My homemade paddle strop experiments

[strangehat]

I've been wanting a new strop, and after looking up other people's threads on homemade paddle strops thought I would give making some a go.

The first one served as the prototype. I picked up a length of rimu hardwood from the local building supply store, cut a short length from it and oiled it with Danish oil. My first piece of leather I stuck on to it (using contact adhesive) was a scrap from a fabric shop. It was too flimsy. It had a very shiny surface that had no real feeling to it in terms of draw, and sanding it made it fall apart. I tore it off and set about finding a new piece.

It occurred to me to try my local shoe and bag repair guy. He very kindly gave me a much thicker piece of very smooth leather - he didn't even charge me for it! He also explained the different tanning processes and how the kind of leather I needed to use should be more like the piece he gave me. Then he pulled out a much larger chunk of even thicker leather and said he'd check with his friend who it belonged to if I could buy some of it. I took the other piece home to try it out.

I cut it to size using a cutting wheel my girlfriend uses for fabric and glued it down. I decided the surface could be a touch smoother, so I gave it a light sand with some 800, followed by 1200 grit, burnished it for several minutes with a bottle and then rubbed it down with my hand. Here's how it came out:



Despite being small, it's a nice surface to strop on. It works nicely resting on my knee while I hold the end with my other hand.

The shoe repair guy came through the following day - I could buy a big chunk for just $10 (NZD - that's basically small change in USD with the exchange rate the way it is at the moment).

The second strop is currently a work in progress... more to come.

 

[strangehat]

The big chunk of leather allowed me to cut out two pieces about 2.75" x 13". The large paddle strop is going to be double sided. Here's the leather, cut to size:



I cut the rimu long enough to leave a piece that could be cut into a handle. I cut out a handle with a jigsaw, then filed it down so that it was smooth. Then I lapped the surfaces on a piece of sandpaper on a piece of glass (they were just slightly warped when I laid a steel ruler on them - the sandpaper quickly flattened them out). Here it is after the first coat of Danish oil:



I'm contemplating trying a different adhesive to secure the leather to the paddle - the contact adhesive is hard to apply to the porous leather surface. Maybe PVA?

 

[BSAGuy]

That is some very nice work. Look forward to seeing the big finished strop.

 

[Gamma]

Nice paddle. My woodworking skills are non-existent, so I've been looking for a pre-cut piece of wood that's paddle shaped.

 

[strangehat]

I decided to use PVA glue, after testing it on a sample piece. I lightly sanded back the surface of the paddle, applied a thin coat of glue to the back of each piece of leather and the paddle, then pressed it all together. I pressed it between two flat surfaces with some heavy books on top for about an hour while the glue took hold.

Here's the finished result:





With an attempt at a close up of the leather surface:



I'm happy with how it turned out. The leather is very dense, so the stropping surface is very smooth and hard. It feels good to strop on! I noticed on one side that there is a very small crease in the surface of the leather, but it creates a barely perceptible depression, rather than raised section, on the stropping surface, so I figure it won't be an issue.

In comparison, the small paddle has a subtle nap (due I suppose to my sanding of it) that I notice when looking down it and stroking the surface with my finger. It feels more like very light suede to strop on.

With two stropping surfaces (well, four if you count the small paddle), I'm wondering about applying some sharpening paste to one side. I have a crayon of the TI paste, and have only used this on a hanging strop (without much success). I'm still trying to get a handle on what the right amount is to put on, since the general consensus is to go easy on it. I haven't tried any other pastes before, but am open to any suggestions.

 

[strangehat]

Oh, another step I forgot to mention is that I took some 800 grit paper on a block and made a small bevel down each edge of the leather, in case there were any ragged parts. I haven't decided what to do about the sides of the leather, which are slightly fluffy in places - maybe some wax applied just to the size on a q-tip would help to smooth things out.

 

[strangehat]

Nice paddle. My woodworking skills are non-existent, so I've been looking for a pre-cut piece of wood that's paddle shaped.

Thanks - mine are pretty basic too, I'll have to admit. I'm lucky to have a girlfriend who is into crafts and restoring furniture. I used all of her gear, got a few tips but was winging it most of the way.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Well done. I suggest sanding a slight bevel on the right hand edge. Well, both edges, actually, since your strop. Is not wider than a blade length.

 

[rockviper]

Nice job. Homemade paddles are a very economical way to get a strop that delivers the goods.

 

[bluesman 7]

I haven't decided what to do about the sides of the leather, which are slightly fluffy in places - maybe some wax applied just to the size on a q-tip would help to smooth things out.

Caveat Emptor....I'm not a leather worker, I only pretend to be one here on this forum. I have read that the way to burnish the edges of your leather is with spit and the back side of a hard wooden spoon.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Caveat Emptor....I'm not a leather worker, I only pretend to be one here on this forum. I have read that the way to burnish the edges of your leather is with spit and the back side of a hard wooden spoon.

+1 sounds like a good method to try

 

[strangehat]

+1 sounds like a good method to try

Interesting. I'd come across something similar, except they went further by suggesting sucking a boiled sweet first and then using spit - apparently the friction heats the sugar+saliva compound and makes it work better.

 

[strangehat]

OK, tried the spit and wood burnishing method suggested (omitted the use of candy) - it seems to have worked well. I haven't gone for a super shiny finish, but it smoothed off the fluffy edges of the leather nicely!

 

[martym]

How's it coming along?