Gum Tragacanth - What it is and how to use it.

[cmantz]

Get rid of the Gum Trag man - it's just a glue. Glycerin Saddle Soap is all you need and you'll have a hard edge that's actually smooth and not just glued down to look like it.

What form of the saddle soap do you use? bar, paste or do you mix with water? do you burnish while still wet? Will this work with a wood burnishing stick?

I am still struggling with edges. I have tried the Fiebings Burnishing ink. Seems to work ok...but it doesn't seem to give good even color on the edges (I am using the dk brown). I have been playing with the gum trag for more of a natural edge. Also tried glycerin followed by parafin but that produced a "sticky" edge which didn't seem like it would hold up well as compared to the gum trag edge.

I have a bar of the Fiebings saddle soap...need to get it out and give it a go.

Also, for those with the cocobolo wood burnishers..is there a technique that produces better results? ie: faster vs slower speed on the drill press; move leather in one direction vs short back and forth strokes; do you want the burnisher to turn INTO the edge or AWAY from the edge?

[Tverd]

On 6/13/2013 at 5:01 PM, cmantz said:

What form of the saddle soap do you use? bar, paste or do you mix with water? do you burnish while still wet? Will this work with a wood burnishing stick?

Read this manual about finishing edges with saddle soap from Bob Park

Bobby Finishing Edges.pdf

Edited November 1, 2021 by Northmount
Replaced missing file

[Cyberthrasher]

I use Fiebing's bar and just rub it over my edge without water then go over it with my dremel burnisher. I'm not sure about the preferred speed on the drill press model. I set mine to about 15, sometimes 10 if it's already pretty smooth. The key is that you should have a fairly smooth edge already. Sometimes I need to take some 400 grit sand paper to it to smooth it out. If I'm working with a really fleshy piece, I've been known to go over it with some 220 first, followed by 400. It may seem like extra work, but it's really not that long. The last couple guitar straps I did only required a light run down with 400 grit (5 minutes tops) followed by burnishing with the saddle soap. Have a look here and see if this answers any questions about the use of the burnishers.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160404033410/http://leatherburnishers.com/BurnisherFAQ.html

try to maintain a single direction since you're laying the fibers down, preferably following the grain pattern if you can spot it. That said, I do go back and forth in short bursts (about 6 inch lengths) at first and then follow through with one more full length run in the same direction. But, if things are getting rough or just not laying down right, it's time to make sure to only go in one direction.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Northmount
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[Bobbybaby23]

What to use to remove gum tragacanth from veg tanned dyed leather belt. 

 

[battlemunky]

A rag? I don't know if you'll get all of it off but I've never had a problem leaving it on, just don't burnish it or else you'll end up with a shiny spot.

[rustyj58]

I have actually used Gum Trag as a final finish and it worked great. Yes, it is very shiny but looks and performs wonderfully so far.

[ke6cvh]

I know this is an old thread.......but check out this video with a Rafflenbeul ms200 at the 45 second point they are mixing it with water and adding it to the thread bath.  Any comments on using it as an additive into the thread bath?  Best regards, Mike  

 

[paloma]

i use it very often ( i mixed it with carnuba wax) and i am very glad with the results i obtain with it,

 

[Matt S]

4 hours ago, ke6cvh said:

I know this is an old thread.......but check out this video with a Rafflenbeul ms200 at the 45 second point they are mixing it with water and adding it to the thread bath.  Any comments on using it as an additive into the thread bath?

I used to have a J&R SD28, an old sole stitcher. Th manual recommended gum trag in the thread bath (for linen thread). It made a mess, and other than lubricating the thread a little I'm not sure it had any positive effect. Perhaps my bottle of gum trag was the problem.

I've never had a good effect using it for burnishing, there are plenty of better, cheaper, faster options out there -- many of which are available in your local hardware store.

[ke6cvh]

I have a couple Singer no 2's.  One is an "Imperial" and I'm in the process of verifying the other is also.  Here is a quote from the needlebar.org manual for the Singer model 2/3 user's guide.  Lead oxide mixed with linseed oil?  Likely I bet it works darned good just don't breathe the stuff.  "For stitching patent leather and other materials which are hard and difficult or perforation, the Imperial Machines are used. They are furnished with an iron cup, to hold a drying oil. Boiled linseed oil, prepared with litharge in the manner used by painters, is the proper oil for this purpose. The effect of thus oiling the thread is, to prevent heating the needle, and to make the stitching of leather as rapid and easy as cloth sewing. The silk twist, after being oiled, rapidly dries, and is left with its surface as smooth and perfect as if no oil had been used – and the firmness of the seam is improved by it."

[Matt S]

2 hours ago, ke6cvh said:

I have a couple Singer no 2's.  One is an "Imperial" and I'm in the process of verifying the other is also.  Here is a quote from the needlebar.org manual for the Singer model 2/3 user's guide.  Lead oxide mixed with linseed oil?  Likely I bet it works darned good just don't breathe the stuff.  "For stitching patent leather and other materials which are hard and difficult or perforation, the Imperial Machines are used. They are furnished with an iron cup, to hold a drying oil. Boiled linseed oil, prepared with litharge in the manner used by painters, is the proper oil for this purpose. The effect of thus oiling the thread is, to prevent heating the needle, and to make the stitching of leather as rapid and easy as cloth sewing. The silk twist, after being oiled, rapidly dries, and is left with its surface as smooth and perfect as if no oil had been used – and the firmness of the seam is improved by it."

Sounds like linseed with "dryers" to me, often sold as "boiled" linseed in North America though I think it's not permitted over here. I once read a recommendation to use linseed on dry linen thread in a BUSM/Pearson 6 (heavy harness stitcher). Similar purposes.

I'd love to see some pics of your Singer No2s!

[robs456]

On 7/5/2019 at 4:22 PM, Matt S said:

there are plenty of better, cheaper, faster options out there

Right now experimenting with CMC (synthetic Gum Trag) and I can't find anything cheaper per liter. I'm sure there are better things out there but CMC gives a lot of bang for your bucks. 

[Matt S]

1 hour ago, robs456 said:

Right now experimenting with CMC (synthetic Gum Trag) and I can't find anything cheaper per liter. I'm sure there are better things out there but CMC gives a lot of bang for your bucks. 

In no particular order I've had more success than with gum tragacanth burnishing with: gum arabic, wallpaper paste, white PVA glue, spirit dye, spit/saliva, industrial alcohol, Sharpie, diluted clear acrylic, shellac/French polish, water based varnish, glycerine hand soap, plain tap water, paste saddle soap, those clear glue pens kids use... the effectiveness of any of them depends on technique and the individual piece (tannage, finish, each individual hide and sometimes even where in each hide it comes from). Can't say I've ever tried CMC and I don't know how cheap it is, but plenty of these options are free or nearly free.

[bermudahwin]

Based on everything else tanners and curriers used historically, there should be a record somewhere.