Burnishing sans specific tools

[Seamus]

It's true. I've read elsewhere on these forums that burnishing can be done with some spit and a dowel rod. So I tried it on a couple items. Looked really nice... until about 24 hours later when it looked like I had done nothing at all.

Am I doing something wrong? Have I missed a step? Is there some sort of prep work involved besides rubbing copius amounts of saliva on the edge and rubbing it to that "burned" stage with the dowel? I'm at wits end with this one!

[Luke Hatley]

and after you do the burnishing with saliva, you need to put a finish on it....Super Sheen.

works for me.

[wildrose]

I've not used a dowel, but I've used spit and a canvas burnishing cloth - that worked fine for me.

[Seamus]

and after you do the burnishing with saliva, you need to put a finish on it....Super Sheen.

works for me.

Does this seal it up so it doesn't "unburnish" itself, which is essentially what's happening?

[oldtimer]

A big chunk of chewing tobacco along with the saliva will help a lot to make a nice burnished color !

[Dwight]

It's true. I've read elsewhere on these forums that burnishing can be done with some spit and a dowel rod. So I tried it on a couple items. Looked really nice... until about 24 hours later when it looked like I had done nothing at all.

Am I doing something wrong? Have I missed a step? Is there some sort of prep work involved besides rubbing copius amounts of saliva on the edge and rubbing it to that "burned" stage with the dowel? I'm at wits end with this one!

In one of his holster making videos, John Bianchi put on a pair of wide cuffed, heavy canvas gloves and demonstrated that those were his "burnishing" tools early in his career. He used a bit of moisture to get started, and ran a piece of raw beeswax on the edge. The friction of rubbing the edge briskly with the palm of the glove would soften the wax and imbed it into the fibers. It gives a fair edge, . . . but a dremel tool and either the dye you are using, . . . or Gum Tragacanth, . . . gives a really good edge.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Kowboyboots]

I know I have posted this before, cause I am a true believer, but even with out the tool it is interesting to watch.

[Windy]

A big chunk of chewing tobacco along with the saliva will help a lot to make a nice burnished color !

I bout tossed my cookies reading that.

WINDY

Edited February 6, 2009 by Windy

[Dwight]

I know I have posted this before, cause I am a true believer, but even with out the tool it is interesting to watch.

In John Bianchi's video on making a Western Gunfighter Rig, . . . he goes through the steps to make this burnisher. It's basically wool felt cut into 1 1/2 inch discs, . . . placed on an arbor, . . . placed on a small 1725 RPM motor, . . . he advocated first using Tandy's Edge Coat (I think the videos were a Tandy informercial to a certain degree) and then rubbing with virgin beeswax and doing it again.

I made one like that, . . . it works great, . . . but it is out in my shop where it is -8 F and I would rather use my Dremel in the house where it is between 68 and 72

But for $99.00 on ebay, . . . one can get the product and not have to do anything.

May God bless,

Dwight

[StolpSaddles]

I have made my own burnishing tool simular to the one above but I use a piece of hard fir on a shaft mounted between 2 bearing blocks from princess auto. with a pully at the end to the motor I can choose the speed with the pully size . I started out wit a square 3x3 and used my setup as a lathe with a wood plane to turn it round, then filed in with a couple of round files 3/8 deep grooves to facilitate the various thicknesses of leather so as to finish the round edge as well.

I just recently added a strip of leather to one section as a power strop

Cost:

Motor free

wood free

rod and bearings about $20.00

Edited February 9, 2009 by StolpSaddles