How to make your own sharpening paste? What do I mix with the abrasive? Help.

bluesmandan said:
I'm hoping someone has an answer to my problem. I'm trying to make some sharpening paste using some aluminum oxide abrasive (8000 grit).

okay, it looks like I have joined this party a little late (a decade or so ). But, I have made my own because I certainly don't want to be breathing in dried up chromium oxide that is found in most, if not all the green compounds. I got some diamond lapping powder, it's 10000 grit. I only made a small amount to begin with, but I am happy to say it works incredibly well. So, first make a paste wax (like you use for wood) (55/45 for this) beeswax and mineral oil. So, a full teaspoon of the paste wax to a quarter teaspoon of the diamond lapping powder.
I have been very happy with it, gives a very keen edge to my razors. I hope this helps people out.
Also, I noticed some people writing daft answers, I don't know if this is due to lack of knowledge with polishing/stropping blades or something...but don't use play dough! It's an awful idea. And toothpaste? Please.
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Please permit me to add my two cents to the mix...
Melt a pound of bee's wax, add in just 2-3 tablespoons of Neatsfoot oil or Lexol... no more than that. (Do NOT use Mineral oil.. for the very reasons you've mentioned previously.) Then start mixing in your powdered abrasive until you get a thick sludge.
Pour this into aluminum foil muffin tins (larger is better) an allow to cool completely.
You will wind up with a dozen blocks of compound that feel and behave commercially made stuff.

I did this with some powdered Chromium Oxide I was playing with, after having turned my workshop (and clothing, tools, nose hair, and eyebrows) green trying to use the powder alone...


Stitchawl
 
stitchawl said:
Please permit me to add my two cents to the mix...
Melt a pound of bee's wax, add in just 2-3 tablespoons of Neatsfoot oil or Lexol... no more than that. (Do NOT use Mineral oil.. for the very reasons you've mentioned previously.) Then start mixing in your powdered abrasive until you get a thick sludge.
Pour this into aluminum foil muffin tins (larger is better) an allow to cool completely.
You will wind up with a dozen blocks of compound that feel and behave commercially made stuff.

I did this with some powdered Chromium Oxide I was playing with, after having turned my workshop (and clothing, tools, nose hair, and eyebrows) green trying to use the powder alone...


Stitchawl
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I'm hoping you are still watching. When you made your compound...do you recall what your chromium oxide ratio was to your bee's wax? We have the beeswax but need to purchase a load of Chromium Oxide Powder and can't find reliable info on ratio of was to oxide. Thanks in advance for any tips.
 
NationsLeather said:
I'm hoping you are still watching. When you made your compound...do you recall what your chromium oxide ratio was to your bee's wax? We have the beeswax but need to purchase a load of Chromium Oxide Powder and can't find reliable info on ratio of was to oxide. Thanks in advance for any tips.
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Yep! Still around. Just guessing here, but I don't think I added more than 3-4 heaping tablespoons full. And at that, I feel it was overkill. With any compound, all that is needed is enough to show some color. Everything is happening on a micron level, so why would you need a millimeter of the stuff? Absurd! And some folks spread it on like peanut butter! Imagine rubbing a soft pencil on a sheet of paper, then rubbing your finger over than and then wiping your finger on another piece of paper. THAT is all that is really needed to strop an edge. No more. If anyone doubts that, try it with CrO2 powder and a cheap carbon steel blade and see how fast the green turns to black...


Stitchawl
 
YES!!
I have been saying that all along but folks are so used to the photos online its hard to change their mind. I have been adding a lip balm tube of our compounds to our strops and teaching folks to warm the strop and apply a thin coating. The one in the shop I am currently using has last a couple of months and I use it a lot.

Anyway, I thank you very much for your response. I think I will probably buy powder and mix up my own. It seems like that would be the most economical for my needs. Your info will be super helpful in my mix. ThNKS STITCHAWL!!
 
Speaking of lip balm, the containers work awesome for abrasive wax sticks. Remove the chap-stick stuff and toss it then make a wax/abrasive mixture and melt it. Pour it into a chap-stick tube and after it solidifies you can use it to apply the abrasive to a strop or buff. Keep it capped when not in use and twist a little more out when necessary. Alter the ratio of wax to oil to suit the task at hand and make it softer or harder. (Harder for buff, softer for strop). You can use beeswax or micro-crystalline wax if you want a higher melting point/harder wax, and paraffin for softer/lower melting point. Melt the wax and add oil in varying ratios to alter the hardness/melting point.
 
eKretz said:
Speaking of lip balm, the containers work awesome
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Yes, we have been using them for a while now. I have just moved into making a softer paste to go into Round Tin Containers. It looks better but I don't think it will apply as easy as the compound in the lip balm tubes...but like I said, folks seem to be having a hard time realizing they don't need a tub of compound to get the job done.
 
The stuff I make is a mix of approx 3/5 abrasive to 2/5 binder, the binder being a blend of beeswax, paraffin, and small amount of pine rosin. When making it with Aluminum Oxide instead of silicon carbide/diamond I had an even higher % of abrasive - 1/5 binder to 4/5 abrasive.

Use a double boiler or elec hotplate (outside) to heat everything, pour into a foil mold.
 
Good to see somebody utilized the lip balm tubes for this. I've got a little drinking glass filled with the empty carcasses of old lip balm tubes, saved in the thought they could work for such things. I toyed with the idea of making some compound using green powdered CrOx I have. But I never got around to doing it, as I'm not stropping as much with compound in general, anymore. But still, a good idea is a good idea. :thumbsup:
 
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SteelJunkee said:
You can add petroleum jelly to the mix until you get the texture you want.
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Being an petroleum-based product, it's not really the best 'dressing' for leather, and the strop will suffer for it in the long run. Chose an animal or plant based binder instead for a longer lasting strop. De-scented lanolin is an absolutely perfect substitute! The strop my Grandfather and father used daily, that I now have, looks almost new because of it.
 
stitchawl said:
Being an petroleum-based product, it's not really the best 'dressing' for leather, and the strop will suffer for it in the long run. Chose an animal or plant based binder instead for a longer lasting strop. De-scented lanolin is an absolutely perfect substitute! The strop my Grandfather and father used daily, that I now have, looks almost new because of it.
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Hey Stitchawl, I agree. Off the top of my head, I can not think of any petroleum based product I use with my leather but we work in Veg Tan instead of Chromium Tanned and that may be why. Gummy always comes to mind when I think petroleum based.

Regardless, tell us more about those strops. Were they made from Cowhide? What were there dimensions? (I have a pet peeve about the new need to strops that are 4" x 12" but I was always partial to a nice 1.5" to 2" width.) Also, how thick is the leather? How old are they? Thanks. I am super interested if you have the chance to share. Doug
 
So. Would'nt Paraffin wax have the same effect ? Correct me if i'm wrong, isnt Petroleum jelly basically a soft paraffin ?
 
NationsLeather, what would you suggest as the best carrier for an abrasive for leather strops?
 
Diemaker said:
NationsLeather, what would you suggest as the best carrier for an abrasive for leather strops?
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Hi Diemaker. As far as carrier's go we work in Tallow. It is easy to acquire and does a good job of laying a thin sheen of abrasive. As StichAwl mentioned, we like warming up the leather and laying down a thin, thin sheen of abrasive. It works so much better than trying to strop on a crayon layer of chromium oxide.

(However, we are always experimenting. This is what I love about my job. Looking for new ways using old standard products. ie. beeswax. I have a load of beeswax coming into the shop and I am going to mix up a small batch and see what it does to a buffalo strop. I'm not sure it will do the job I want but a mixture of tallow and wax might be cool. I will let you know.)
 
Thank you, I just looked up tallow and have two questions please. Does the critter the tallow comes from matter? How long would a small jar last if kept sealed between applications?
 
Diemaker said:
Thank you, I just looked up tallow and have two questions please. Does the critter the tallow comes from matter? How long would a small jar last if kept sealed between applications?
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Great discussion. I would love to know folks thoughts on this one. We use grass fed beef tallow. It works well but I haven't tried anything else. My first thought is...simply an issue of fat so it should not matter....however, I have know The Lord long enough to know he made a Buch of different critters and each one is good for something.

As far as sealing the jar, I just don't think we have ever had any go rancid and I have a tub in my tool box that has been there....for a bit...at least a year. probably more. (I really need to do something with it actually. smelled it yesterday and still fine...although my smeller is broken.) : ]
 
I've seen some really affordable diamond paste at Cktg in several different grits. 8000 grit is about 3 micron iirc. They come in a syringe and is there own brand.

Could be worth looking into.
 
Eh, I think I'll pass on applying tallow to a strop. I tend to keep mine for a long time, and tallow may not go rancid in a year but it probably won't take much longer than that, and then it'd be time to toss the strop. I've never had a problem with the beeswax mixes. Lanolin lasts longer but still goes off as well.
 
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