Thread: DIY Strop Paste/Spray Questions?

In my never-ending quest for experimentation & to be my own MaCGyver, I've been playing around with chalking what was essentially my practice strop. Problem is, school chalk just gets dusted off after a few passes, and welder's chalk (soapstone) doesn't really rub off onto the strop.

My first thought was to powder/grind (got a mortar and pestle unused... ) one or both of the chalks so that I could make my own paste or whatever. Trying to approach the idea from all angles, I considered what possible ramifications this might have on the strop itself. The strop is a cheap Pakistani made thing, with a smooth(ish) side, and a fuzzy/suede/felt (whatever you'd call it) side. They are (I think) glued together.

What liquid shoukd I use as a suspension medium? IIRC, it is considered a bad thing to get leather wet (water)... Mineral oil? Or would water be okay? Something else that I haven't considered?

Please chime in with your suggestions on how I might proceed with my latest hair-brained idea! Well, unless your solution is: "just buy some crox spray!"...

P.S. I tried digging through old threads/The Library, but could not find an answer to my question. Hence the new thread.

You know most things that you put on a strop are never really gone, it's still down in the pores of the leather, but the suede would keep me f it where you can see it, Tc

I use Neatsfoot oil as the suspension, I have treated a strop with Neatsfoot and powdered Crox, works great, the oil keeps the leather in good shape and the Crox gives it the right amount of grit. Not sure how chalk or soapstone dust would hold up in the oil though.

Originally Posted by jwy77

I use Neatsfoot oil as the suspension, I have treated a strop with Neatsfoot and powdered Crox, works great, the oil keeps the leather in good shape and the Crox gives it the right amount of grit. Not sure how chalk or soapstone dust would hold up in the oil though.

Stole the words right out of my mouth.

Plus, I think neatsfoot would have a higher viscosity, causing chalk to immulsify more easily

Neatsfoot oil. Noted.

I don't have neatsfoot oil .

I have:
Water
Vegetable oil
Ballistol
Rubbing alcohol
Access to mineral oil
....Vegetable shortening

Get some Neatsfoot oil. You should be able to pick it up at any local feed and seed store.

Originally Posted by dinnermint

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Plus, I think neatsfoot would have a higher viscosity, causing chalk to immulsify more easily

That is an interesting idea. I am a welder and have soapstone in bulk. I am going to sand some down into dust and add it to Neatsfoot, and see what happens.

Originally Posted by jwy77

That is an interesting idea. I am a welder and have soapstone in bulk. I am gong to sand some down into dust and add it to Neatsfoot, and see what happens.

Be careful what you use to pulverize the chalk, as it may contaminate the sample with unwanted grit sizes. I would suggest a metal file, or something else that is rough, hard, and won't shed material. Another angle I considered . For this reason, I might get our mortar and pestle out of its box.

I would be hesitant to use that, since we use similar stones to create slurry, so there's evidence of contamination. How much of an effect this could cause is iffy. I'd go with a file or a diamond plate, if none on hand, cheap small ones can be had on the interwebs.

Originally Posted by Crawler

Be careful what you use to pulverize the chalk, as it may contaminate the sample with unwanted grit sizes. I would suggest a metal file, or something else that is rough, hard, and won't shed material. Another angle I considered . For this reason, I might get our mortar and pestle out of its box.

I was just thinking take some soapstone to a piece of angle iron(A36) and see how big of a pile of fine dust I can get. Soapstone vs Clean A36 Steel = fine,clean soapstone dust. Add Neatsfoot = ?
We will find out.