Thread: Crocus finish or Satin?

Originally Posted by RezDog

I am pretty happy with this thread. I am undergoing some experimenting too. I have made a couple of wooden wheel. I used MDF for my wheels so there is no grain or grain direction. I have not mounted my leather as of yet and I am planning to use hide glue. I have an old strop that will be used for the leather. I had considered trying to make solid leather wheels but have abandoned that idea.

You can buy solid lather wheels, they are called power strop wheels. The issue is that they seem to come in only one size 3.5". At least I was not able to find varying sizes, and I think for 5/8 - 13/16 razors a 2.5" wheel will be optimal.
For home made wheel I am considering using pieces from leather belt for a grinder. They are 1" and that will give better control when grinding I hope.
For adhesive, I am considering double sided carpet tape, not sure how it will hold to heat, but it is a very strong adhesive.

I had my eyes set on several wheels of 2, 2.5, sand 3" diameters. We have a set of very large punches that I was eyeing up for making the pieces. I fell down on trying get get my center hole lined up with the outside. I am sure it is possible, just above my pay grade. Perhaps if I looked into a better technique it would work. I just thought I would move on to the next build concept before spending a ton of time and material perfecting the solid wheel. I have a couple of the commercial strop wheels, they certainly work well at getting chisels and plane irons super sharp, but had not connected the dots to using them for razor restores.

I almost have a set of leather covered wooden wheels finished. I am using different grades of leather to see what will work.The first wheels are for a Dremel...easier to make and 'true up' than a bigger wheel for a buffer. I used wooden dowels and then drilled the hole for the screws. BTW...the best easily available glue according to some folks I talked to is 'BARGE CONTACT CEMENT' or 'MASTERS CONTACT CEMENT'.

I'll post pics as soon as I am done...

In the meantime here is some useful info for all of you that will be trying this out:

Sheffield leather wheels. Bull neck leather.....

How thick is the leather? Looks thick.

How fast are you planning on running your wheels? Leather wheels I have seen recommend under 800 rpm.

I don’t recall where I read it but that wheels back in the day ran at a very slow speed.

Concerning the wood wheels encased by leather, there are generally 2 types.



The more easy type is that a leather strap is glued along the circumference of the wood wheel.

The leather should be soft and elastic. Thickness of the leathers straps normally is between 2 and 5 mm, but I have also seen wheels with leather up to 1 cm thickness.



Of course at wheels with a small diameter, such as used for razor polishing, the leather is thinner.



The more complex wheels consist of an inner wood wheel and leather stripes are glued edgewise on the circumference.



The leather stripes are (partly) wedge-shape to give a better stability.



The speed of the polishing wheels depends on the wheel sizes. Generally lower diameter requires higher speed. In old procedure instructions, the recommendations for small wheels under 3’’ diameter is in a range between 3000 and 3500 rpm. For larger wheels of over 10’’ the speed should be below 2000 rpm.

I personally use a bit lower speed values. The motor that drives the transmission has 1425 rpm and considering the different speed regulations from different transmission belt wheels I will end up somehow between 1200 and 2000 rpm most of the time.

I finished making my 'prototype' leather wheel and have tested it out with great results so far! The wheel is designed for a Dremel type of tool... so the 'usual caveats' and cautions apply for those that aren't familiar with using a Dremel tool for razor restoration purposes.

The finished wheel is 1 5/8 inches in diameter or 41.275 mm. Once I got it balanced and 'trued' up it spins evenly with no wobble whatsoever. The leather used was bridal and so far I am really pleased with how it loads up with the polishing medium. I will be trying other leathers and wheel diameters once I give this one a real test.

The way the wheel was made was to make a leather 'circle or loop' where the ID of the circle was slightly less than the diameter of the wooden wheel. Then using a mallet to pound the wheel into the leather circle for a nice snug fit. The inside of the leather was first coated with glue. Worked great!

Once I've tested the different wheels I'll be making for the Dremel I'll be applying what I've learned to making some bigger wheels for the bench buffer. I'll keep everyone posted...