Amazon rotary burnisher

[Mattsbagger]

I'm looking at getting these. I know they are just cheap knock off style. Wondering if anyone has tried the like. Doing belts by hand is worse than sewing them by hand. Got no problem finishing by hand/touching up but would like to save a little pain.lol

[JerseyFirefighter]

Ive used the conical one for almost two years now attached to a harbor freight drill press. Does the job just fine. I do however feel like its time to upgrade a a burnisher with more thickness options as that one is missing the sweet spot for the leather I use so I end up jumping between widths to get a good burnish on my straps. 

[Mattsbagger]

Thanks. I figured for $22 for both it was worth a shot and even have prime so free shipping. 

[JLSleather]

I was gonna suggest just putting an oak dowel (available in about any hardware store or craft store) in teh chuck of the drill press and shaping with a file (surprising how easy that is when you turn the drill press on).

But for $22 and free shipping, maybe just order these already done.  Course, there's sometimes a downside to ordering stuff.. I gotta find out why those blue guns somehow went to CA .... when they should have been here today.

[Mattsbagger]

I get what your laying down about shipping. Always had good luck with Amazon and you. Others it can be a bit sketchy.lol That's why I don't like Ebay. 

[Matt S]

If this is like the one I bought years ago from Amazon to go on a dremel, I found it to be absolute dog toffee. Not well balanced, the radii are not what I needed, it's too slick to burnish properly. The shaft is so skinny (since it needs to fit a dremel chuck) that, having been made from mild steel threaded rod, it bends permanently with the application of moderate pressure. £10 wasted.

[Mattsbagger]

52 minutes ago, Matt S said:

If this is like the one I bought years ago from Amazon to go on a dremel, I found it to be absolute dog toffee. Not well balanced, the radii are not what I needed, it's too slick to burnish properly. The shaft is so skinny (since it needs to fit a dremel chuck) that, having been made from mild steel threaded rod, it bends permanently with the application of moderate pressure. £10 wasted.

Haha dog toffee. Oddly enough I'm a Matt S. also. My step daughter is a huge Dr. Who fan and found it hilarious when her mom started dating "The Dr." Sheri just moved back to Winchester from America to see how she like UK as an adult. It amazing how much my language has been affected by them. Sometimes I don't know if I mean chips, crisps or fries. Rambling on. Thanks for info.

[KeithHideWorks]

Yea these are shit. I bought a whole set and they are worthless. Thank god I used prime and was only out $20.

First off, Dremels sucks for burnishing. They just dont have the power unless you buy the super powered one, at for the cost you can build a pro burnisher.

Second, None of these are quality wood. They would catch pieces of debris, flake off and gouge my edges.  Buy a real burnisher like the one from Pro Burnishers, made of smooth as goose shit cocobolo.

http://www.proedgeburnishers.com/index.html

I bought a cheap used electric motor, a WEN grinder stand from amazon and a $50 Motor Burnisher (http://www.proedgeburnishers.com/motor-burnishers.html) and it is WAY WAY WAY better than using a dremel. Much quicker, smoother and better edges.  The wood is concentric and strait.

You could do the same with a drill press.   

[OLDNSLOW]

heck, if you could find a cheap pulley made out of steal or aluminuminum it would work as well don't really need no bolo wood, someone some where figured it worked and could make some cash and hasn't looked back ever since, really just find a good solid pulley it'll work.

[JLSleather]

17 hours ago, OLDNSLOW said:

someone some where figured it worked and could make some cash

Yep, cocobolo is purdy, but not any more effective.  Chunk of wood dowel (usually oak) works well, and I haven't used it but some folks go on about aluminum.

 

[Mattsbagger]

Great now I got to buy a drill press.lol My power tools are limited to a circular saw and a Sawzall oh and a cordless drill.

[OLDNSLOW]

Get yerself a 20% coupon from HF and then buy one of their cheap drill press and use it as a sander, buffer, burnisher and yould be good to go.  

[cradom]

Oddly enough I just bought one, with a coupon - $50something from Harbor Freight. Now just waiting on the drum sander and skirt chaser from ProBurnisher to come in.(the drum and burnisher actually cost more than the drill press)

[Mattsbagger]

K. Now this might be a stupid question..... Is it possible to just Chuck in the hand slicker/burnisher to a drill press? Shouldn't be to hard to get it in true. Option till you can get or make a "real" one?

[billybopp]

I've used the Tandy wood disk slicker with a mandrel bit in my dremel, and it works  .. I've also used the nylon one using a bolt and nut as a shaft in a drill.   They both work, but I like the pro edge burnisher in the dremel best.  I've been very tempted lately by one of these burnishers - the flat bottom with radiused corners just seems to make sense to me.  If I had a drill press and tools to do it, I might just try to make one myself.

Bill

[Mattsbagger]

1 hour ago, billybopp said:

I've used the Tandy wood disk slicker with a mandrel bit in my dremel, and it works  .. I've also used the nylon one using a bolt and nut as a shaft in a drill.   They both work, but I like the pro edge burnisher in the dremel best.  I've been very tempted lately by one of these burnishers - the flat bottom with radiused corners just seems to make sense to me.  If I had a drill press and tools to do it, I might just try to make one myself.

Bill

YA i watched the video on these are couple weeks ago. I see he has 2 styles rounded and flat.

[cradom]

1 hour ago, Mattsbagger said:

K. Now this might be a stupid question..... Is it possible to just Chuck in the hand slicker/burnisher to a drill press? Shouldn't be to hard to get it in true. Option till you can get or make a "real" one?

I don't recommend it, unless you have one you don't want anymore. No matter how much you try to center it, it will vibrate/chatter. Unless you're talking about the white plastic circle one like from Tandy? That should work.

 

[Mattsbagger]

Well I broke down and got the 8 inch harbor frieght drill press and a sanding drum kit. What is the best speed to run it for burnishing? I have one of the white plastic "slickers"/ pully.lol I put a 4 inch bolt and nuts and washers on it. I'm not worried about getting edges done fast just done well. This is about less pain than speed to me.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Mattsbagger
Grammer

[OLDNSLOW]

if it is for burnishing the edges anything up 1700 rpm is good I wouldn't go much faster than that.

[bikermutt07]

12 hours ago, Mattsbagger said:

Well I broke down and got the 8 inch harbor frieght drill press and a sanding drum kit. What is the best speed to run it for burnishing? I have one of the white plastic "slickers"/ pully.lol I put a 4 inch bolt and nuts and washers on it. I'm not worried about getting edges done fast just done well. This is about less pain than speed to me.

Run it till you hear twistin metal and broken glass....... Ha, my dad says that.

[Wulfing]

On the UK ebay site there is a 10 piece dremel burnishing kit for £16. All wooden and well made for different thickness leathers that fit onto dremel tools. It has a smooth burnisher aswell so you can burnish the back of the belt too.