URGENT HELP - Which edge paint polishing/buffing/brushing/sanding machine to use??

[johnnywalks]

Dear fellow leatherworkers, 

I have been following this forum for awhile, thank you all for the tips and information. I am about to have my first small order of 50 pieces of cardholder. I have been using edge paint from fenice or Giardini for my edges of leathergoods. Here I always sand the leather edge down first to even out, then apply a thin layer of edge paint. Next I follow up with the electric creaser acquired from Mando, flattening the paint applied and then i sand it down again and repeat this process. I need the final coat to be smooth and well finished like any luxury leathergoods makes out in the market. 

I have look around in search of buying a brushing/polishing machine. Omac, Sieck and Randall Campbell stock the following machines: 

http://www.omacsrl.com/products/finishing/polishing-machines/brushing-machine-sp200/

http://www.sieck.de/en/machines/leather-goods-manufacturing/details/5499/

 http://www.campbell-randall.com/machines/leather-goods-machines/burnishing-machines/model-vsb-burnishing-machine/

 

As these machines come with a hefty price tag, i am thinking of building my own to save cost, however with not much confidence as i am no electrician. I understand so far the motor has to be of the right rpm, horsepower, along with the required finishing wheel (felt, felt with 4 leather, etc). I am thinking either 900rpm or 1400rpm, 1 HP motor.  My questions are:

1) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110600633578?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Will this sort of motor work? how can i change the shaft/arbor to the right length and dimensions to fit AP size polishing wheels?? Should i use AP or LF wheels? What is the difference?

 

2) What about variable speed motor? It seems really hard to source one with an inverter and the price tag is pretty high.  Can i use a servo motor for sewing machine and convert it to be an edge finishing machine? Am based in the UK and these sewing machine servo motor seem to be a better price.  The only issue is how i can keep the servo motor spinning as we all know it has to be activated by a foot pedal. 

 

3) Which sort of wheel do i use for the final finish of the edge paint? cloth and 4 sheet of leather wheel, dense cloth wheel, felt wheel?

 

4) Vertical or horizontal mounting? I am thinking vertical and i can build a similar box in wood as those commercial ones mentioned in the links, but my question is the weight load of the motor.. what sort of mounting i should use etc.

 

Any experts, please help!! :((  

 

 

 

 

[eglideride]

Unsolicited reply from a hobbyist: 

> if this is urgent- you don't have time to build a machine prototype that might or might not meet your needs

> The machines you listed have factory warranty, support, spare parts availability etc. 

> the engineering has been done- they work! Proven technology - with many options.

> I would focus on your art, your work.

I like tinkering and experimenting- but I don't have any deadlines/expectations that "I" haven't set..

 

Just my opinion. 

 

[eglideride]

My home made rig- single speed.

Less than $100.00 invested

 

[johnnywalks]

5 minutes ago, eglideride said:

My home made rig- single speed.

Less than $100.00 invested

 

Thanks eglideride. What's the rpm of your motor? Do you use them to polish edge painting final coat and if so the results? It seems to me wood burnisher is for finishing veg tan leather without any edge paint. 

[eglideride]

Good call Johnnywalks!

That is how I have used it so far. I DO have leather wheel and a couple of other untried options (paper and wool wheels - who knows?) for edge paint. I just put this together recently.

Harbor Freight buffer motor- 3400 RPM I believe,  with a cast iron stand mounted on 4 x 4's for noise reduction. Spalted maple burnisher turned by a friend of mine. 

So important question: Johnny Walker Black? Red? you don't mention where you are from...Tennessee? Kentucky...or just a fan? 

[JMWendt]

I took a 1 hp capacitor start motor off an old air compressor in my shed and mounted it on my work bench, wired it to a 120v wall switch also mounted on my bench and then plugged that to the wall socket.  I used a burnisher I got off Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Motor-Burnisher/dp/B00JI645PS?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage -- great item, by the way).

The thing is awesome.  3400 rpm is perfect.  I thought about setting it up for variable speed, but with a cap start motor, this was not an option.  The static speed of 3400 rpm is perfect anyway.  Glad I didn't bother.

Total cost-- the cost of the burnisher, around fifty bucks.  The best part is how smoothly the thing runs.  Perfect burnishing every time too.  It's made me realize what crappy work I used to produce.

[Dwight]

Good job JMWendt, . . . mine is along the same lines, . . . I just made my burnisher myself, . . . mounted it to the motor, . . . turned the motor on, . . . then took various files to the piece of wood to get the grooves I wanted, . . . works like a champ.

Part of the lure of leather work to me, . . . it is simply the opportunity to be creative in how one does things, . . . not like a machine shop where dedicated and precisely demanded equipment is necessary.

May God bless,

Dwight

[JMWendt]

2 hours ago, Dwight said:

Good job JMWendt, . . . mine is along the same lines, . . . I just made my burnisher myself, . . . mounted it to the motor, . . . turned the motor on, . . . then took various files to the piece of wood to get the grooves I wanted, . . . works like a champ.

Part of the lure of leather work to me, . . . it is simply the opportunity to be creative in how one does things, . . . not like a machine shop where dedicated and precisely demanded equipment is necessary.

May God bless,

Dwight

I really like that cocobolo.  It's so slick.  I previously used a piece of pine that was hand grooved.  Compared to that, this thing is like butter to sand.  

[johnnywalks]

19 hours ago, eglideride said:

Good call Johnnywalks!

That is how I have used it so far. I DO have leather wheel and a couple of other untried options (paper and wool wheels - who knows?) for edge paint. I just put this together recently.

Harbor Freight buffer motor- 3400 RPM I believe,  with a cast iron stand mounted on 4 x 4's for noise reduction. Spalted maple burnisher turned by a friend of mine. 

So important question: Johnny Walker Black? Red? you don't mention where you are from...Tennessee? Kentucky...or just a fan? 

Thanks mate, this gives me more confidence to build my own and find my feel of the DIY. Am based in United Kingdom actually, use to have Johnnywalker as a client/sponsor years ago hence the name. lolol.  

I read somewhere that to buff acrylic (which we assume has the closest melt properties to edge paint). Measure the 'Surface Feet Per Minute' at around 1400 - 4000. - Take 1/4 of the wheel diameter, then times the rpm of the motor. 

Example: 1/4 of 8" wheel diameter = 2 x 1400rpm = 2800rpm. 

It should be within that range to avoid overworking/melting. Hope to share this knowledge to anyone who is into the math solution.   Looks like i will go with 1400 rpm and give it a shot.

Edited May 9, 2016 by johnnywalks
typo

[johnnywalks]

7 hours ago, JMWendt said:

I took a 1 hp capacitor start motor off an old air compressor in my shed and mounted it on my work bench, wired it to a 120v wall switch also mounted on my bench and then plugged that to the wall socket.  I used a burnisher I got off Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Motor-Burnisher/dp/B00JI645PS?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage -- great item, by the way).

The thing is awesome.  3400 rpm is perfect.  I thought about setting it up for variable speed, but with a cap start motor, this was not an option.  The static speed of 3400 rpm is perfect anyway.  Glad I didn't bother.

Total cost-- the cost of the burnisher, around fifty bucks.  The best part is how smoothly the thing runs.  Perfect burnishing every time too.  It's made me realize what crappy work I used to produce.

Thanks JMWent. I was just very afraid the rpm of 3400 will melt the edge paint too easily. I may go with 1400 rpm to slow it down. 

But i am glad to hear that single speed does the trick and made the difference in your work. I guess i have to stick to my guts to go with DIY at 1400rpm and upgrade to a tried and tested manufacturing brand in the near future if need to.  

 

My only worry is that at 1400 rpm i may not be able to burnish with wood for veg tan leather. I guess i'll take it one step at a time. 

Edited May 9, 2016 by johnnywalks