jwt Report post Posted November 25, 2012 I'm not happy with the rein rounders available for purchase and I'm in the process of designing my own. I'd like to hear suggestions for a material to use (or avoid) for the body of the tool that will be contacting the leather. I can use pretty much anything I'd like but I'm leaning towards one of the following: Marble Oak Brass Stainless steel Thanks in advance for your advice. jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted November 25, 2012 Steel all the way. Marble is to brittle. Brass is soft enough to nick up pretty easy. The grain is coarse in oak and wood just doesn't work very well. Or it didn't when i tried some cherry. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted November 25, 2012 I would argue that cherry is too soft to work. Oak or Walnut are hard enough, but the grain is too open and course to be work right. It would end up scratching or tearing the leather. If you can locate some Cocobolo or Lignum Vitae board that is about 3/4" thick or so, it would be a good start. Those woods are very dense, hard, and strong. They will polish up very nicely and should be capable of taking the abuse you give it by forcing strips of leather through it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted November 25, 2012 Another vote for steel although I did have an unmarked brass one that was pretty and looks to have held up surprisingly well. If you are making your own, the hinge is critical to not have any play in it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jwt Report post Posted November 26, 2012 Steel all the way. Marble is to brittle. Brass is soft enough to nick up pretty easy. The grain is coarse in oak and wood just doesn't work very well. Or it didn't when i tried some cherry. I hadn't considered what effect the wood grain might have on the leather. Thanks for mentioning that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mlapaglia Report post Posted November 27, 2012 Also consider that Cocobolo has an oil that leaches out of the wood for a while. It can stain the leather. I had it happen when I laid a piece of cocobolo on top of a scrap of leather over night. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted November 27, 2012 I guess you just don't leave your leather hanging out of the rounder overnight. All joking aside, it's good information to keep in mind, but as long as it isn't being left in there for extended periods of time it should present no problems for normal use. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jwt Report post Posted November 27, 2012 Thanks again for the feedback. I'm going to prototype it out of steel this weekend. It's easier for me to work with metal than wood so I'll stick with what I know -- plus I've got a bunch of bar stock lying around. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woodyrock Report post Posted November 27, 2012 I would use a free cutting stainless steel, or Monel. Vignam Vitae would cost more than the Monel, and it like the Coco bola is oily. My first one was made form a dense New Zealand wood that was not oily, and worked quite well. After boring the holes, I turned stock of a very dense wood to fit tight in each hole, and burnished the holes. Woody Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kulafarmer Report post Posted December 21, 2015 I would use a free cutting stainless steel, or Monel. Vignam Vitae would cost more than the Monel, and it like the Coco bola is oily. My first one was made form a dense New Zealand wood that was not oily, and worked quite well. After boring the holes, I turned stock of a very dense wood to fit tight in each hole, and burnished the holes. Woody I know this post is old but going to try anyway,,,, When you made the wood rounder, Two pieces of wood clamped together then drill the holes? And what sort of hinge arrangement? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woodyrock Report post Posted December 21, 2015 I did clamp two pieces together, with light saw kerfs where the holes were to be bored so the drill bits would follow true. First with a small drill bit, then larger by steps. The hinge was an old cast iron one I found in a second hand shop. The wooden one worked as well as the iron one I now have. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cradom Report post Posted December 21, 2015 Had to look this one up... Why does this remind me of a tubing flaring tool? Would that work if the right size? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
impulse Report post Posted December 23, 2015 crandom I have converted a tubing flaring tool simply by filing the holes smooth. Works very well. Cheers, Lois Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LumpenDoodle2 Report post Posted December 23, 2015 Had to look this one up... Why does this remind me of a tubing flaring tool? Would that work if the right size? I was thinking the same thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
koreric75 Report post Posted October 16, 2018 On 12/23/2015 at 5:23 AM, LumpenDoodle2 said: I was thinking the same thing. ditto...sorry old post but someone is looking for one, i have a flaring tool so i'll give it a go since it's been years since i've done brake lines or any flaring Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
