New leather stropping block.

[swagman]

Made a new leather stropping block today. Measures 11" x 3" x 2 1/2", with a weight of just over 1kg. (2.2lbs). The block was made of 3 laminated layers of Meranti timber, and the leather used was Butt Cowhide from the U.K. Both end grains of the block were sealed with 2 coats of CA Glue.

Stewie;

 

[bugbear]

..the leather used was Butt Cowhide from the U.K.

A lot of "knife people" are using kangaroo leather for the finer strop compounds - you wouldn't have to import that!

BugBear

 

[swagman]

BB; my pet Skippy is sitting right beside me, and is shaking his head at the thought.

What's that Skippy; "Damn Poms". "you are a naughty Skippy", "say sorry to BB".

Stewie;

 

[Racers]

I had some motorcycle gloves with kangaroo leather palms, very nice but a bit jumpy on the throttle.

:wink:

Pete

 

[lurker]

That reminds me, I must go to Lidl and get some kangaroo steak

 

[swagman]

"Damn you savages."

 

[MIGNAL]

Hey!! Beats mine :



Not sure what type of leather it is but it was cheap (i.e. free) and I've got a few more once it wears out.

 

[essexalan]

Just shave a length of Skippy's tail and strop away! Suggest no compound, definitely edge trailing strokes only and get ready to duck..

 

[rafezetter]

I had some motorcycle gloves with kangaroo leather palms, very nice but a bit jumpy on the throttle.

:wink:

Pete

HAHAHA - very good Pete - I tip my hat.

 

[swagman]

I am loathe to mention the topic of Pure Chromium Oxide Paste as being superior to whats being offered in the wax stick base, but here goes.

The following is the Leather Stropping Block loaded with the PCOP. A finger tip dipped into the paste was enough to coat the full top surface of the strop.





And here is the Pure Chromium Oxide surface after stropping a bevel up Stanley Block Plane Iron.



How sharp is the cutting edge after being stropped on the PCOP. Razor sharp to the touch..

Stewie;

 

[No skills]

Very nice Stewie, did the paste work out better value than the average green crayon?

 

[bugbear]

Very nice Stewie, did the paste work out better value than the average green crayon?

Dressing a strop requires so little compound that initial/capital is the over whelming factor. I don't suppose I'll ever use up my artist's "Chrome Green" oil pastel.

BugBear

 

[essexalan]

Good tutorial over on SRP regarding loading strops and you will be amazed how little paste is used. I made the mistake of slathering it on only to end up scraping most of it off and it is messy stuff so I test anything I make on the cardboard from a cornflakes box which makes a pretty good strop anyway. Some artist oil paints have quite a large size of pigment in them after all the Old Masters ground their pigments in a mortar and pestle and you are not going to get 0.5 microns that way. The artist paint sites usually give the particle size information but whatever if you have found something that works for you, stick with it.

 

[MIGNAL]

World's gone potty. We need a tutorial on how to load strops now!
We need at least half a dozen celebrity woodworkers to make Utube videos. Maybe set up 3 day courses. Only £800 a pop.

 

[swagman]

All the world is mad save for me and thee, and sometimes I wonder about thee. – Old Quaker saying

 

[bugbear]

World's gone potty. We need a tutorial on how to load strops now!

it is far from obvious or intuitive how little is needed.

So, yes, a (short) tutorial is helpful.

BugBear

 

[essexalan]

World's gone potty. We need a tutorial on how to load strops now!
We need at least half a dozen celebrity woodworkers to make Utube videos. Maybe set up 3 day courses. Only £800 a pop.

Only just found it this morn Mignal but speaking for myself I always thought a strop was just a strip or strap of leather and all these compounds were for power tools. So possibly yes a tutorial would have been helpful and less is more.
BTW scalpel blades never been sharper, thanks

 

[No skills]

Laugh and tease as you please :wink:
I've had to learn from hitting bits of wood with blunt chisels and watching YouTube and the odd book. The odd tutorial is often welcome.

 

[MIGNAL]

Ok guys, apologies. First course is a week away. £800, coffee provided. You'll have to bring your own milk and sugar though. There's a cheap hotel not far away.

 

[swagman]

Ok guys, apologies. First course is a week away. £800, coffee provided. You'll have to bring your own milk and sugar though. There's a cheap hotel not far away.

High quality leather strops will be supplied by the course instructor. Students will need to bring their own wax crayons.