Anyone Make Metal Burnishers

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

I have a steel one and folks, I wouldn't waste my time. A wood tool handle works better and faster than that thing on a motor. Paid $60 for it over twenty years ago, so as far as $40 or $50 being "affordable" in this day and age, well another reason I wouldn't waste my time. JMHO

[OLDNSLOW]

two responses here, the cost thing for me would be in the 40 to 50 range as well as I am trying to get this thing off the ground with a very limited amount of cash, the other is but not being an expert, I would think that aluminum would work better than the stainless. But only testing would provide an answer to the question. To some it may seem that the wood ones seem to be high based on what they are, but it is my understanding that the fine dust created from cocobolo is very hazardous to a persons health, so that makers of those might be building that in to the cost of making them not to mention that the wood is costly to begin with.

Edited February 15, 2016 by OLDNSLOW

[Tigdim]

Thanks for the input... latest drawing.

I don't like the radii on the slots coming to sharp edges as JLS has it drawn... so I have .100" between each slot with a .050" radius.

Planning to drill and tap the 1 1/4" round stock for 1/2-13 bolt, epoxy the bolt into the AL round (might use red loctite but I have not decided) . Then chuck the shaft into the lathe once the loctite dries, that will insure the burnishing surfaces are true to the shaft.

AL Burnisher with Steel shaft.PDF

[JLSleather]

Yep, I wouldn't recommend a sharp point between the grooves, either. I jsut figured somebody would round it with a file - but that 'divider' thing certainly works.

Don't think i would personally bother with threading the hole. Prolly just use a piece of drill rod, ream teh aluminum like .001 under, press it in, and cross-pin it (brass pin would be fine).

One thing I do think I made a mistake with.. now that I look at it. I'd likely make the 1/4" diameter section a bit longer, so you have a straight section about 3/8" long NOT counting the radius.

And I made the wider slots 3/16" deep (drew a line straight under the 3/16" radius). You have it drawn shallower here, which might be a good idea ... make it 1/8" deep, and try it out, and a guy could always take it deeper if you cared to.

[Colt W Knight]

I have heard of folks gluing canvas to metal burnishers to make them effective.

[JLSleather]

Been thinking about a lathe for a long time.. not sure it would pay to do it. It's not so much the cost of the lathe, as the cost of the concrete footing I'd need to put under one! Still, I got yet another email today from a popular tooling place I used to shop at...

[Nuttish]

I have heard of folks gluing canvas to metal burnishers to make them effective.

Might as well just get some Italian wheels from Campbell Randall rather than spending tbd time and money fabricating a tool of marginal utility and figuring out how to make it work. I can get a belt blank nicely polished in a few minutes between my wheels and a belt sander.

[venator]

I have a friend with a machine shop and I'm going to see what it would run me for a prototype, often he'll throw a one-off my way for free.

[Colt W Knight]

The only thing appealing about canvas to me is that you can take it off an put clean canvas on if you alternate between black edges, burnishing wax, and doing a clean natural edge. Personally, I use cocobolo burnisher in my drill press. One of these days, I am going to make a multiple mandrel burnisher I can use for multiple color edge dyes and wax.

[Nuttish]

I forgot to say that you might test whether metal will work in the first place by thoroughly degreasing your Jacobs chuck so you can Barge or Weldwood on a layer of canvas. You can easily remove the cement with paint thinner. Now you've got a canvas covered steel cylinder to play with.