Stropping with Balsa

[pinkpony]

This done like a normal strop, or is it backwards like honing? I have the green powder stuff, just put a little on the balsa and don't add anything?

[cb91710]

Standard stropping.
Spine leads. You'll whittle the block to a mess with the edge leading.

I'm not familiar with the powdered CrOX, I would assume that it needs to be mixed with a carrier of some sort... the only thing I have experience with is a detergent-based .5um CrOX paste, so I'll let someone else answer the issue of the powder.

[smalltank]

Put a glove on..wipe a small layer on the top of the balsa and make sure it covers as much as you can..very little goes a long way

[hokahay]

You can use whatever oil you have. Mineral oil, baby oil, razor ooil. Dip your latex finger into the oil and then into the CrOx. Smear it on the balsa. It will take six or eight times. Spread it like finger painting and use just enough to get a light green color across the balsa. It's easy to use to much. This is according to whipped dog in his instructions.

[pinkpony]

You can use whatever oil you have. Mineral oil, baby oil, razor ooil. Dip your latex finger into the oil and then into the CrOx. Smear it on the balsa. It will take six or eight times. Spread it like finger painting and use just enough to get a light green color across the balsa. It's easy to use to much. This is according to whipped dog in his instructions.

What about vegtable oil? Or peanut oil? Don't think I have any oil other than that..

[rickboone1]

What about vegtable oil? Or peanut oil? Don't think I have any oil other than that..

That's fine. Will smell funky.

[Legion]

What about vegtable oil? Or peanut oil? Don't think I have any oil other than that..

No. It will go rancid. Go to the super market and buy a small bottle of baby oil.

[Slash McCoy]

Oil, glycerine, soap, whatever. Or just sprinkle a little powder and rub it in. It's all good. Make sure you do this on something that doesn't mind being green. SWMBO's heirloom damask lace tablecloth is perhaps unsuitable for this operation. The good thing about its propensity to stain is you can easily tell if you have enough CrOx on your balsa. If there is enough, it will be green. If it isn't green, put some more. Spread it around and work it in.

What I do with powdered abrasives is when I melt a new puck of VDH, I pour a little into a shot glass or teacup or turkish coffee cup, whatever is at hand. When it just begins to cool I add one part CrOx or diamond powder or whatever, to two parts VDH, stir it in, and re stir occasionally. When it is solid but still soft, I scoop it out with a small spoon and knead it into a handy lump. Now when I want to paste something I just scribble some on with the lump, and rub it in. Works for balsa, paddles, bench strops and hanging strops of leather, felt, or linen. In other words, any strop you want to paste.

Diamond is a very neutral color so if you use .5u or larger diamond, add just a little CrOx or whatever pigment you can find. The coloring helps indicate where you need to spread the stuff more.

Normally I buy my abrasives in paste form. I usually get my diamond from www.tedpella.com and it comes in a handy syringe. But if I have a powder, especially CrOx, I use the melted VDH trick.

[A35335]

You can use isopropyl alcohol from the drug store, the 91% kind. Volume wise, I would say something like 7:1 or 8:1 alky to CrOx. Put it in a little atomizer.............works great on my Edge Pro strops and on balsa

[cb91710]

Everclear?

[Earcutter]

Hey - don't forget to make sure that the strip of Balsa you're putting it on is flat first!

[Kentos]

Just remember you don't need much. Just enough to tint the balsa green. Making the thing super dark green will only waste product.

[Legion]

Just remember you don't need much. Just enough to tint the balsa green. Making the thing super dark green will only waste product.

But it looks nice. Like a little putting green....

[A35335]

You can use isopropyl alcohol from the drug store, the 91% kind. Volume wise, I would say something like 7:1 or 8:1 alky to CrOx. Put it in a little atomizer.............works great on my Edge Pro strops and on balsa

It's worth a try if you have some on hand, but they're not the same. Everclear is a fermented alcohol, iso is a chemically produced one. Either may still work.

[brother cavefish]

nothing beats it, cheap and effective

[cb91710]

Just remember you don't need much. Just enough to tint the balsa green. Making the thing super dark green will only waste product.

Been meaning to ask about that.

How do I know when my linen needs to be refreshed with a new "coat"?

[Legion]

Been meaning to ask about that.

How do I know when my linen needs to be refreshed with a new "coat"?

If it has green on it it is working. They do not need to be refreshed often.

[cb91710]

Not sure it ever won't be green

I do use it daily... normally 10-15 laps, followed by 25-30 on leather.

[Kentos]

I should last a loooong time. I have some CBN sprayed leather going on 6 months or more already.