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

[Cyberthrasher]

Luckily the only time I've ever had to put up with Tandy leather is when it came in my kit the first time I picked up the tools

[leatherworm]

I did visit Oregon Leather and was impressed with their site and ease of navigation. I looked around, but didn't have time to do a dry run to see what the shipping expense might be for a given item. I'll be going back as my leather supply dictates and I have learned from the comments on this Fuzzy," subject and appreciate all the comments. We can learn a lot when we listen. Thank You.

[electrathon]

I did visit Oregon Leather and was impressed with their site and ease of navigation.

Funny, I didn't know they had a website.

[leatherworm]

This is where I ended afther looking for Herman Oak leather...;

http://www.oregonleatherco.com/

[electrathon]

This is where I ended afther looking for Herman Oak leather...;

http://www.oregonleatherco.com/

That is them. The Portland store is a lot bigger. It looks like the site was built by someone at the Eugene store. Once you add shipping I am not sure how they compare to Springfield, I like the fact that I can walk in and buy it.

[leatherworm]

I realize we are drifting away somewhat from the How to get rid of the Fuzzies as the focal point, but I have this last comment regarding a leather source;

Yes, postage is always a consideration and we all know postage as well as the price of materials change like the weather. I don't care much for shopping as shopping as goes, but we can learn a lot by looking around. My wallet is under my personal protection.

Here is some contact information for Springfield Leather in Missouri. http://springfieldleather.com & email is ed@springfieldleather.com

I'm not advertising for anyone, just posting this for you use. I'm sure we have this listing somewhere, but I know the above is current.

[MojoGeorge]

I know that it has been awhile since this was posted, but i just finished watching a youtube video produced by Springfield Leather demonstrating the gum trag and glass method. Look it up, I think it will help,

[Harag]

I've used Tan Kote on the back of my leather recently, rubbed it in and then used the bone folder to slick it down and smoothed it out, left it overnight and now the back is really smooth.

As this is the first time I've ever done this, does anyone see a problem with using Tan Kote for the back as I can't get Gum Trag from my current supplier.

[particle]

This has worked for me several times in the past.... Clean off your work surface really well, then flip your hide over and pull out your orbital sander with 220 grit sandpaper and sand it really well. I've never gone any higher, but you probably could if you really wanted/needed to. Yes, it will make it "more" fuzzy, but it'll be more like suede, with much less of the longer stringy stuff. As you get closer to the belly, it's a little more difficult to get that suede look, but you should be able to get pretty close. This throws off a ton of leather dust, so you may want to keep a shop vac in your spare hand to suck up the airborne dust particles. When done sanding, brush gum trag on in small areas, rub in with your fingers, then smooth with a slicker.

Edited June 14, 2013 by particle

[Cyberthrasher]

If it's fuzzy, sand it, apply water with sponge, burnish with slicker (bone folder or glass) and then apply finish coat if you desire (especially if you're dying the back of something to be worn)