Leather stacked handle

[rd2903]

What is the secret to finishing leather for a handle??

[JeffG]

Sand to contour, with a very fine belt, then polish on a high speed stitched wheel with white rouge. Stay away from or tape metal so you don't color the leather. Strip it all off with brake parts spray, and let dry.  Then use a CLEAN wheel with beeswax to seal and shine. Hope this helps:D

[TimWieneke]

Jeff,
What grit do you typically use?  Also, does white rouge embed itself into leather?  If so, what can remove it?  Thanks Jeff.

Tim

[rd2903]

working on a scagel design, it came out nice and tight, I used good quality leather, sanded it done to 400, and used a leather filler, dyed it but I couldn't get it to buff out good.  I always use pink compound.

[JeffG]

I use clean new belts at about 220, the leather will be a little fuzzy.  Don't worry, just so log as the surface is free of metal.  The white compound is the best for me because you can tell right away if it is contaminating with the metal, etc...  Try to use a compound that has less grease carrier, so the heat won't stain.  The aerosol "Brake Kleen"  is for automotive brake part flushing, and it degreases and dries super clean.  You can touch up with a finger wrapped in emery cloth, but be careful to maintain the same finish.  Beeswax will seal and protect, as well as make the surface nice. It will darken a surface a little, but not much. Dye BEFORE the beeswax, though.

[rd2903]

Thanks!

[rd2903]

Just so happens I found a 1 lb chunk of beeswax for 10.00 today, probably will last a lifetime.  I appreciate the information can't wait till I can make another knife and try it.

[JeffG]

You are welcome, good luck!  Let us know how it goes...

[Will52100]

New here, but thought I'd throw my .02$ in, when I do a leather handle after compressing and drying in stacks of 6-7 with a hydrolic hand press I soak with supper thin supper glue and re-stack and re-press with wax paper over the press blocks.  After a day or two I take the block out and trim squar with the band saw.  After it's on the knife and sanded to 400 grit I give it anougther coat of supper glue just to fill any voids and sand that coating off.  Sand to 600 grit and buff with Pink compound.  handle comes out looking like glass, is imperviouse to anything but a hammer.  Even solvents only dull the shine.

It takes a litle while to make the stacks, but I generaly make a bunch of stacks while working on something else.

Hope this helps,

Will