How To Mix Gum Trag From Crystals? & Should I?

[AndyNext]

I bought my Gum Trag from Artisan Leather.

It definitely has something added to it to stop it becoming a growth medium for your local yeasts and other micro-organisms! It has a distinctive smell which triggers ancient memories of school corridors after the cleaners had been in!!

So if you want to mix your own Gum Trag, I would suggest adding a drop or two of Dettol, or similar disinfectant.

And my experiences with Le Prevo online ordering have been similar to FredK. They are not as slick as newer websites, but they only ask for the money once they've checked the stock and are ready to ship. If something isn't in, they've called to discuss alternatives.

[Matt S]

I never got on with tragacanth, found it left a crackly sort of layer after a lot of rubbing (oo er Mrs). I have much better results with almost any water-based glues -- gum arabic, rabbit/hide glue, wallpaper paste, even those glue pens that look like a marker that kids use to stick bits of paper together. However the best one I've found so far is diluted ordinary white PVA glue. It burnishes quickly to a thick, solid layer; it's easy and cheap to buy; it cleans up easily; it's completely non-toxic; it doesn't go manky. I keep several jars of it knocking around, each mixed up with a different colour and a dedicated dauber in each one. Slap the stuff on, wipe off the excess then give it some beans with a bone or stick until hard and shiny. Trick is to not bite off more than you can chew -- about 4-8" at a time maximum. Then once it's all done put it aside and LET THE BLOODY THING ALONE until very nearly dry, when it gets a heavy application of wax with the motorised wheel and then polished off with a rag.

I'll see if I can dig out a photo -- edges are tricky things to capture accuractely.
 

[Tugadude]

Don't forget that Tokonole is available in colors also.  Never tried it, but the concept seems solid.

[TanDan]

Thanks everyone, its been a great help!

kirbytorres - great, it will be good to hear how you get on with it. I have been keeping mine in a dark cupboard at room temp for the last 3 days, it doesn't appear to be getting any thicker and still smells odorless. maybe try out adding a few drops of Dettol as AndyNext suggests, I think I will it sounds like a great idea, Cheers Andy.

Mark842 - Ah, good to know. I had a good look into Neat-Lac it appears to be favoured by quite a few. I did manage to find Eco-flow Neat Lac But I think this may be a modern water based remix. Is that what the Eco-flow range is, all less toxic water based versions of the classic dyes and finishes?

Barry King's Wyo Slick also looks great, he does a small pot for I think $5, I will definitely have order some. Would be a shame not to try it out at that price.

zuludog - Ah, quite a bit coarser than I expected! I think I know those foam blocks you mean, I will grab one next time i'm close to a DIY store.

I have also been getting on really well with one of those Japanese skiving knives with the rectangular offset blade, i only have quite a reasonable one but it holds a great edge. I may consider get one of the nice ones from goodsjapan, I will let you know if i do.

The "VAT/import duty at 20%" you mentioned, are goodsjapan able to add this to the order at checkout? or do UK customs / royal mail hold your parcel until you pay them separately?

Chiefjason & Tugadude - Yep, will definitely have to try out Tokonole, i also spotted the brown and black versions may be worth a try.

Thanks Chrisash - I knew about artisan and abbey but I wasn't aware of identity and leprevo, i will save them in my favorites.

Matt S - Oh, very cool! It never crossed my mind to try out PVA what did you use to add the colour? a water based leather dye maybe?

I will have to pick up a bottle of PVA tomorrow and give this a try.

Oh, do you wet the edge of the leather first before adding the PVA?

Thanks again everyone.

 

 

[zuludog]

The grade of sandpaper will depend on the type of leather you are using. Knife sheaths are typically 3 X 3mm veg tan which is quite a hefty chunk. But something from thinner and softer leather, like a wallet or notebook cover will need something a bit gentler. Try starting with 100 grit for anything and take it from there

YouTube is your friend! Search for 'leather edge finishing'; there are loads of videos. Also Search for making any items you're interested in. Then you'll see how other people do it, and if you watch carefully you'll get an idea of the grit size they use

Something you will notice is that there are many variations on getting to the end result

I can't remember much about paying for Goods Japan. I think they did the calculation and i paid it as one bill, but i can't be sure now

Here are some more suppliers -

H Webber & Son sell Osborne tools

Metropolitan Leather sell Osborne tools, besides leather

George Barnsley and Sons is a traditional Sheffield tool maker. They have a wide range of tools for leatherwork, and are reasonably priced for the quality you get

[Matt S]

10 hours ago, TanDan said:

Matt S - Oh, very cool! It never crossed my mind to try out PVA what did you use to add the colour? a water based leather dye maybe?

I tend to use saddlers powdered edge dye, since it's what I had. It makes a really strong, deep colour however I've only found one source (Abbey), and you have to buy a half-kilo at a time which would probably last a hobbyist several lifetimes. I think any water soluble dye would work.

Another reason I like PVA is that I think it makes a tougher and more water resistant finish than most conventional burnishing compounds. I'd like to try something that's specced as waterproof when dry, like Titebond 2 or 3, but in the mean time I've got a lot of PVA to get through.
 

Quote

do you wet the edge of the leather first before adding the PVA?

No, but I keep my PVA pre-diluted anyway. Quantities are very scientific: one dollop in a mayonnaise jar, topped up with water. Try it out on a scrap. If it doesn't shine quickly, needs more glue. If it dries before you get a good burnish, needs more water.

[AndyNext]

15 hours ago, TanDan said:

The "VAT/import duty at 20%" you mentioned, are goodsjapan able to add this to the order at checkout? or do UK customs / royal mail hold your parcel until you pay them separately?

Royal Mail will hold your parcel, then card you with a bill ! This is usually 20%VAT plus their admin flat fee which I think is £8 or £10.

The admin fee is a killer if it is only a low cost item.

A couple of items I've ordered from GoodsJapan have been delivered directly without any charge, but most have required VAT+admin payment. 

[fredk]

14 hours ago, Matt S said:

 I'd like to try something that's specced as waterproof when dry, like Titebond 2 or 3, but in the mean time I've got a lot of PVA to get through.

No, but I keep my PVA pre-diluted anyway. Quantities are very scientific: one dollop in a mayonnaise jar, topped up with water. Try it out on a scrap. If it doesn't shine quickly, needs more glue. If it dries before you get a good burnish, needs more water.

Dilute your PVA with something 'Astonish' floor 'polish' which is a thin acrylic varnish. It makes the PVA totally waterproof when dry. I put about an egg-cup full in about 500ml of PVA. It dilutes it only a bit but still makes it water-proof when dry.

[TanDan]

Thanks all, apologies for the tragically slow response.

I have some Tokonole on the way now from goods japan, it should hopefully arrive in about a week. I only ordered a single pot sooooo fingers crossed it may get through, I will let you know if I end up paying more than its worth in import fees:(

I also picked up a couple of beeswax bars, two natural bars and two black bars which ended up costing only £1 per bar including delivery. (this is the Ebay item number if anyone is curious - 113903303452)

I haven't managed to pickup any PVA yet, but I was planning on getting this one - https://www.wickes.co.uk/Evo-Stik-Evo-Bond-Waterproof-PVA---5L/p/137663    LOL, how long do you think 5L would last if just used for edge finishing?

Zuludog - yeah, most definitely. There is such a vast amount of personal edge finishing techniques it can get bit overwhelming. Thanks for the tools suppliers, I think I may have to order the George Barnsley and Sons clicker handle and blades, a diamond awl and possibly the saddlers half head knife, looks like nice stuff for the price.

Matt S - Thanks for the tips! i will pick up some of the above PVA when wickes get it back in stock and will have a look into a suitable colour-fast dye to have a play around with.

AndyNext - Thanks for the info, hopefully I may be able to get a single pot over without incurring all the fees, maybe...... 

fredk - Oh, interesting. I cant say I've seen that one in the shops but its not something i'm usually looking for. Is this the same stuff?

https://www.alexsuperstore.com/astonish-wood-floor-polish---1l-43600-p.asp?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI87O08cPe5wIVCbDtCh0zzwU8EAQYASABEgJwGfD_BwE

I guess, you could also add astonish to other types of water based finishes to improve the water resistance, do you know if there is an unscented one available? although tangerine and cinnamon could be nice, very festive

[zuludog]

Traditionally you would purchase an awl haft & blade as separate items, then fit them together yourself. It can be a bit tricky to get the blade in straight, or shop around and you can get them ready mounted

Then you must sharpen the blade, which can also be a fairly long & tedious job; though the last awl blade I bought was an Osborne, and that only took about half an hour

Search YouTube for 'assembling and sharpening a leather sewing awl'. There are several videos.

I must admit that I haven't used one, but if I was buying another awl I would seriously consider a haft fitted with some kind of chuck or collet, such as Osborne Palm Awl Haft #142, and Osborne Saddler's Harness Awl #42 or #43. They are available from Metropolitan Leather

A lot of the time & effort, and therefore the cost, involved in making a round or head knife is in the finishing & sharpening.

George Barnsley keep the cost down by only giving you a basic cutting edge, and you must do the final sharpening and polishing yourself. but once you get there you only need to strop, and very occasionally sharpen on a fine stone. Search YouTube for 'sharpening a head/round knife', there are several videos, including a good one by J H Leather. She does most of her work with a head knife (though not a Barnsley), so watch her other videos to see how it's used

I have a Barnsley head knife. It took a couple of hour's work with oilstones, fine wet & dry paper, and a strop, but now it has an excellent sharp edge, and holds it well