icewlf
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2022
Posts: 18
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Post by icewlf on Dec 15, 2022 19:16:18 GMT -5
I've decided on the Rock's lapidary cab machine I picked up a few weeks ago that I need to replace the leather on the polishing head. I have no clue what polishing compounds were used on it, so I don't want to risk messing up any stones I work. I got a small piece of elk hide (a few square feet) that I'm planning on using. I've read a lot of people saying that whether you use the smooth or rough side depends on what you're using it for. I want more flexibility, so I bought a modern polishing head that I can mount on the arbor end, and I plan to put some leather on as well (I'll probbaly do smooth on the one that came with the machine since thats what it has on it now). I had 2 main questions.
1) the leather I have, the rough side is the consistency of suede. Is this what most mean by rough?
2) does anyone know the shelf-life of feathering adhesive? I know I have a tube from when I got my flat lap, but its probably 15-20 years old. I wasn't sure if it would still be good, or if I should buy a new tube to use.
THanks for any advice!
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Dec 15, 2022 20:10:45 GMT -5
Good choice on the elk hide. You'll probably want to stretch it before you put it on your polishing heads. It's easy enough to do. I found "how-to" info online when we got our hide at a leathercrafts show a few years back. Just be sure to pick the cleanest areas of the hide (no scars) for your laps. Even little lumps in a lap annoy me when they're whizzing around and hitting my cabs.
You're right about the nappy side of the hide being the "rough" side. The smooth side will hold enough of your polishing compound to get the job done, and higher nap just gives the compound more room to sink down away from the surface. I do have laps set up both ways, but use the smooth ones more.
As long as your feathering compound is still sticky and not hardened it should be fine.
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