Can't Get The Edges To Burnish Like Glass

[CoteCraftworks]

I am making items for sale and I want to burnish the edges so they reflect like glass. I sand the edges with a 150 grit paper, dye, then use gum trag and a wooden burnisher. They look ok but not like I want them. I've made sheaths that I was able to burnish to a high gloss using the above steps. What am I doing wrong?

[Chain]

Forget the gum trag and try candle wax (paraffin wax),

Dye the edge or use a black marker pen like I do

Lightly rub the candle along the edge

Burnish with your burnisher

Reapply if needed

See how that goes, practice on some scrap

[electrathon]

I like glycerin saddle soap, dislike gum trag.

Dampen the edge, rub with soap, rub briskly with denim or canvas.

[rWHrK]

I've been using 250 grit sandpaper and then 400 grit for a really smooth edge, gum trag to slick and smooth, beeswax to seal and fill any crevices where the trag might separate, and then a couple coats of atom wax. I've found this gives me the smoothest results. I had issues hand burnishing edges before since you have to either apply pressure or go really really fast to get enough friction to get enough heat, and that either tires your hand quite fast or will push your edges over, but after I bought a little Dremel and wood burnisher attachment my edges are turning out great.

[Bolt Vanderhuge]

I use glycerin/dish soap and a powered cocobolo burnisher before dying the edge. Then after dying I use smooth plastic pen. Then I rub paraffin wax and use the pen again. After the whole project is finished I put Renasaince wax on it which really gives a nice finish on an already smooth finish.

[CoteCraftworks]

Thanks for the help. I'll have to purchase some items to try these. First thing is to find the Dremel burnisher, that will save my arms!

[Bolt Vanderhuge]

I have not bought any from this site yet but I have it bookmarked so I can soon. The one I have been using I got off of Ebay.

http://leatherburnishers.com/Burnishers-for-Dremel.html

Edited December 31, 2015 by Bolt Vanderhuge

[gmace99]

Use pearl glue / hide glue put it on the edge let it go almost dry and rub.

[Fowlingpiece]

+1 hide glue

[Nuttish]

Has anyone tried PVA glue? I wonder if it would give as durable a finish as gloss acrylic and be more easily workable (no sanding/heat burnishing).

[CoteCraftworks]

I tried using finer sand paper since I already have it and it made a HUGE difference! I burnished the edge just using water after sanding with 400 grit and it looks beautiful. Regardless of the materials that I end up using to seal I'll use 150 grit to shape then go to 250 and 400 by hand to get the leather smooth. I'm picking up some saddle soap this weekend! Thanks for the tips, I had no idea there were so many different options.

[imstephenjones]

For a cheaper setup I would recommend finding a used drill press on Craigslist, purchasing a burnishing wheel from leatherburnishers.com, and use an oil dye.

It's really simple and gives a very clean, glassy finish. I find that the more compounds you throw at it the less amusing of a process it is.

My newest setup is a VSB burnished from Campbell-Randall, and all I have to do is put a colored wax on the wheel and apply it to the edges.

If you have a budget of $100, you can definitely make my first suggestion work for you. I wish I could recommend the Dremel attachment, but I have not used it. It seams like it would be harder to control because you would have to hold both the piece being burnished and the Dremel at the same time.

Best of luck!

[Underset]

Seiwa leather finish, aka tokonol works perfect. Used it for buffalo belt, for flesh side and edges. Amazing.

[grimmlin]

On what little I've done so far, I've had pretty good success with fine grit (I finish with 400 grit), water and a piece of canvas. The only down side is its exhausting. I can't seem to get that really glossy finish if I use the saddle soap I bought. I have a wood slicker in the mail on the slow boat from China. I hope it makes the process easier, if I had known it was coming from China I wouldn't have ordered it, one thing I hate about Amazon now.

[chiefjason]

For a cheaper setup I would recommend finding a used drill press on Craigslist, purchasing a burnishing wheel from leatherburnishers.com, and use an oil dye.

To expand on this, I prep my edges, dye with Pro Oil Black, and go straight to the burnisher. I use a hole master burnisher in a drill press. Before I seal everything I run a 50/50 compound of beeswax/parafin wax over the edges with my fingers. Hit any tough spots with an old toothbrush. Then seal. Works quite well. If you want glassy smooth I would suggest going to higher grit sandpapers too. I quit doing it for a while but I'm going to get back to it.

[nailheamatt]

depending on how good of a job i want to do, i cut edges flat with a nail file or sanding drum on dremel.  bevel.  then sand 400.  then 600.  then burnish with just water and canvas.  dye at this point if you are done sanding.  i use a Q-tip to dye edges.  then burnish with gum trag and then burnish wax with canvas and polish with a soft sock.  everyone uses wooden burnishing sticks and powertools to burnish but theres really no reason to ever use those.  you're just increasing chance of edges mushrooming, and then you have to go backwards a step.    youll get better results with denim or canvas.  if you want a glass mirror smooth finish... after i burnish with water after the 600, and the surface feels nice and tight from the water burnish, i will then polish with 2000 grit (dye after that but dye may not penetrate well with the edge burnished that tight and fine, but can also make a nice dye look regardless like that.)  only gum trag after dye or dye doesnt stick well.  you can always sand the gum trag applied areas back and start over so its never set in stone.  bottom line, is the finer you polish the edges with sand paper, the more glossy and smooth your edges are going to be.  burnishing with a power tool isnt a short cut to sanding if you want extremely nice results

[Handstitched]

G'Day, we all have our own way of doing things, this is mine. This is just a simple phone case.  After I've sanded the edges on a bench sander, I  bevel & dye the edges, and....while its still a bit damp... I burnish  the edges with my wood handled beveller, (with a bit of  ' elbow grease' ) . The curves are just the perfect shape, also good for tight corners etc. .  Then  I finish with a bit of boot polish...yep...boot polish , a quick brush &  buff by hand ,  and thats it. 

Its by no means ' like glass', but its pretty shiny,  and more than an acceptable finish , and I'm happy with that  

I sometimes use a plastic slicker, and even a plastic component from a roller door, but the wood handle works best for me.  When there are multiples of product to make, and time is of the essence , I came up with a quick and easy method . 

HS

 

[paloma]

If you ask 1,000 people you will get 1,000 different opinions and ways of doing things. Personally, I use a method as old as the world, and that has proven itself at a time when we didn't know all these chemicals for leather.
Once I have sanded my slices with 500 paper on a wooden wedge, and after burnishing wet,I apply tragacante gum, and sand again with 500 paper when dry,, then I apply the gum again and sand with 1000 paper, then I apply my beeswax/carnuba wax and polish and do this as long as it doesn't shine like a mirror.

 

Edited November 14, 2020 by paloma

[tsunkasapa]

Just damp the edges with plain old water and burnish with canvas. MAYBE a touch of beeswax.

[Rahere]

I'll add Proops Brothers on Etsy, bucause they're an Aladin's Cave of specialist tools.

[fredk]

Proops sells on ebay as well, under the name spoorp

[Handstitched]

On 11/15/2020 at 11:00 AM, tsunkasapa said:

Just damp the edges with plain old water and burnish with canvas. MAYBE a touch of beeswax.

Couldn't be easier than that eh ?  I burnish  the edges straight after I've dyed them  and while the dye is still damp , and finish with a bit of boot polish to make them all nice & pretty  , simple , its pretty routine for me now.   When theres multiples of product, theres not much time  to fiddle about . 

HS

[paloma]

On 11/15/2020 at 4:00 AM, tsunkasapa said:

Just damp the edges with plain old water and burnish with canvas. MAYBE a touch of beeswax.

Does it also work with new water?

[jcuk]

1 hour ago, paloma said:

Does it also work with new water?

Don't know but you may want to try this, you never know that's why it might be called smart water.

https://www.aqua-amore.com/shop/glaceau-smartwater-plastic-bottle-24x600ml/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoIblwbaJ7QIVmp3VCh1s9wkxEAQYAiABEgKSifD_BwE

JCUK

[paloma]

29 minutes ago, jcuk said:

Don't know but you may want to try this, you never know that's why it might be called smart water.

https://www.aqua-amore.com/shop/glaceau-smartwater-plastic-bottle-24x600ml/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoIblwbaJ7QIVmp3VCh1s9wkxEAQYAiABEgKSifD_BwE

JCUK

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