What the heck is this...burnisher?

[Rossr]

Ok folks I'm trying to figure this one out.  It's basically a motor with a sleeve and a round bit.  The bit is metal and reminds me of a burnisher .   Cant find any name on the machine.  Heavy steel.  Maybe a homemade rig.  Ot came put of a leather workers shop but no cluenifnit was for leather.  

 

Thanks for any thoughts 

 

 

[PastorBob]

I would guess a wood router.  That would shred leather, IMO

[Spyros]

That looks like some sort of shaper for cutting beads into timber mouldings and such, although I haven't seen a bit like this before.  

Does it have speeds on it?  If it runs between 7-10k RPM it's probably a shaper, anything above that it's a router.   Either way it does look like it's probably for wood (and I'd keep my fingers away from it)

Edited October 15, 2021 by Spyros

[Rossr]

Here's some close up of the bit.  It's a 1/3hp 3450rpm motor.  The bit isnt a cutter.  I've used routers and shapers and it looks like one of those but it's not.  I had picked up a bit like this from another leather purchase years ago which made me wonder .  I ran a piece of leather in it and it does burnish.  They also did kydex stuff in this shop so maybe it has to do with that?

 

 

[Spyros]

Ok at those RPMs it's definitely not for timber, so now I have no idea.  

It doesn't sound convenient to have a burnisher oriented vertically though, does it have an easy height adjustment somewhere?  

 

[Rossr]

Yes vertical seems odd to me too.  The one pic you can see the back I havent tried it but it appears you can lossen the plate the motor.is on and then use a screw driver to move the plate with the threaded rod up or down. 

 

Maybe it isnt leather or kydex achine at all but it's like nothing I've ever seen in my casual wood, metal and leather shop experiences. 

 

The bit also has different widths like a wood burnisher too.

[Spyros]

You'd think if it's meant to go up and down a lot to match the weight of your leather with the right groove it would have an easier adjustment than that....

This is weird, if it's not a cutter why are the sides segmented like that with gaps in between?  Could it be a spool that winds something up?

[Rossr]

Thers no leading edge on the cutters it's like a slot was milled in it is all.in multiple.spots.  And it sure doesnt cut leather 

 

The other strange thing to me is the plastic coffe can lid that is put on there  almost like to keep stuff off the motor ...clearly someone added it.

[Spyros]

 

18 minutes ago, Rossr said:

The other strange thing to me is the plastic coffe can lid that is put on there  almost like to keep stuff off the motor ...clearly someone added it.

It means this motor was never designed to be used upside down.  Most routers are, they blow air to keep the wood dust from falling inside the motor.

This looks like a DIY job, God knows for what...

[YinTx]

2 hours ago, Rossr said:

I had picked up a bit like this from another leather purchase years ago which made me wonder .  I ran a piece of leather in it and it does burnish.

Walks like a duck?  Talks like a duck?  It kinda looks like the modern wood burnishers.  Maybe a precursor?  I'm still thinking shoes... maybe it was adapted for the previous owner's use.

4 minutes ago, Spyros said:

This looks like a DIY job, God knows for what...

Perhaps the base is a diy.  Maybe the bit is manufactured, especially since Rossr' has seen one before from another lot of tools.  I'm wondering if it was intended to be used horizontally originally, and someone fabricated the base to be used vertically in their jobs, and really only needed to set vertical height once in a while to match a batch of jobs, or one particular job.  Hopefully someone recognizes the bit.  Perhaps from a line finisher for shoe soles or something?

YinTx

[Spyros]

Shoe sole shaper maybe?  If it's just a burnisher then why the lid on the motor?  It indicates there must be some sort of particles or shavings falling from the bit.

Edited October 15, 2021 by Spyros

[chuck123wapati]

plug it in and try it on a piece of leather. the slots could knock off some particles that wouldn't smell very good in a hot motor. It cant be so clean that some evidence  of what ever are left from its original owner can it?

[Rossr]

37 minutes ago, Spyros said:

 

It means this motor was never designed to be used upside down.  Most routers are, they blow air to keep the wood dust from falling inside the motor.

This looks like a DIY job, God knows for what...

If it was a DIY they spent some time.with it and had access to a milling machine welders and knew some stuff.  

The motor is an open type not an enclosed.  Whichbkends thought to a DIY 

[Rossr]

3 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

plug it in and try it on a piece of leather. the slots could knock off some particles that wouldn't smell very good in a hot motor. It cant be so clean that some evidence  of what ever are left from its original owner can it?

I did run leather on it and it doesnt cut it and does burnish on some level.    When I get.to it I'll see if particles are about but none visible.  It sat a long time.  

I also have two foot presses, and eyelet machine a rossley folding table and a 29-4 to clean up among a bunch of snaps rivets and misc hand tools to.go through also

[Cumberland Highpower]

It looks like a leather burnisher to me.  Maybe home made.    3450RPM is really not all crazy high considering how small the burnishing head is and the fact it's steel.   Maybe they had plans to install a lower rpm motor and that's what they had available.   As to it being open or enclosed It really shouldn't make much difference really, given it's rather benign application. There isn't enough dust generated to really amount to anything.  Most that did get created would never make it too far into the depths of that motor anyway, considering there is that lid from your Blue Bonnet or whatever Butter.   Allot of leather burnishing heads have slots cut into the burnishing head as a way to channel out dust/fibers, etc. I've seen some heads made from steel, but most are wood, leather, or a combination.

A spring to help assist the lift of the motor would have been a great addition.

I have an older horizontal Burnisher here (Randall? USMC?) that is a horizontal type with a large wooden head, much larger in diameter to yours.  it's both having multiple contour grooves and slots cut into it just like yours.     I also have a newer Randall/Campbell VSB and it's also horizontal.  The Newer one can go as high as 4K RPM and uses the wooden heads that fit my Galli FCE.  I never run it past about 1k though (Variable) and sometimes not much over 500.

Horizontal burnishers are great for smaller items or softer items that are easier to burnish on a flat surface.  Wallets, Watch bands, etc.

Given the size of the grooves, I'd gamble it's for belts or some kind of horsey stuff like harness or bridles.  I have seen more steel burnishing heads on shoe related machinery, than on machinery for other uses, so maybe it's something to do with footwear mfg...Anyway...

I've also got a Rossley folding table with a built in heating element.  I had big plans for it but so far it's always just sat....Think they have any vaule?  Not really wanting to part with mine, just curious

Edited October 15, 2021 by Cumberland Highpower

[Rossr]

53 minutes ago, Cumberland Highpower said:

It looks like a leather burnisher to me.  Maybe home made.    3450RPM is really not all crazy high considering how small the burnishing head is and the fact it's steel.   Maybe they had plans to install a lower rpm motor and that's what they had available.   As to it being open or enclosed It really shouldn't make much difference really, given it's rather benign application. There isn't enough dust generated to really amount to anything.  Most that did get created would never make it too far into the depths of that motor anyway, considering there is that lid from your Blue Bonnet or whatever Butter.   Allot of leather burnishing heads have slots cut into the burnishing head as a way to channel out dust/fibers, etc. I've seen some heads made from steel, but most are wood, leather, or a combination.

A spring to help assist the lift of the motor would have been a great addition.

I have an older horizontal Burnisher here (Randall? USMC?) that is a horizontal type with a large wooden head, much larger in diameter to yours.  it's both having multiple contour grooves and slots cut into it just like yours.     I also have a newer Randall/Campbell VSB and it's also horizontal.  The Newer one can go as high as 4K RPM and uses the wooden heads that fit my Galli FCE.  I never run it past about 1k though (Variable) and sometimes not much over 500.

Horizontal burnishers are great for smaller items or softer items that are easier to burnish on a flat surface.  Wallets, Watch bands, etc.

Given the size of the grooves, I'd gamble it's for belts or some kind of horsey stuff like harness or bridles.  I have seen more steel burnishing heads on shoe related machinery, than on machinery for other uses, so maybe it's something to do with footwear mfg...Anyway...

I've also got a Rossley folding table with a built in heating element.  I had big plans for it but so far it's always just sat....Think they have any vaule?  Not really wanting to part with mine, just curious

I now have 2 folding tables.  The one collects stuff on top.of it.  But I can see its use in say thin leather wallets etc to fold over.  Also curious on value of them

 

All good thoughts.   This guy was making holsters primarily was my understanding but logically.belts and straps make sense

 

R

[dikman]

I would say it has to be a burnisher, with those four different sized grooves on it. The grooves are all very highly polished and the edges of the slots are rounded over slightly. I would assume the motor is adjusted so the groove you want to use is level with the flat top of the table, so good for burnishing belts. Just a guess on my part, of course. An interesting design, it would never have occurred to me to put slits in a burnisher.

[Handstitched]

In the  first of the close up pics , it looks like theres some dust stuck  in the grooves , maybe that can give you a clue?

I've searched ' spindle burnishers/ shapers etc..... nothing.  But then I searched 'fluted spindle shaper blades' while not the same, there are some similarities ....sorta , kinda...maybe?...not?

HS

Edited October 17, 2021 by Handstitched

[jcuk]

Sorry cant stop thinking about a Pink Floyd song when i read this post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9Xc3QR_5UA

sorry again but it is Sunday

[chuck123wapati]

woke up from a dead sleep last night 2.00 am my brain said  maybe its for burnishing lace. making round laces from square. four different sizes of round leather laces? 

[Rossr]

26 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

woke up from a dead sleep last night 2.00 am my brain said  maybe its for burnishing lace. making round laces from square. four different sizes of round leather laces? 

Lol    that's a heck of a 2 am thought.  Possible I guess.    Seems like this may remain a mystery 

[chuck123wapati]

1 minute ago, Rossr said:

Lol    that's a heck of a 2 am thought.  Possible I guess.    Seems like this may remain a mystery 

lol yea i hate my brain sometimes it coulda been dreaming of hunting, fishing  or just about anything else in the world instead of thinking.  try it on a piece of lace if you can. 

[Handstitched]

@chuck123wapati Some of my best ideas have come to me in the middle of the night, so a bout of  insomnia is not all bad  

I was also wondering if this machine was home made or custom made ?  Perhaps the original owner just couldn't find what they wanted and made their own.  

HS

[Rossr]

19 minutes ago, Handstitched said:

@chuck123wapati Some of my best ideas have come to me in the middle of the night, so a bout of  insomnia is not all bad  

I was also wondering if this machine was home made or custom made ?  Perhaps the original owner just couldn't find what they wanted and made their own.  

HS

We are leaning homemade.  It was well built and made with skill but still may be homemade.  The bits however I'm guessing were commercial but who knows. 

 

Ross

[Cumberland Highpower]

23 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

woke up from a dead sleep last night 2.00 am my brain said  maybe its for burnishing lace. making round laces from square. four different sizes of round leather laces? 

Does anyone burnish lace?   I can't say I've seen any burnished lace in my lifetime...If you wanted to actually do it, I think a vertical burnisher would work better.

Isn't round lace made by pulling square lace through a "die" known as a rounder?     That machine posted above is just a common horizontal burnisher that someone made.  Probably works well overall.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Cumberland Highpower