Strop this

KarlMaldensNose

KarlMaldensNose

Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
1,342
Greetings. I'm having problems knowing what a properly loaded (with green) strop looks like. I have spots--some big, some small--on the leather (Lee Valley replacement strips) that will not hold any compound, so I get little bare patches. Any chance someone can post some pics of an ideally charged strop? Or even just some tips for proper chromium oxide distribution (e.g., does first heating leather or compound work, any leather prep involved). Thanks for your help.
 
I think preping the leather with some leather oil or a quick wipe down with wd40 is a big help, if no prep is done the leather tends to soak up any moisture in the compound and does not allow it to spread evenly. If you are using a solid compound after you apply it to the leather try using mineral oil to even out the compound. Only a very thin layer of compound is needed if you are not able to see the leather through the compound you have too much. Think of it like dust on a book shelf.
 
knifenut1013 said:
I think preping the leather with some leather oil or a quick wipe down with wd40 is a big help, if no prep is done the leather tends to soak up any moisture in the compound and does not allow it to spread evenly. If you are using a solid compound after you apply it to the leather try using mineral oil to even out the compound. Only a very thin layer of compound is needed if you are not able to see the leather through the compound you have too much. Think of it like dust on a book shelf.
Click to expand...

Ohhhhhh, okay, thin is the ticket, then. I was trying to scribble on a film that completely conceals the leather, as I saw it done that way on a couple of youtube videos. Reminds me of how frustrating it was to use crayons in school, because of its waxy consitency I could never get complete coverage.

I wish there were some way to make a paste out of the green bar. In another vid I saw on youtube, the lady just shmeared on a nice even coat of some sort of honing compound in what looked like paste form from a tub... almost like the consistency of peanut butter. Thanks for your input, knifenut.
 
Hi Karl, grab the hairdryer and warm up the leather, and rub the strop compound evenly into the leather. i had the same problem with both the Lee valley leathers and some other leather i bought.
 
Try spray some WD-40 on a cloth and rub it over the leather and try rub on the compound, it spreads on like hot butter.
 
Roughing up the leather, just a bit, with some sandpaper has worked for me.
 
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