Author Topic: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?  (Read 4098 times)

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Offline organic_archer

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Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« on: March 02, 2021, 08:27:51 pm »
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!
« Last Edit: March 02, 2021, 09:12:58 pm by organic_archer »
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2021, 09:13:05 pm »
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.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Selfbowman

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2021, 09:26:52 pm »
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. 
Well I'll say!!  Osage is king!!

Offline PatM

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2021, 09:56:09 pm »
I like to burnish backs at least.  Seems to minimize  damage from dents if the whole surface is pre-dented.

Offline Bob Barnes

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2021, 12:02:10 am »
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.   :OK
Seems like common sense isn't very common any more...

bownarra

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2021, 03:00:25 am »
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.

Offline BoltBows

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2021, 06:03:04 am »
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.
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2021, 08:57:51 am »
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.

Offline Selfbowman

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2021, 09:15:09 am »
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.
Well I'll say!!  Osage is king!!

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2021, 03:12:37 pm »
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.

Offline PatM

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2021, 04:22:07 pm »
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.

 

Offline HH~

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2021, 05:59:46 pm »
Rub oil and wax in first, does not take well after rubbing the old whisky over it.

HH~
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Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight onto the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor. RLTW

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2021, 06:38:33 pm »
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
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!

Offline Digital Caveman

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #13 on: March 03, 2021, 07:09:50 pm »
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.
God Bless America

Offline George Tsoukalas

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Re: Burnishing - Pros and Cons?
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2021, 10:41:47 am »
I figured it out the hard way too. LOL. :) Jawge
Set Happens!
If you ain't breakin' you ain't makin!