[Keoma]

HA HA...maybe you could find one of those bubble suits you mentioned? lol

[doris]

one can strop just on a pure leather belt without any compound (actually this is what is described in german carving books, there is no speak of compound). it works as nice, only a tad bit slower...
a friend of mine strops on the inside of his hands, after he showed me that i use my fingers only to strop inside round gouges, is easier than finding a fitting dowel, they always vanish somehow ...
to my knowledge the stropping compound is only for speeding up the process...so, you could at least while pregnant use simply pure leather belt ... congratulations btw !!

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Originally Posted by Mischief

I am pregnant and hubby is just my safety king man. He has been questioning what is in my stropping compound from Little Shaver. Is it natural? Is there lead in it? Am I sure its safe? Dont get woodchips on his baby...AGGGG!
So...can someone please tell me what is in that Stropping compound?

No wood chips on the baby? He doesn't want him to be a chip off the old block? I have been using the green chromium oxide compound for years.......actually, how often do you put it on the strop or buffing wheel? very seldom actually and after the first or second strop the compound is pushed into the surface of the strop......I don't see a problem....but then what do I know

[mdallensr]

The common stropping compounds (white) for power wheels are based on aluminum oxide, and it's pretty inert. The dust created by power stropping isn't hazardous because of the alumina, it's bad because it's dust and not good for your lungs. Wear a respirator.

All of the common stropping compounds that we use on our leather hand strops are safe to use that way. We're not making or ingesting dust when we strop, and skin contact with those compounds is not hazardous, at least routinely. There are some folks who have allergic reactions to some chemicals, but that doesn't suggest the chemicals are carcinogenic or otherwise hazardous. Even the chromium based compounds are safe unless you ingest a few pounds of the compound or are allergic. The major problem with chromium is the chemical compound hexavalent chrome that's used in electroplating solutions.

Most of the heavy metals that we've learned to fear are less hazardous in the pure metallic form than they are as chemical compounds (with the exception of mercury). People have been unaffected by a lead slug from a gunshot wound, carried in their body for decades. The same person would be sickened quickly by the lead oxide pigment used in paint. Check out most vitamin/mineral supplements and you'll find several metallic minerals or compounds that are important for our health. MSDS sheets are really useful, and you can be sure the supplier will list any known hazard, given the liability involved, and they will err on the conservative side rather than gloss over a potential concern. All things in moderation, as Ben Franklin used to say.

[rakau]

Many years ago a friend,now deceased,gave me some white powder
he called diamantine,he said he,d used it to polish the platinum points
on Spitfire engines in the 2nd world war,I used it on my strop which
is nailed to the bench,its all used up, now I use fine carborundum
paste,the stuff you use to lap in car engine valves,it works well.

Jack

[dmatias]

Congratulations on the upcoming bundle.

I go with teaching your hubby how to do the sharpening for you,then while he is keeping his eagle eye on you, he can admire your work while he is doing his bit to help out with the baby heirlooms that you are creating.

My hubby was a worrier when I was pregnant as well, even made me get a special screen for the computer monitor to keep the harmful rays off of the precious cargo I was carting around.

That cargo is now 13 and a typical teenager. Boy, what you have to look forward to. Enjoy every moment.