Techniques for finishing edges quickly

[Jason046]

We have been making straps and finishing the edges by furnishing with water, then liquid saddle soap and finishing with beeswax after dyed. We recently received an order for a huge amount of strap and was wondering if there are any techniques that can make this process quicker but still keep the edges lasting long without fraying. Thanks

[Rhale]

Ron’s edge rub is very quick and easy to use but is a bit expensive.  I also like quick slick from Barry King it does a good job and not as expensive, may take a little more burnishing! 

[Jason046]

1 hour ago, Rhale said:

Ron’s edge rub is very quick and easy to use but is a bit expensive.  I also like quick slick from Barry King it does a good job and not as expensive, may take a little more burnishing! 

Thanks for the info, can these be applied before dyeing or does it interfere with the dye taking to the leather

[fredk]

I only use a beeswax/nfo/carnauba wax mix for my edges. Edge is dyed and then the mix is applied with a cloth and burnished using either a wood slicker or just a piece of linen.

[Rhale]

You can use either to burnish then dye edges or dye the burnish, I usually dye the burnish but either way will work, try both and see what works best for you!

[Jason046]

2 hours ago, fredk said:

I only use a beeswax/nfo/carnauba wax mix for my edges. Edge is dyed and then the mix is applied with a cloth and burnished using either a wood slicker or just a piece of linen.

What percent of each do you use. Do you mix your own or buy it somewhere?

[fredk]

4 hours ago, Jason046 said:

What percent of each do you use. Do you mix your own or buy it somewhere?

I make it myself.

No percentages or proper mixing. I just heat some beeswax until its liquid then add some nfo, let that cool and see what its like. Then either more wax of nfo until the mix is a soft paste, like a firm butter, then I add in about a teaspoon worth of carnauba wax. The mix is then warmed to liquid and poured into large enamelled tins which have lids.

In use, I get some mix on a cloth and wipe it on across the edge of the leather, at intervals, then burnish each blob into the edge and meeting all the blobs up.Some paste mix gets on the front and back of the piece and I just rub this in and buff it off.

I've only ever done edges this way and its pretty quick.

[Jason046]

6 hours ago, fredk said:

I make it myself.

No percentages or proper mixing. I just heat some beeswax until its liquid then add some nfo, let that cool and see what its like. Then either more wax of nfo until the mix is a soft paste, like a firm butter, then I add in about a teaspoon worth of carnauba wax. The mix is then warmed to liquid and poured into large enamelled tins which have lids.

In use, I get some mix on a cloth and wipe it on across the edge of the leather, at intervals, then burnish each blob into the edge and meeting all the blobs up.Some paste mix gets on the front and back of the piece and I just rub this in and buff it off.

I've only ever done edges this way and its pretty quick.

Sounds good. I'm always looking for new ways to try

[NeilMott]

Hey all.

I've got a somewhat similar issue.  I have a watch strap that I wanted to add some Sno-Seal to.  I don't mind the darkening that it will do, but I'm not sure if I should add stitching to it before or after applying the Sno-Seal...  btw, that recipe sounds awesome.  I have NFO and beeswax, but no carnuba at the moment.  Here's what the strap looks like now.  It was a tan color before applying 2 coats of NFO to soften it up.   I imagine I'll still have to go the beeswax route and burnish.  I was told not to heat up the wax though first - not even a little.  But the beeswax doesn't want to go onto the leather.

[fredk]

2 hours ago, NeilMott said:

I've got a somewhat similar issue.  I have a watch strap that I wanted to add some Sno-Seal to.  I don't mind the darkening that it will do, but I'm not sure if I should add stitching to it before or after applying the Sno-Seal...

Either before or after, it really makes little difference. I usually put it on after sewing as it helps in around the thread and gets down into the thread holes

2 hours ago, NeilMott said:

  I have NFO and beeswax, but no carnuba at the moment. 

Carnauba wax just makes the beeswax a bit harder when it all dries. you can do without it.

2 hours ago, NeilMott said:

 I imagine I'll still have to go the beeswax route and burnish.  I was told not to heat up the wax though first - not even a little.  But the beeswax doesn't want to go onto the leather.

Heating up both the wax mix and the leather helps considerably. Use a hairdryer on low heat, you just need about 60*. If you live in a very warm place then extra heating may not be needed. My area is 8*c now (very warm for winter) and rarely goes above 21*c in summer so extra heating is required. But if your wax mix is soft enough it will just rub into the leather. Let it sit awhile, give it a second coat, wait, then burnish it in and off with a rag and polish brush

Whoever told you not to heat the wax is either in a warm place or should be there for giving false information

[Handstitched]

G'Day, 

This may  not be all that helpful, but I just recently  finished a large order of belts  for a retailer, larger than the work load I would  normally do too, and time was a factor. When it came to  oiling them and dying the edges , I turned,  say for example ,   6 belts , onto their edges/ ends, like books, and dyed all 6 edges  at the same time . I'm not sure if this principal will work for you, but no harm in trying on a handful of straps. 

HS

[NeilMott]

11 hours ago, fredk said:

Either before or after, it really makes little difference. I usually put it on after sewing as it helps in around the thread and gets down into the thread holes

Carnauba wax just makes the beeswax a bit harder when it all dries. you can do without it.

Heating up both the wax mix and the leather helps considerably. Use a hairdryer on low heat, you just need about 60*. If you live in a very warm place then extra heating may not be needed. My area is 8*c now (very warm for winter) and rarely goes above 21*c in summer so extra heating is required. But if your wax mix is soft enough it will just rub into the leather. Let it sit awhile, give it a second coat, wait, then burnish it in and off with a rag and polish brush

Whoever told you not to heat the wax is either in a warm place or should be there for giving false information

Hey Fred. 

Thanks for all the info.  I'll do the stitching first, then post a pic of the final product.  I'm working with old leather so it needs all the help it can get.  The guy who mentioned not heating up the beeswax is in a cold climate but maybe he's got a different product or his house is kept pretty warm?   

Best,

Neil

[wizard of tragacanth]

To save time, you need a one step process... dye it first, then burnish with Tokonole. Done.

I think Tokonole is available in clear, brown and black. I only have experience with clear.

nick

Edited November 29, 2019 by wizard of tragacanth

[NeilMott]

Hey again. 

I hope I'm not thread-jacking this thread.  Overall I had put two coats of NFO on this old rifle sling.  After stitching, I added a couple coats of Sno-Seal, sides and top.  After letting it dry a bit, I then rubbed beeswax on the sides and burnished the strap by hand.  It seems like it worked but it didn't get glossy as I've seen before.  But with going with a wax product then wax maybe this is how it's supposed to look?  The tip didn't work as well.  Not sure the best way to tackle the small curved area like that.  I had to add a bit more glue to the tip (prior to stitching), so maybe that got in the way.  

Neil

[Frodo]

get a - 2x6  board 6'' longer than your longest belt

using a table saw, cut a slot 1/4'' wide x  1'' deep  the measurement of your longest belt

do not cut the slot all the way,  it will act as a stop

affix a 1'' wood dowel to your drill, and burnish them all at the same time

 

 

[Frodo]

1 hour ago, NeilMott said:

Hey again. 

I hope I'm not thread-jacking this thread.  Overall I had put two coats of NFO on this old rifle sling.  After stitching, I added a couple coats of Sno-Seal, sides and top.  After letting it dry a bit, I then rubbed beeswax on the sides and burnished the strap by hand.  It seems like it worked but it didn't get glossy as I've seen before.  But with going with a wax product then wax maybe this is how it's supposed to look?  The tip didn't work as well.  Not sure the best way to tackle the small curved area like that.  I had to add a bit more glue to the tip (prior to stitching), so maybe that got in the way.  

Neil

 

 

 

 

 

start your own thread.  hijacking is rude,  i know you did not mean it that way.

someone will educate you on how to bevel and burnish

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by Frodo

[NeilMott]

1 hour ago, Frodo said:

start your own thread.  hijacking is rude,  i know you did not mean it that way.

someone will educate you on how to bevel and burnish

 

I wonder if you read the entire thread...  Many people were offering their thoughts, their opinions, their questions not only in terms of how to do what, but also materials.  I wonder if you have publicly admonished them as well...  Maybe reported them to the moderators? 

Fredk didn't think I was hijacking this thread.  He gave me some really useful advice and I was showing what I did - which may or may not have been the fast easiest way, using 2 kinds of wax.  He recognizes that he's got expertise and experience and was kind enough to offer his advice and wisdom.  As a teacher, I truly appreciate it.  Was it the best place to post?  I dunno.  Based on what other people had posted I thought my question was relevant to other posts and thought it might help others.

As an aside, being a chemistry teacher/chemist, and not knowing what all the dyes are made of, I'd think if you were burnishing with wax before dyeing, the dyes would either not go through the wax (if the dye is water soluble) or they might dissolve any wax on the leather (not-water soluble).    All depends on what you're burnishing with and when you decide to burnish.  

Neil

[Frodo]

let me get this straight,  you said yourself that you  thought you were guilty of hijacking this thread. Then when i said start your own thread. you are hijacking this thread. You become highly  agitated  And deny high jacking the thread. So which is it? Every one is confused

BTW, I you made me laugh at the "Maybe reported them to the moderators?"    comment.   I thought that was funny as hell.  

[LatigoAmigo]

23 minutes ago, Frodo said:

BTW, I you made me laugh at the "Maybe reported them to the moderators?"    comment.   I thought that was funny as hell.  

I think it is very important that we are kind towards and understanding of each other. If we're not, this site and our leather-working community will suffer. Some of these threads are free-flowing and overlap quite a bit, but that just has to be OK as we learn and share our knowledge and experiences.

Edited December 1, 2019 by LatigoAmigo

[fredk]

I'm not going to get mixed up in a bun fight.  Threads often drift a bit on here. If anyone thinks a thread has drifted too far or is being hi-jacked too much lets direct the offender in a nice way (no accusations, no pack drill) - sometime it will be you/me that offends.

Lets just be friends and get along.

Right, back on subject; a mix of ideas - clamp up about 6 straps between a couple of lengths of timber, allowing the edges to stand proud. Swipe on to them all some beeswax mix and burnish in with a linen/denim cloth. Doing 6 at a time like this would take only slightly longer than doing one. If the strap edges are bevelled, do a final quick burnish with a carrot slicker when the straps are separated.

Edited December 1, 2019 by fredk

[Handstitched]

Now now, lets be nice         <<< and do this ,..... like I'm doing right now  

Meanwhile, 

1 hour ago, fredk said:

Doing 6 at a time like this would take only slightly longer than doing one.

That sorta  along the idea I was using for  edge dying large numbers of belts , but I tidied up the tops of the belts after ,  as some dye dribbled  a onto the tops. But all turned out quite good. But never tried burnishing using that method, might try it myself . 

HS 

[sbrownn]

On 11/18/2019 at 9:18 PM, Jason046 said:

Sounds good. I'm always looking for new ways to try

Maybe I'm missing something but I find that if I slick the edge right after dyeing I get as good an edge as anything else I've tried.  The key is to burnish the edge while the dye is still wet.  I power burnish using a cocobolo wheel.

[Handstitched]

6 minutes ago, sbrownn said:

The key is to burnish the edge while the dye is still wet

That works for me too   

HS

[Jason046]

Thanks for all the info, I have been doing edges for a long time and as good as I get them I am never satisfied. They take up a lot of time but going to have to give some of these a try. My main goal is them holding up over time. I see my product out and the last thing I want is a edge that has lost its burnish

[Frodo]

On 11/30/2019 at 1:57 PM, NeilMott said:

I wonder if you read the entire thread...  Many people were offering their thoughts, their opinions, their questions not only in terms of how to do what, but also materials.  I wonder if you have publicly admonished them as well...  Maybe reported them to the moderators? 

Fredk didn't think I was hijacking this thread.  He gave me some really useful advice and I was showing what I did - which may or may not have been the fast easiest way, using 2 kinds of wax.  He recognizes that he's got expertise and experience and was kind enough to offer his advice and wisdom.  As a teacher, I truly appreciate it.  Was it the best place to post?  I dunno.  Based on what other people had posted I thought my question was relevant to other posts and thought it might help others.

As an aside, being a chemistry teacher/chemist, and not knowing what all the dyes are made of, I'd think if you were burnishing with wax before dyeing, the dyes would either not go through the wax (if the dye is water soluble) or they might dissolve any wax on the leather (not-water soluble).    All depends on what you're burnishing with and when you decide to burnish.  

Neil

Neil

 

I apologize for my quick to judge comment.

I hope we can move on from here