Thread: Making a paddle strop

Just seeking some guidance on the best way to adhere the leather to the paddle. I've read some guys use contact cement. What's the best kind to use, and what's the best surface (best way to prep the surface) to use it with?

Unless you're absolutely sold on having a paddle (mostly, it's the handle), you'd be as well-off (I think, better-off), getting hold of 3"x12" pieces of leather and hard-wool felt, and using them for the various strops (pasted, sprayed, natural, and what have you). With those, it's an easy enough matter to find a piece of 2x4 to place on your work surface, and then lay whichever strop you want to use, on top of the 2x4. The added bonus is no gluing required.

I do a variation of this, using an old cribbage board in place of the 2x4. You're clever, and you'll find what you've got that'll work.

Yes, I know... I'm very frugal and into using odds 'n ends from around the house. Saves me money for where it's needed, or better used.

Smooth shaving!

Originally Posted by JBHoren

Unless you're absolutely sold on having a paddle (mostly, it's the handle), you'd be as well-off (I think, better-off), getting hold of 3"x12" pieces of leather and hard-wool felt, and using them for the various strops (pasted, sprayed, natural, and what have you). With those, it's an easy enough matter to find a piece of 2x4 to place on your work surface, and then lay whichever strop you want to use, on top of the 2x4. The added bonus is no gluing required.

I do a variation of this, using an old cribbage board in place of the 2x4. You're clever, and you'll find what you've got that'll work.

Yes, I know... I'm very frugal and into using odds 'n ends from around the house. Saves me money for where it's needed, or better used.

Smooth shaving!

I don't see why I would do this instead of taking the time to craft something nice...no offense.

Just looking for tips from the woodworking type guys on how to complete my project

I used that loctite spray adhesive (like for carpets, textiles kind of thing). The glue worked good but I don't think my leather is that great.

Here is how I made my paddle strop:
Cut leather and wood into appropriate size. Sanded the wood all over so it became flat and smooth. Then I glued it together with contact glue. It works superb and is in no way coming off. Unfortunately the leather I could get hold of was not any good for stropping, I think. It is very, very, thin. I don't know anything about what is good or bad leather but the leather you see is used for strops are always a lot thicker than the leather I have.

I've got a spare leather replacement piece that I'm using and my piece of wood planed flat and cut to shape. I'm thinking of finishing the wood everywhere except where the leather will go...now I just gotta decide on a glue to use!

Plain old yellow wood glue, brush on a thin even coat, allow a few min to get tacky and apply leather. Weigh down with another board and some weight, quart cans of paint work well. After about 15 mins, remove weight and trim off any squeeze out while it is still rubbery.

I make leather paddle strops on ¼ in MDF or Masonite. Drill a large hole in one end to hang on the wall. You can also glue rubber drawer liner on the bottom side the same way, to hold it to the bench.

Hi, I, like Royalcake used the Loctite spray adhesive.
I used the 'repositionable' aerosol spray and Ash hardwood flooring cut offs as my base wood.
Made them 16" long which gave me a 4" handle and 12" work area.
Using a standard hardwood board after removing the tongue and groove strips from the sides I had a perfect 3" wide work surface.
By using the repositionable adhesive I can replace my leather, or felt, or denim stropping surface as the grit, mood or damage warrants it and it stays perfectly immobilized whilst on the board.
The balsa side required contact cement to ensure a good surface, but will last the life of the stop with sanding touch ups anyway.


I also made one from an idea found on here using a bannister spindle. At only 1 1/2" wide it's better for smiling or warped blades and has 4 sides to set up with different medias. I use felt on 2 sides (diamond paste on 1, crox on other), balsa on 1 and leather on the 4th.

Good luck. Post some results.
Cheers.

This one is 20" long, 3" wide, with the stropping surface 15" (I measured my comfortable stropping stroke). It will also be a one sided paddle. So you can basically use any kind of reasonable quality adhesive?

Barge cement,brush on, Dap weldwood contact cement,brush on,follow the instructions,is really easy to do.