Burnishing - Pros and Cons?

[organic_archer]

I think I’ve only burnished a whole selfbow once my life, but working a hackberry stave this week that’s a touch less dense than some of the others. I can tell it would be more prone to dents and dings if left as is.

Any die-hard burnishers out there doing it to every bow? I would really love to hear everyone’s thoughts on the pros and cons. Lastly, what’s your go-to burnishing tool?

Edit : The newest thread I could find in the archives was 2013. Reopening the conversation because it seems like a lot changes in the bow world and crafting opinions in that amount of time!

[Pat B]

I've never burnished a bow but often wondered it scraping a bow doesn't also burnish it behind the scraper's edge.
 I can see your point about burnishing softer woods like hackberry to help prevent dents and dings.

[Selfbowman]

I always burnish the back edges and back if it’s flat enough. I use a shaft tamer. But deer horn or bottle will work fine. Even on Osage. 

[PatM]

I like to burnish backs at least.  Seems to minimize  damage from dents if the whole surface is pre-dented.

[Bob Barnes]

This is an interesting thread.  I have friends that have been building bows for decades that burnish every bow.  I have never burnished one.  It always seemed to me like burnishing might compress the wood's cells...kinda like the compression that causes some set..?  Maybe that would be a reason to only burnish the back and not the belly...I have no idea, and will be following this.   

[bownarra]

I've never burnished a bow but often wondered it scraping a bow doesn't also burnish it behind the scraper's edge.
 I can see your point about burnishing softer woods like hackberry to help prevent dents and dings.

You would have to have a mighty dull scraper to do that! A good scraper will 'wipe' shavings off with virtually no pressure
Burnishing isn't going to harm anything especially with a softer wood, why not.

[BoltBows]

Interesting question! Unfortunately I don't know the answer. I've burnished a few selfbows, but wouldn't be able to tell any difference.
I could imagine that a uneven burnish would be worse that none at all, but again this is speculative.
But burnishing shouldn't be harmful as the wood fibers aren't teared.
There's a technique to repair cracks in instruments like double basses, where you carefully hammer down a thin piece of poplar so it fits in the rift. Then soak it in thin hide glue and the poplar will expand and the crack is gone. Quite extraordinary to see!

Cons: Extra work and I doubt it changes much.

[Eric Krewson]

I burnished them early on because that was what I read one was supposed to do. I  quit burnishing about 20 years ago and decided it was one of those old wives tails passed down from bow maker to bowmaker that wasn't necessary.

[Selfbowman]

It does not add any performance. What I think it does is compress the edge grain so when the limb is reduced in width and you have grain run out , it helps prevent edge splintering. Also around knots so they have less tendency to raise. That’s all.

[Eric Krewson]

My dad died at 100, he said back in the day there was a ham bone hanging by a cord in dugout for players to burnish their bats on, apparently this procedure was lost in time.

[PatM]

My dad died at 100, he said back in the day there was a ham bone hanging by a cord in dugout for players to burnish their bats on, apparently this procedure was lost in time.

 It's actually still done to a degree.  The switch from Ash to Maple killed it off a bit, plus bat companies now take steps to  do a similar treatment before the bat reaches the players.

 

[HH~]

Rub oil and wax in first, does not take well after rubbing the old whisky over it.

HH~

[George Tsoukalas]

I used to but don't anymore.  I you do stain first because the cells get compressed and don't allow the stain to penetrate. Jawge

[Yooper Bowyer]

I used to but don't anymore.  I you do stain first because the cells get compressed and don't allow the stain to penetrate. Jawge

Figured that out the hard way.  I burnish if I feel I sanded over to many pin knots, but otherwise it just depends.

[George Tsoukalas]

I figured it out the hard way too. LOL. Jawge