In article , whit3rd wrote:

You want a hardened rod, so I'd think a valve stem or a shockabsorber
shaft would be better than a pushrod.

Pushrods *are* hard steel -- harder than a scraper, anyway...

On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:46:24 -0800, scritch
wrote:

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

You're supposed to take it out of the engine?


If you leave it in, and rev up the engine, you don't have to move the
burnisher back and forth, just slide your scaper back and forth across
the pushrod.

Actually, some people burnish that way against a stationary burnisher.
Might even be safer. :-)

With all deference to Tage Frid, I never thought much of his advice to
use a chisel for this purpose! Just what you want; applying a lot of
pressure to a scraper edge with a chisel. If it should slip for some
reason, you have potential for serious damage to your hand.

I have gone through a number of incarnations of scraper burnishers
over the years, including the old Ulmia wheel burnishers, which still
do an admirable job. In my toolbox, however, the weapon of choice is a
homemade burnisher made from a triangular file. If you want to go this
route, it is advisable to take the temper out of the file before
grinding the old teeth away. Heat to cherry and let cool to room
temperature, then grind away to heart's content. Put a slight radius
on the edges. I have a rubberized abrasive wheel on the other wheel
of my bench grinder which did a great job of working to a smooth
mirror finish. Then harden by heating to cherry again and quenching in
oil. Don't bother with tempering because, the harder, the better as
far as burnishers are concerned. I doubt it'll be so brittle as to
break unless you're opening paint cans with it... :-)...

wrote

With all deference to Tage Frid, I never thought much of his advice to
use a chisel for this purpose! Just what you want; applying a lot of
pressure to a scraper edge with a chisel. If it should slip for some
reason, you have potential for serious damage to your hand.

Regarding the applied pressure, I recall a discussion during which a
metallurgist/woodworker said that excess pressure induced 'work hardening'
that actually makes the job more difficult.

I suppose that finding the ideal pressure is a matter of trial and error
(chiefly the latter of course), but I suspect that the diameter of the
burnisher might affect the intensity of the pressure and guess that the
polished back of say a 5/8in gouge might be about right.

Also, is a bit of lubrication a good idea or not?

Jeff, from his office chair.

--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
email : Username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
www.amgron.clara.net

Jeff Gorman wrote:

Also, is a bit of lubrication a good idea or not?

IME, I would say yes ... in a pinch some old timers even recommend
rubbing the burnisher on each side of your nose first.

I can hear the jokes coming already

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"Swingman" wrote:

IME, I would say yes ... in a pinch some old timers even recommend
rubbing the burnisher on each side of your nose first.

That's a trick my father used when assembling his fly rod to go
fishing.

The oil in that part of your skin made taking the rod apart easier.

Lew

On Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:05:58 -0800, the infamous Jim Weisgram
scrawled the following:

On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:46:24 -0800, scritch
wrote:

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

You're supposed to take it out of the engine?


If you leave it in, and rev up the engine, you don't have to move the
burnisher back and forth, just slide your scaper back and forth across
the pushrod.

Actually, some people burnish that way against a stationary burnisher.
Might even be safer. :-)

Ayup. Done wrong, sharpening a scraper can slit your wrist DEEPLY!

--
Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas
to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label
of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem
important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost.
-- Thomas J. Watson