Use of a dremel for burnishing

[TwinOaks]

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.

[esantoro]

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

[Timd]

Sounds like the plan, Ed. Keep us informed.

[BigAlC]

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

[custer]

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.

[savage_here]

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

[Jordan]

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.

[pavilionpony]

Thank you Marlon and Mike. .

[esantoro]

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

[esantoro]

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