JC2019 Report post Posted April 27, 2019 (edited) Anyone know if its possible to clean a dull alligator glaze belly? Something that looks like water has gone on it and has lost it's shine? I can't find much info on this online at all. I was told it can't be done? Thanks Edited April 27, 2019 by JC2019 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimi Report post Posted April 29, 2019 I am not 100% sure but i would think all skins can be glazed again. the glazing machine uses a glass rod to burnish and glaze the skin, you might be able to do this by hand with a similar object or a piece of smooth edged glass held in between two pieces of wood, they call them slickers nowadays but the proper name is sleeker. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikesc Report post Posted April 29, 2019 (edited) Technically "glazed" would mean covered in a layer of molten glass. ( as in Glazed Pottery ) at an extremely high temperature... as opposed to what appears to be the case here which is smoothing with friction via abrasion with a glass object ( despite what you might think that you see, the glass is not at "fusion temperatures", if it were the skin would be charred, and the image would not be possible to take due to the smoke and vapour clouds ) ..Thus, I'd agree with Jimi, it should be possible to reproduce "the finish". I suspect that the term "Glazed" derives from the French "Glacé" which means glass like or shiny.. The skin has probably been finished with a varnish ( smoothed with a smooth glass bar or roller ) which combination of process and chemistry leaves a very shiny ( glass like ) surface..Water spots etc would "mark" such a "finish" as they do mark ( by dissolving a thin layer of the "varnish", and thus rendering it "matt" ) what is known as "French polishing" ( for example on Pianos" )..restoring a "glazed" surface should be very ( basic restoration technique used in picture restoration to make "matt" spots disappear and thus restore the "gloss" and thus "restore" the "depth" of blacks and dark areas etc that depend upon the glossiness of the varnish..and the "restoration" process can be reversed, which is imperative in restoration of objects and paintings which may be centuries or millennia old, and have value in the multiple millions of dollars ) "easy".. Yes ..I also obtained many decades ago, a doctorate ( amongst others* ) ( since when I've had very many occasions to gain in practical experience in those fields ) in restoration of paintings, sculptures and other fine art objects..Design and manufacturing ( and prototyping ) of leather items is a "side business".. one of many.. Chemistry and Physics are very important to restorers, Chemistry more so, but physics ( like biology and maths ) is a "why not".. *Heinlein said** ( In Time enough for Love) which I read when I was 8 .. "“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” He also said "rub her feet"..and many other things.. One of my favourite authors.. :)..I'd add plough a field and a whole lot of other stuff..but I digress..:) I'd also add, despite having a bunch of "paper" qualifications..that practical experience ( IME and IMO ) usually outweighs/ outranks ) paper "experience", by at least a factor of 10 to 1..Ploughing a field ( and many many other things ) looks simple, until you have had to do it with only the back end of the mule in front of you for "inspiration"..even worse when you have no mule or horse / pony, and are pulling the plough yourself.. Been there..I come from poor Irish stock..grew up that way.. **My Grandfather in Ireland said more or less the same things..he had travelled more than the average for our region, our house had no electricity, no running water, no car, when I was a child in Ireland***..When I was a child in the UK ( which I was for 6 months or so every year ) we had all of those things..Contrast.. Glazed doughnuts..on the other hand..just mean shiny sugar coated heart attacks... one bite at a time :) ***Perhaps I should make it clear..I preferred my time in Eire..still do..Would not change a thing, we had a small farm , horses, ponys, donkeys, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, ducks, chickens, turkeys, bees, dogs, cats, other animals, ( too poor to be anything other than organic ), books, paper to draw on , radio, no TV..( when we were not in the UK, then we had TV..B+W ) , wonderful life for a kid growing up :))) Edited April 29, 2019 by mikesc typos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JC2019 Report post Posted May 3, 2019 On 4/29/2019 at 1:50 PM, jimi said: I am not 100% sure but i would think all skins can be glazed again. the glazing machine uses a glass rod to burnish and glaze the skin, you might be able to do this by hand with a similar object or a piece of smooth edged glass held in between two pieces of wood, they call them slickers nowadays but the proper name is sleeker. Interesting thank you. Will have to try out these ideas out Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
