Finishing Edges with Hot Beeswax

[bob21804]

I've read a few references to using hot beeswax for finishing edges but haven't been about to find a tutorial or any details. Can anyone help?

Bob

[Halitech]

never heard of using hot beeswax. Be interesting to see what info comes out about it

[Dwight]

If you have an electric motor driven burnisher, . . . beeswax can do some super edges on holsters and belts.  

Now, . . . we're not talking that junk that is sold in hobby shops and is some kind of beeswax / petroleum mixture, . . . or any of that stuf.

We're talking the real stuff, . . . put a bit of water on the edge of that belt, . . . hit it on the burnisher, . . . turn it light tan by pressure, . . . that warms it up a bit, . . . then rub the wax on the belt edge just so you can see littlt globules of wax here and there on the edge of the belt, . . . then go back to the burnisher.  

Whew, . . . should be shining like a silver dollar now.

Least ways that's how I do it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Halitech]

ok, that's basically what I do now but I was thinking maybe he was talking about heating the wax first before doing anything with it.

[bob21804]

43 minutes ago, Halitech said:

ok, that's basically what I do now but I was thinking maybe he was talking about heating the wax first before doing anything with it.

 

1 hour ago, Dwight said:

If you have an electric motor driven burnisher, . . . beeswax can do some super edges on holsters and belts.  

Now, . . . we're not talking that junk that is sold in hobby shops and is some kind of beeswax / petroleum mixture, . . . or any of that stuf.

We're talking the real stuff, . . . put a bit of water on the edge of that belt, . . . hit it on the burnisher, . . . turn it light tan by pressure, . . . that warms it up a bit, . . . then rub the wax on the belt edge just so you can see littlt globules of wax here and there on the edge of the belt, . . . then go back to the burnisher.  

Whew, . . . should be shining like a silver dollar now.

Least ways that's how I do it.

May God bless,

Dwight

 

43 minutes ago, Halitech said:

ok, that's basically what I do now but I was thinking maybe he was talking about heating the wax first before doing anything with it.

Dwight, thanks for sharing your process. I do have some pure beeswax and I recently picked up a mini bench grinder with a polishing wheel, thinking I might be able to use it for edges. I also have a larger polishing wheel that I've used for other things, such as shining up metalwork. I don't have an electric burnisher designed for leatherwork, and I really don't know the difference, but i'll start looking at those as I have time. Can you (or anybody) tell me the difference?

Daryl, If I remember right, I think I saw a YouTube video a while ago, where the guy did used  melted/liquefied beeswax (I believe mixed with paraffin) to finish edges. I really don't remember the details, and have no idea if this is a good method or not. Maybe other experienced leatherworkers will shed some more light. And of course, a bit of experimentation can't be a bad thing.

Bob

Edited May 12, 2016 by bob21804

[wlg190861]

Here is a burnisher for leather

[bob21804]

1 hour ago, wlg190861 said:

Here is a burnisher for leather

Thanks! I was already aware of that type. In fact I have a buddy making me one in exchange for a small leather case. We're thinking about making it with a piece of Bakelite. I thought there was also another, motorized type, with a type of cloth wheel. Am I totally off base with that?? And do you think Bakelite would be a good material for one similar to the one you pictured?

[JMWendt]

So I've used beeswax . . . used it exclusively for years before I used a burnishing wheel.  Still use it with the wheel, not as often.  I was just using a canvas sheet to burnish for many years.

Pure beeswax works fine.  You should burnish, wax, then burnish again.

Heating the edges with a heat gun after you've applied the wax soaks the wax back into the leather and removes the burnish, so don't do that.  Pre-heating the wax a bit before rubbing is effective, however.

Do any dyeing or coloration you want PRIOR to the beeswax or you won't get good absorption of the dye into the edge.  The wax blocks dyes.

[Mongo]

A mix of 50/50 beeswax and paraffin with a power burnisher has worked well for me.  I use wool felt washers that have been stacked together on a bolt for burnishing.

[chapelstone]

Can you post a picture of the wool felt washers on the bolt. Can it be rigged up on something to fit a drimmel?