badger Report post Posted January 6, 2009 I'm fitting out my new work room and I bought a combination belt/disc sander for sanding edges. Same as in the pic. I hardly used the disc at all on my old one, just the belt. I got to thinking and thought I'd use it to make a super stropping disc. I removed the table and the paper sanding disc, cut a 150mm circle out of 3-4 Ounce veg tan and double side-taped it in place. I gave it a good hammering to be sure it was well stuck and very flat. I then took a piece of red jeweller's rouge and fed the leather with it while the disc was running. The friction generated enough heat to melt the rouge into the leather. I rubbed it nice and flat with a leather scrap while still at full speed. I use a standard utility knife, but with an Irwin 'Blue blade', for almost all my cutting. I gently rested the blade at the appropriate angle to the downward side of the running disc and let it do it's thing. Instant mirror edge! I cut a piece of 5-6 Ounce veg tan to test it. I thought I'd only scored the surface, but I'd gone right through. So, I spent the morning sharpening and stropping all my tools If anyone has an idle disc, this is a great way to make a labour saving strop. Cheers, Karl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Greywynd Report post Posted January 6, 2009 (edited) Careful now, you'll have every piece of leather you have cut into little tiny pieces before you know it!! Edited January 6, 2009 by Greywynd Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Randy Cornelius Report post Posted January 6, 2009 What is even better is make a leather belt for the belt sander and put your rouge on it. That is what I have done and it works very well to power strop all your knives. When you make the belt, over lap the ends at least 2" and skive them down to a feather edge and cement them together. I make my belts out of splits. When I order leather from W&C and have the thickness split, once in awhile I have them send the split piece and that is what I use to make belts for my sander. The last one has lasted over a year now. Randy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badger Report post Posted January 6, 2009 I had another idea. I wanted something to strop the inside of the blade, inside the groove, on my edgers. I bought a dead cheap little junior hacksaw, removed the blade and replaced it with a piece of string.... tensioned between the blade slots. I rubbed some chrome polish paste into the tightened string and then drew it briskly through the notches of the edgers toward the tip, polishing the inside edge of the blades. They are super sharp now. Mad stropping day, I guess Cheers, Karl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKRay Report post Posted January 6, 2009 Mad stropping day, I guess I reckon its that hat... warm up the brain too much and you never know what might happen... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timbo Report post Posted January 7, 2009 Thanks for sharing this Karl!!! I also have a disc sander that is unused.......but will soon be put to good use. It is hard to tell from the pic but is it flesh side or grain side out?? I wonder if regular sanding disk glue will hold it on there. Hell, I wonder if Barge will hold in on there?? Guess I'll just have to find out. Thanks again!!! Tim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badger Report post Posted January 7, 2009 Hi Tim, The disc is grain side out, needs to be smooth. I used double sided tape, it's plenty strong enough. You could use any contact adhesive, I'm sure Barge would work. I would get a scrap piece of leather(grain side to grain side) to protect the stropping surface and hammer the hell out of it with a smooth faced mallet to get it well glued and as flat as possible. I burnished the edge of my leather disc, so there's no chance of catching it on anything. The machine in the picture turns the disc anti-clockwise. You need to make sure the blade you're stropping is on the downward side of the disc (the left on this machine) or it could catch the blade and propel it upward.... at your face. Nasty. You need hardly any pressure if the leather is fed with rouge, just rest the piece gently against the disc. I just top it up by feeding with a small amount of automotive chrome polish paste before I use it. It works really well. I've resurrected seven ancient round punches since yesterday! Cheers, Karl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Report post Posted January 7, 2009 The machine in the picture turns the disc anti-clockwise. You need to make sure the blade you're stropping is on the downward side of the disc (the left on this machine) or it could catch the blade and propel it upward.... at your face. Nasty. No kidding - I learned this the hard way when shapening my splitter blade - darn thing spun past my face so close I could feel the breeze as it flew by. Worse part is that it put a big ding in the edge of the blade. Reminds me of the first time I used a table saw when I was a kid. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gibbsleatherworks Report post Posted January 7, 2009 I had planned on using an old electric motor to mount a wooden burnisher on. Adding a round strope to the top of it would work the same way as your disk sander. Genious idea, thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtwister09 Report post Posted January 7, 2009 Karl, I have seen several knife makers use these in place of spending money on a Bader unit. In fact several of the knife forums have a platen that you add to the belt sander side to further flatten the belt side out. My son used it for a knife kit that he made. Another attachment for them is the EZedge which assists with convex shapes like the Moran edge Direction of rotation is a BIG deal. In fact if any of you every used the paper wheel system for sharpening you will notice that they have you turn the grinder around so that it rotates away. Extra care has to be taken when we remove the guards..... Regards, Ben Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badger Report post Posted January 8, 2009 (edited) Hi Ben, Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't aware of this being common practise, but this is the only board I'm a member of, so that isn't too surprising. As is often the case with human beings, the need for a solution prompts the same result from several different sources; the collective subconcious...... With regard to your comment on removal of the guards? I agree completely and perhaps should have stressed the safety aspects in my earlier posts. Apologies. I didn't mention it because there weren't really any guards to speak of. There was an extraction shroud for dust removal, but with the table removed, it would be more of a danger where it was, in my humble opinion. The leather disc is glass smooth so there's no abrasion risk. If the shroud was left in place it would be possible to catch a tool or finger between it and the disc surface. The only thing you're going to get by accidentally rubbing against the disc is a shiny bum Cheers, Karl Edited January 8, 2009 by badger Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Papa Leather Report post Posted January 8, 2009 Yes, the disc side is excellent for stropping. Instead of rouge on the leather I use a paste called Semi-Chrome. It is a chrome polish. It takes a few applications to "season" the leather, but it will make your edges shine like there's no tomorrow. Also if you are really careful you can use the Tandy handy hone dealie to strop your swivel blades. I do not know how long the roll pin in the Tandy jig will hold up to the high speed rotation. I use a jewelers engraving jig to hold the swivel knife blades to the exact angle I want. My set up is horizontal though, not vertical as the belt/disc combo. You can attach the leather using a good spray adhesive. That way you have less cushion from the double sided tape. To "true" the leather after applying it use a sanding block and a series of papers. Start with about 120 grit and move to 280 or so. This will make the leather perfectly flat. Also you can "renew" the surface by sanding down past the knicks or to remove built up rouge and metal particles by using sand paper and the block. My set-up is variable speed. I usually run it at about 700 RPM which is not speeding but fast enough to get the job done. Be careful of flying objects, always apply the tool with the sharp edge toward the rotation and not into it. I's hate to hear some one ended up "wearing" thier tools as a piercing. Allen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badger Report post Posted January 8, 2009 (edited) Allen, I top up the disc with a chrome polishing paste too. Here in the UK we can get a good one called 'Autosol'.There's no cushion at all from the double-sided tape, it's the thin film stuff rather than the thick foam stuff. My leather was very flat to start with as I cased it and then hard burnished the surface on my granite slab, using my big stainless steel slicker. Cheers, Karl Edited January 8, 2009 by badger Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtwister09 Report post Posted January 8, 2009 Allen, Actually I was thinking more of the paper wheel models for removed guards. I have two of the sanders like you have and yes you are correct...no guards. It's also funny and a little ironic that others come up with very similar solutions to a problem. A nice shiny bum may be a good thing... LOL Regards, Ben Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
celticleather Report post Posted January 8, 2009 A nice shiny bum may be a good thing... LOL You can't beat a shiny bum! . . . although that may not be true for some people . . . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Papa Leather Report post Posted January 9, 2009 Well, I have never seen a shiny bum. Most around here are quite dirty, disheveled clothes and mumble to themselves. Many stand with signs that say "Will work for food". So a shiny one would be a change. Allen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
celticleather Report post Posted January 10, 2009 Well, I have never seen a shiny bum.Most around here are quite dirty, disheveled clothes and mumble to themselves. Many stand with signs that say "Will work for food". So a shiny one would be a change. Allen Hmmm . . . I think we may be back to the 'two nations divided by a common language' again! In the UK the word 'bum' is most often used to describe the posterior part of the human anatomy, the gluteus maximus. But thinking about it, maybe your way works as well. . ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonyc1 Report post Posted January 10, 2009 Bum or Backside is the polite way to describe a Gluteus Maximus, or, as quite often used in a less friendly manner, Arse! Tony. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Report post Posted January 10, 2009 Wow, I found this thread real interesting and was learning lots, you guys completely ran it into the ditch...... shiny bum LOL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Papa Leather Report post Posted January 10, 2009 I got the bum joke and tried one of my own. It flopped. Sorry... Allen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
celticleather Report post Posted January 10, 2009 you guys completely ran it into the ditch . . . Whoops! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badger Report post Posted January 10, 2009 Bloody hell! I turn my back for two minutes and look what you guys did to my thread....... Should've said 'Ass'. No, wait, then there would be Donkey Jokes! Ok, I give up................ Karl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
P2D Report post Posted January 17, 2009 Hey There, greetings from the Colorado mountains!! Just joined and am unexpectedly, thoroughly entertained. I'm somewhat new to this craft and just bought a great set of older edgers off ebay and they need sharpening/stropping. Started poking around and came across this thread. What a great idea with the hacksaw, string and chrome paste Badger. Thanks, I'm gonna give it a try today. One question, is is necessary to vary the size of the string for the size of the edger? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bree Report post Posted January 17, 2009 I had another idea.I wanted something to strop the inside of the blade, inside the groove, on my edgers. I bought a dead cheap little junior hacksaw, removed the blade and replaced it with a piece of string.... tensioned between the blade slots. I rubbed some chrome polish paste into the tightened string and then drew it briskly through the notches of the edgers toward the tip, polishing the inside edge of the blades. They are super sharp now. Mad stropping day, I guess Cheers, Karl Karl!! You're a genius! I have been pondering making a strop board like Weaver sells for my edgers and here is a brilliantly simple solution that requires practically no work! I love it and am heading out to get one!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
