How To Get Rid Of The Fuzzys No Back Of A Hide

[walletman]

Hi All

i am makeing some satchel type bags

and was wonting to know how to flaten out the fuzzys on the back of hides

can i use corn (flour) starch and buff it up

i use corn (flour)starch mixed with a drop or 2 of water to burnish my edges can use it on the back of the hides?

and how would i polish /buff crome tan hide to make it shiney in stead of matt finish?

thancks for all your replies in advanes

bob walletman

[MakerUnknown]

I was reading the thread about where people buy their leather and one response sent me to the RJF Leather site. On it they offer ...

Gum Flesh available, hand slicked the old fashioned way

I think this might be what you're looking for but since I don't know anything about it I'm hoping someone here can explain the process.

[mikesmith648]

the best way to get rid of the "fuzzies" is to not buy from Tandy!!

[Cyberthrasher]

I get some cheaper sides on occassion that have quite a bit of fuzz and string hanging from the softer areas of the belly. Shave it, sand it, then slick it (I use water and a slicker)

[leatherworm]

Walletman,Cyberthrasher and I are somewhat on the same page as far as removing the fuzzies from the leather you're working on. This is the basic process I use for all my leather creations. Now, I may use leather of a different grade and from a different source so, experiment with a piece of the leather first. I use an aluminum block 4" x 2" x 1/2 " just because that was what I had. I then glue a piece of P-400 grain wet or dry sand paper to it. That fits my needs, you may need a rougher or finer grain. After I have cut/shaped/sized my leather for say, a leather bracelet or a belt blank, I lay it flat and I sand both sides, then I sand the both sides & I sand the edges in a bevel fashion untill its all as smooth as I want it to be and I do this on dry leather. This leaves you with a surface that will give you a clean result when carving on it, sharp furrows etc. The smooth surface accepts/absorbs your dye or leather paint evenly and results in a nice, shinny surface. Basically, is like painting your house, clean and smooth the surface. Sanding will also bring to the surface any blemishes in your leather you may not have noticed and it removes any MFG coverings. You can remove any powdery residue with a hand vacuum, etc. No, I can't say this works on every piece of leather as I basically, use veggie tan leather, but it suits my needs. Wishing you success in your efforts

Edited March 13, 2013 by leatherworm

[Andrew Chee]

When you're doing large pieces like in bags, it gets a little difficult to finish the flesh side since there's such a wide area to cover. You can try Gum Tragacanth on the flesh side and then burnish it down but then again, there's just such a large area to cover. Sanding doesn't really work in my experience. It just makes more fuzzies. You can try lining the inside of your bag. More work but a much more finished look.

I buy my leather from Wickett & Craig. The nice thing is that they can refinish the flesh sides for you. I have them split the leather, stake it, and then buff the flesh side so it minimizes the fuzzies. They can also paste the flesh side as well but I've never tried that. Just a thought for future projects.

Andrew

[electrathon]

The better the leather quality the better the back is, usually. It is amazing how good the back of quality leather looks. At a glance it looks like the front side. I can buy Herman Oak leather in TR grade from Oregon Leather for less money than Tandy sells their hides for. TR (low quality) Herman Oak is superior in quality to Tandy premium. If you want to spend more they have even better quality.

The time you waste trying to fix the quality control issues is hard to justify when you can buy better quality for less money.

[leatherworm]

electrathon, you are correct & I'm sure we all agree with you and sometimes its just a matter of economics. That & making due with what we can afford especially, during a learning stage. Thanks for the tip on that Herman Oak leather source, I will visit them.

[Cyberthrasher]

The time you waste trying to fix the quality control issues is hard to justify when you can buy better quality for less money.

All the sides differ though. Yes, a cheap HO is going to be better than the expensive stuff elsewhere. But, the cheap HO isn't without it's downsides too. So far I've purchased two "craftsman" grade HO sides from Springfield. One had a beautiful grain and nappy back (percentage wise, not all of it) where the other one has a grain side with something to be desired and a fairly solid flesh side - minus a few soft spots in the belly region. But, the "B" grade they sell is always good on either side.

I should add that the one with the stringy flesh side had a grain like the "B" and tools beautifully - just needs a little TLC on the flesh. Yeah, I've been a victim of economics a few times and had to cheap out. Regardless, it's all good leather and just better suited for different things. It got me by until I had the cash in my accounts to refresh my good stock.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Cyberthrasher

[electrathon]

The last TR side I bought at Oregon leather was $120 if I remember correctly, pretty large side too. It was better quality than the premium top end sides at Tandy. Way less money than Tandy and way better quality. If you have a money shortage, it helps. If you want better quality it helps. There are times when Tandy is cheaper, tooling leather is not one of them, usually.

Edited March 13, 2013 by electrathon