managed to get someone to buy my husband a Dremel last Christmas, then I commandeered it for my own shop. I first used it on a holster where I needed to smooth up the sewn edges after sewing and before burnishing. I used the little sanding drum that came with it (don't let it rest in one spot for more than a split second) and really liked the way it turned out. Better than hand-sanding for tight spots. Then after some gum trag, I used the bare mandrel the burnish some of the tight areas I couldn't get into with a wheel, rub stick, or rub rag. Word of caution: the high speed will burn the leather instead of burnish if you don't keep the tool moving constantly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
savage_here Report post Posted June 25, 2008 I prefer to hand-burnish with a canvas type rag and my own mixture of gum trag, etc. , so that's all I do now. However, I did experiment quite a bit with machine burnishing particularly with a dremel type tool. What I found was that the regular dremel's are too fast to do a good job. I ended up using a rotary tool that had a foot pedal attachment and had the ability for much lower rpm's than the normal ones. I used a hardwood "spool" on the end that I made myself out of lignum vitae. I had different width spools and different shapes to produce more or less rounding of the edge. This produced the best results of everything I tried that was a power tool. But, as I said, in the end I prefer the look/feel/etc. of hand-burnishing. It takes longer and is more work, but I believe it's worth it. Savage Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jordan Report post Posted June 25, 2008 Foredom I think is the name of a very good setup, foot control, flex shaft and lots of attachments, dremel stuff works with it. Is a little pricey but is very good commercial grade tool. Used by guitar makers and woodworkers mostly. I have an old adjustable speed dremel that I use sometimes but I also like hand burnished on one offs. Production is another kettle of fish though, anything that can speedup the process and give good results is a good thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pavilionpony Report post Posted June 25, 2008 Thank you Marlon and Mike. . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted June 29, 2008 Sounds like the plan, Ed. Keep us informed. The F7 grade felt is better than craft polyester felt for applying dyes and finishes. The F1 grade corded felt is softer than the felt used on the polishing wheels for the Dremel. This may be a plus, as there is less of a chance for the felt to burn the leather at higher RPMs. The screw for the mandrel used for the Dremel felt polishing wheel is for a felt wheel that is 1/4" thick. I need to find a screw that is twice as long to accommodate a 1/2" thick wheel. I'm happy with the prospects and will report any updates. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted August 25, 2008 The F7 grade felt is better than craft polyester felt for applying dyes and finishes. The F1 grade corded felt is softer than the felt used on the polishing wheels for the Dremel. This may be a plus, as there is less of a chance for the felt to burn the leather at higher RPMs.The screw for the mandrel used for the Dremel felt polishing wheel is for a felt wheel that is 1/4" thick. I need to find a screw that is twice as long to accommodate a 1/2" thick wheel. I'm happy with the prospects and will report any updates. Ed Just got back from vacation and had to try immediately this Dremel setup for burnishing. I can't say that my experiments have been exhaustive, but it sure is worth using: get two washers and a longer screw to fit a half-inch thick burnishing wheel cut from F! grade corded felt. I'll have a better idea later today or tomorrow, when I put the setup to extended use. Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted September 24, 2008 Just got finished with some burnishing. The F1 grade corded felt works well for intricate situations. It's best to have at least 1/2" thick wheel, which requires the appropriate length screw for the mandrel. If you have a dremel or similar tool, this felt does work well. Not great but well. I suppose to make a great burnishing attachment one would have to make a small hardwood burnishing wheel. Time for more R&D. ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted October 8, 2008 Just got finished with some burnishing. The F1 grade corded felt works well for intricate situations. It's best to have at least 1/2" thick wheel, which requires the appropriate length screw for the mandrel. If you have a dremel or similar tool, this felt does work well. Not great but well. I suppose to make a great burnishing attachment one would have to make a small hardwood burnishing wheel. Time for more R&D. ed Just found this burnisher on Ebay. It's a larger version of what I've done with the dremel. http://cgi.ebay.com/Fantastic-Leather-Edge...id=p3911.c0.m14 If this link doesn't work, search on Ebay for "fantastic leather edge burnisher" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted October 11, 2008 Just found a metric 3 machine screw about 20 mm long to allow for a wider felt wheel for the dremel. Twenty mm was the longest I could get at Lowes or Home Depot. I could use a 25 mm or 30mm screw. Anyone know of a good source for hard-to-find screws? Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esantoro Report post Posted October 11, 2008 I spent hours today looking for the right size screw. Just now found this online site. Good price for the washers and screws I need. http://www.boltdepot.com ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JustWakinUp Report post Posted October 11, 2008 (edited) I use a dremmel on some of the lighter leathers when making straps for wallets etc. The leather on this one is chrome tan black pretty thin, maybe 1`.5oz and in the center is regular red suede. I feel that the edges come out rather nice with a dremmel. Here a few pics of the edges. **side note, i do not use felt, i use hardwood. Edited October 11, 2008 by JustWakinUp Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
