How To Burnish Soft Leather

[Sheilajeanne]

Is there a trick for burnishing the edges on soft, floppy leather? This is a piece of thinnish milled veg-tan, and I'm trying to do it by hand.

It's going to be one of several layers for a bag. Should I wait until the bag is sewn together, and the thickness will make it easier?

Edited July 1, 2018 by Sheilajeanne

[alpha2]

Soft leather is always a challenge, but in answer to your last sentence, yes. Thickness is your friend.

Jeff

[MaxMizur]

In order of preference: dye and heat, assemble and burnish, brace in a clamp and burnish along a narrowly exposed portion of the leather. 

[Stetson912]

I lay it flat on my rock(granite tooling slab) dampen the edge and take my canvas wrapped around my finger. Start rubbing the edge with the canvas finger more downward than lateral pressure. Sometimes a bit of an angle helps. Then flip it over and repeat.

I do this with my thinner stuff. Seems to work ok for me. 

[Sheilajeanne]

Stetson, is there anything on your canvas other than a bit of water?

[bullmoosepaddles]

This may help. 

 

Edited July 19, 2018 by bullmoosepaddles

[bullmoosepaddles]

@Sheilajeanne If you want to cut to the part that pertains to your situation go to about the 10 minute mark. 

[Stetson912]

On 7/18/2018 at 2:50 PM, Sheilajeanne said:

Stetson, is there anything on your canvas other than a bit of water?

Sorry, just getting this. I use just water for the first go. But I wet the edge. After that i is the yellow saddle soap as I don't have glycerine saddle soap. After that I use a bit of beeswax on the edge and rub it in. Sometimes I seal with resolene after the beeswax for a more solid edge. 

 

The Don Gonzalez video is good to watch too. That's the method I was trying to describe

[Stetson912]

On 7/19/2018 at 7:06 AM, bullmoosepaddles said:

This may help. 

 

Thanks for posting this! I somehow forgot about it haha!