Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

[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?

[squbrigg]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Congratulations!!! While you will have time over the next few months, to put your feet up and carve, I imagine that freedom will diminish once the baby arrives! So enjoy it now.

From the little I know, I believe that strop compound is just wax and the particles are carbide, but perhaps someone else here knows more about them.

Best of luck with your pregnancy and your husband! LOL

Bob

[Keoma]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Congratulations Congratulations!
You know my husband was just as nuts...he was panicked about every fleck of sawdust!
I have to tell you, and please all you amazing carvers don't jump on me, when I was watching my Grandpa with his lather strop and my dad with his wet stone, they would just spit on them! It works and it's All Natural and No lead! Eh?
Good luck!

[Mischief]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Keoma,

Is it true that I wont have time to carve once baby is born? Sob!sob! I started this because of the baby. I wanted to carve stuff to decorate room and make a nice mobile. I am suddenly sadden by the realisation that I might no longer have time for this.

[Keoma]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

OH NO NO NO NO!!!!! Don't panick and don't set that as a limitation! You can do anything when you have a baby! I did my woodworking right up untill 2 days before my youngest was born. Those 2 days I was busy canning apple butter! The only thing I quit was my lathe...for obviouse reasons
My sons both slept in there little playpens while I worked outside. I had one of those mosquito nets to keep buggies off of them and it also kept of any errant sawdust too!
You will have plenty of time! Its all in how you manage it! Get your house work done in the am during that nap time and then when he goes down for the after noon you can carve. Besides watching mommies work from their crib would be extra special !
Now, both my boys are in the shop with me. 10 and 5. Mama's boys!
Carving a mobile is a particularly brilliant idea you know! What heirlooms! Keep heart and remember do NOT set limitations for yourself! Women are awesome and mommies rock!

[Mischief]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Thanks!!...but still back to the question....what is in Stropping compounds?
My knives are getting blunt ...crazy man wont let me use the stuff

[BobT]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

I know that the Green variety has Chromium Oxide in it and that is suppoed to be bad for you.
Quoted from Flexcut themselves;

Any of the green compounds contain some amount of chrome oxide. We will not use a compound containing chrome oxide because of health related issues. The green may give you a higher color (finer finish) depending on the content of chrome. The more chrome the more aggressive its cutting, but, the more expensive the compound. This is why most consumer products have a small content of chrome. We believe that the trade off in performance of the edge as to health risk are not appreciable to warrant its use.

One surefire way, if you are using Flexcut Gold, is to ask them for an MSDS. They have to give that up. They don't have it on their site but a call to Customer Service should do the trick.

[Keoma]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Hey MisChief-I have spoke to the tech support at a company that sells yellowstone strop compound. He is going to email me any info on it tomorrow afternoon. He did tell me that there was no dire warnings listed but that he would rip into one and disect the label for me...Very nice! So I will post what he tells me then. You made me curious! So many things we touch everyday...ya jest never know!

[Mischief]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Lol! Now thats an idea...i should email Rick! and ask him

[rick-in-seattle]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

I have replied to your email with the information I have and the source of the product and the MSDS. I would suggest that protective equipment be worn when using any chemical or compound.

From what I know of the compound, it contains parrafin and silica.
If there is concern about contact with chemicals etc. I would use a clean leather strop; but even leather is treated/tanned with chemicals.

Stropping can be done on other materials such as course cloth, cardboard, wood and other (for all intents and purposes) inert materials. You may even strop on a fine-hard arkansas stone.

Your husband sounds like a very thoughtful and caring man.

[Mischief]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Thanks RICK!. He is ..I think if he had his way, I would go to work everyday wrapped in bubble wrap. ...but so far NOT A WORD about sharp knives and gouges.

He will be glad to know its wax and silica. I dont think he is that extreme to worry about the leather or else...i might not get to sit in my recliner anymore.

[Keoma]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

I second you rick!(((Applause for the daddy!!!))) I do know breathing any form of silica is a no no. I think its sounding more and more like spit is the safest bet!

[susieq]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Mischief,
I am the queen of hobbiests....inspite of raising two daughters. I was lucky enough to be a stay at home mom and wife so that helped. If I had to work and be mom things would have been a lot different. My suggestion to you is that you always reserve some time for yourself to do the things that make you happy. It didn't hurt my girls to spend a little time in a playpen while I did my leather tooling, oil painting or any of the other hobbies I experimented with over the years. Nap time is also great to have some "me" time.

You will feel less frazzled and be much happier if you allow yourself to have this time. You know the old saying....when Mama's happy, everybody's happy. When Mama's not happy, ani't nobody happy. Good luck with your new baby and your new hobby......

[Just Carving]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Hmmm...honey driving momma nuts--really needs a hobby.

Momma needs tools sharpened.

Honey won't let Momma sharpen her tools.

Momma, teach honey how to sharpen tools--in fact, teach honey to do all those things that he doesn't want you to do!!!

He'll be so busy, you'll have PLENTY of time to do whatever you want!!!

I know honey is probably a wonderful guy--but nine months is long enough without honey making it seem longer!!

Having been in health care and emregency services and dealt with a lot of adverse environmental situations, I will say this. It isn't what you're working with as much as how MUCH you're working with it. I would say that if you walked down a a city street with buses and trucks and cars sitting in traffic, you would probably be exposed to more toxic stuff than what's in the stropping compound simply beacause you're only exposed to the compound because you're breathing while stropping and maybe you have a bit of skin contact with it for a few minutes. If you were working with the stuff for 8 hours a day on a buffing wheel that was spraying it all over, then I'd be worried. And then even then, a dusk mask or a ventilation fan or open window or doing it outside will take care of the breathing part, and a glove will take care of the skin contact. Or, have honey do it while you're carving in peace!! LOL

Bob L

[Keoma]

Re: Pregnant and Husband is nuts_Strop Compound

Brilliant Bob! Ha H HA HA...I have to say mischief...I was thinking of you while I was making dinner and I could not help but smile...actually I was giggling a bit too. You have to pardon me, please! I was thinking of you and your leather recliner...lol...I think you are safe as long as he does not see you sniffing around the seat...then he will start to worry! Please, I appologize ahead of time...That thought just popped into my head and it would not leave! It might even be a good subject for your book of comics? Because It was your avatar I was Imagining! LOL! Have a great night!