"Arch" wrote in message
...

What is burnishing anyway? Does it melt the cellulose fibers or harden
them or just lay them down to spring up and embarrass me later? Is it
nothing more than 'dry buffing? If so what about burnishing creams?
Does it have the reputation that using scrapers once had, a good
technique that no one admits to using and is unfairly belittled? Does
it not have a legitimate place in a woodturner's arsenal? Maybe someone
will straighten me out and even try the palm frond strips and report
their results, if only to shut me up.



Burnishing is done by carvers and (forgive me) flat woodworkers as well as
we spinners. Burnishing with another (softer) piece of wood or a bone
burnisher is most common, but power methods like a good brush, half-spent
flap sanders, or even your naked "Beall System" or other cheaper muslin
buffs will do as well. What it does, you well know. It lays down and
consolidates standing short grain when done by hand, lays down, consolidates
and possibly case-hardens when done with something to generate heat. I'm
sure some of those out there have observed the wonder of burnishing and
case-hardening complete with background scratches on a turning or two.
Going too fine too early or pressing too hard is almost a guarantee you
will, if not. You want to see lovely, try and fire-harden a piece of wood.

If you coat it after burnishing to limit moisture pickup, you should be
pretty good. You can leave it naked as well, but then a few stray drops of
water will have the predictible effect of raising what you layed down.
You'll have to re-burnish.

I'm sure we've all tried the Kraft paper burnish. Here's a picture of a
bowl in progress with a burnish prior to hollowing.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...en-By-Rear.jpg

Interior after hollowing.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...y-Interior.jpg As
long as no one sneezes on it, it'll look good for a long time.