Finishing edges tutorial (Burnish)

[Danne]

I know there are other tutorials like this, and also tutorials that probably are a lot better than mine. But there are many ways to burnish edges, and I shared my way in a comment in a post. So I thought I share it as it's own post, and I hope it's okay and that someone appreciate it.  (I usually paint my edges with edge paint, but have experimented a little bit with burnishing too)

 

1. Make sure you don’t use too much glue, use water based or solvent based contact cement and a thin layer. If you need, you can prime with a thin layer, and add another. But NEVER a thick layer of glue. Press together really firm.

2. Let dry (time depends on glue) if you don’t let the glue cure, you will push in the glue when you burnish and get a very visible glue line.

3 Flush cut or sand edge flat.

4. Bevel edge.

5. Wet the edge with water (use a brush) to raise the fibres for later sanding, and let dry.

6. (Optional) Crease

7. (Optional) dye edge, I didn’t do this on the test piece here.

8. Wet edge with water and burnish with canvas or other heavier fabric.

9. Sand with 800 grit.

10. Put a burnishing agent on the edge, I prefer Tokonole. And burnish.

11. Burnish with canvas or other heavier fabric.

12. "Burnish" with 1200 grit sand paper (wet and dry) and keep burnish until your sand paper ”clogs up” don’t move it to fresh sand paper. When your sandpaper start to clog up you will burnish, you hear it on the sound from the friction.

13. Keep doing step 10-12 until all imperfections are gone.

14. Melt paraffin wax on the edge.

15. Burnish with a soft cloth (Like t-shirt)

The edge is smooth as glass, unfortunately I can’t take any good photos that really show how smooth the edge is.

 

[Hardrada]

What do you do when the edges remain sticky from the wax?

[Danne]

1 hour ago, Hardrada said:

What do you do when the edges remain sticky from the wax?

I haven't had that problem. Maybe you need to burnish more after you put on wax?