How to Clean a Leather Burnisher?

T

TerryZak

New member
I've searched the forum and haven't found insight on this one, and would appreciate your insights.

I have several leather burnishers (Porper's, Last 4 Ever, and Tiger). During a night out if a shaft feels like it's starting to drag, I use the more coarse side first, and then the smooth side.

Especially for the Tiger with it's light color, I can easily see how the coarse side picks up the chalk and residue that's removed from the shaft during cleaning. I understand that's expected.

So one question is, once a leather burnisher has picked up this chalk and residue aren't you just wiping that back into the shaft when using the burnisher the next time?

And is there a way to clean a leather burnisher to remove the chalk and residue?

Thanks in advance!

Terry
 
I've never thought of this but i'd guess that some leather cleaner and a brush would work.
 
TerryZak said:
I've searched the forum and haven't found insight on this one, and would appreciate your insights.

I have several leather burnishers (Porper's, Last 4 Ever, and Tiger). During a night out if a shaft feels like it's starting to drag, I use the more coarse side first, and then the smooth side.

Especially for the Tiger with it's light color, I can easily see how the coarse side picks up the chalk and residue that's removed from the shaft during cleaning. I understand that's expected.

So one question is, once a leather burnisher has picked up this chalk and residue aren't you just wiping that back into the shaft when using the burnisher the next time?

And is there a way to clean a leather burnisher to remove the chalk and residue?

Thanks in advance!

Terry
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Burnishers burnish Leather, if you're removing wood with it, it's a sander. A leather burnisher should last about a lifetime +. Brian.
 
Johnny Rosato said:
Put it in one of those mesh zip up laundry bags for delicates with
your wife's unmentionables then let it air dry.
Click to expand...
I already do that with my billiard gloves, which is as far as I can press that.

But I stepped out on a limb and took some pump hand soap and a fingernail brush to the Tiger burnisher tonight. Blotted with a towel and am letting it dry. We'll see how it holds up!
 
a1712 said:
Burnishers burnish Leather, if you're removing wood with it, it's a sander. A leather burnisher should last about a lifetime +. Brian.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I had used this one when I was out playing to clean up a shaft that felt like it was dragging. It was a shaft that I haven't gotten around to sealing with sanding sealer and also had not waxed it yet. I was surprised by how much chalk the rough side of the Tiger burnisher removed from the shaft.
 
straightline said:
Don't put chalk and grime on it.
Click to expand...
Guess I should leave some magic eraser in my cue case for when chalk builds up.

I changed to the TAOM V10 (Pagulayan blue flavor), and hold my cue at an angle when chalking to reduce accumulation on the shaft. But I guess it also gets picked up by the glove (Molanari or Predator Second Skin) and then rubbed into the shaft grain. It's quite irritating.

I clean off my shaft after each playing session, but have two friends that each time we get together we play a minimum of six hours. I'm not retired so I can't do that but once or twice a week, but that provides a lot of opportunity for chalk/grime to build up on the shaft; even if I wash my hands 3-5 times.
 
TerryZak said:
I've searched the forum and haven't found insight on this one, and would appreciate your insights.

I have several leather burnishers (Porper's, Last 4 Ever, and Tiger). During a night out if a shaft feels like it's starting to drag, I use the more coarse side first, and then the smooth side.

Especially for the Tiger with it's light color, I can easily see how the coarse side picks up the chalk and residue that's removed from the shaft during cleaning. I understand that's expected.

So one question is, once a leather burnisher has picked up this chalk and residue aren't you just wiping that back into the shaft when using the burnisher the next time?

And is there a way to clean a leather burnisher to remove the chalk and residue?

Thanks in advance!

Terry
Click to expand...
Leather is not required. Run a wet thumb across the ferrule and tip and turn it hard around a paper towel. That's all you need to do.
 
straightline said:
Seal it and clean with alcohol. THEN burnish.

Incidentally, go joint to tip. The other way just spreads chalk over the whole shaft.
Click to expand...
Thanks straightline. Cleaning from the joint to the tip makes great sense! Seems so obvious now, but hasn't been previously!

Since I don't know what's on a shaft when I purchase it, I start out with Bug & Tar remover and then alcohol to remove oils and any remnants of wax. Then give the shaft a sanding with 600 and then alcohol with a clean rag to remove saw dust. If the shaft is used but new to me, I'll also use a Magic Eraser, and then Longoni and another commercially available shaft cleaner prior to the 600 sanding.

I use the Zinsser 854, Bulls Eye Sealcoat Universal Sanding Sealer that's 100% wax free and cut it to about 50% with denatured alcohol so that the shellac gets down into the pores. Then I let dry and sand with an initial dry 600 sandpaper on the lathe. After additional light coats I wet sand with 800, and then later wax with Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus Premium Paste Wax on my lathe, and buff off residual. I also wet sand with 1200 for the last couple coats of wax.

But since alcohol strips wax and can remove sanding sealer, I stay away from that and just use a slightly damp paper towel for cleaning (after sealing and waxing) and then dry by rubbing down with a microfiber towel.

I have a bottle of Tiger Cleaner and one of their Sealer, but haven't used them because frankly, I have no idea what they're made of. The instructions on both bottle state to use the Tiger products on a lathe, so to me there doesn't seem to be a big advantage for the Tiger products over the sanding sealer and Carnauba wax.

I'm not an expert on this stuff, but a borderline OCD engineer who gets irritated with the chalk stains.

Thank you to everyone for their insights and guidance,

Terry
 
TerryZak said:
Thanks straightline. Cleaning from the joint to the tip makes great sense! Seems so obvious now, but hasn't been previously!

Since I don't know what's on a shaft when I purchase it, I start out with Bug & Tar remover and then alcohol to remove oils and any remnants of wax. Then give the shaft a sanding with 600 and then alcohol with a clean rag to remove saw dust. If the shaft is used but new to me, I'll also use a Magic Eraser, and then Longoni and another commercially available shaft cleaner prior to the 600 sanding.

I use the Zinsser 854, Bulls Eye Sealcoat Universal Sanding Sealer that's 100% wax free and cut it to about 50% with denatured alcohol so that the shellac gets down into the pores. Then I let dry and sand with an initial dry 600 sandpaper on the lathe. After additional light coats I wet sand with 800, and then later wax with Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Plus Premium Paste Wax on my lathe, and buff off residual. I also wet sand with 1200 for the last couple coats of wax.

But since alcohol strips wax and can remove sanding sealer, I stay away from that and just use a slightly damp paper towel for cleaning (after sealing and waxing) and then dry by rubbing down with a microfiber towel.

I have a bottle of Tiger Cleaner and one of their Sealer, but haven't used them because frankly, I have no idea what they're made of. The instructions on both bottle state to use the Tiger products on a lathe, so to me there doesn't seem to be a big advantage for the Tiger products over the sanding sealer and Carnauba wax.

I'm not an expert on this stuff, but a borderline OCD engineer who gets irritated with the chalk stains.

Thank you to everyone for their insights and guidance,

Terry
Click to expand...
Wow that's thorough enough. I just use car products; currently Turtle Wax Seal and Shine for a base and the silicone only (no shaking) from TWax ICE synth polish. I can then clean with home brewed isopropyl - strong as possible but there's unfortunately still enough water in it to raise the grain a hair. I don't use denatured because of the poison in it.
Can't shellac obviously but I wish there was some plastic coating that can be sprayed on.

If you play frequently cleaning after a day's play is a requisite.
 
straightline said:
Wow that's thorough enough. I just use car products; currently Turtle Wax Seal and Shine for a base and the silicone only (no shaking) from TWax ICE synth polish. I can then clean with home brewed isopropyl - strong as possible but there's unfortunately still enough water in it to raise the grain a hair. I don't use denatured because of the poison in it.
Can't shellac obviously but I wish there was some plastic coating that can be sprayed on.

If you play frequently cleaning after a day's play is a requisite.
Click to expand...
Yes, I find that for the shafts I've sealed and waxed, they clean up quite well with a damp paper towel and then I buff dry with a microfiber.

If it's been a while and I'm going to apply another coat of wax, then I clean with isopropyl alcohol.

"Can't shellac obviously but I wish there was some plastic coating that can be sprayed on." Yes, you and me both on that one.

Thanks again,

Terry
 
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