[Woodcarver] Burnishing

[shlew]

My 2 cents...I was very pleased when I discovered burnishing.  Particularly 
since I carve birds for the most part.  Great for beaks/bills.
Seal with non water bearing sealer or seal and burnish.  The resulting gleam 
sets it apart from the remainder, providing a contrast in surface look. 
Good for metal, other hard surfaced objects carved.

I suspect if I did fine portrait carving, I would like it for face detail, 
particularly if I used carved eyes rather than glass.

Sheri Lew
Littleton CO
..........back to lurk mode..........



> I'll jump in on the "burnishing" discussion and offer a few comments.

>

> First, I often use burnishing in my carvings, especially on facial  areas, 

> hands and the like. It is useful for producing a hard-shiny  surface on 

> antlers, hooves, finger nails, and hundreds of other  surfaces, including 

> raise lettering.

>

> The results are more than satisfying.

>

> I use a piece of hardwood - maple in preferred. I've also used  discarded 

> drum sticks of late. They come to me free, and can be  shaped on a belt 

> sander to fit most any purpose.

>

> About Ivan's comment that a person should carve for 500 years... I 

> greatly respect him as a carver and artist, but it seems to me that  any 

> carving that reaches 500 years will face much greater challenges  from 

> air, light, dirt, insects, humidity, oxidation, handling and  misapplied 

> finishes than any burnishing that was originally applied  to its surfaces.

>

> Burnishing will serve its purpose as a valid technique for texturing  wood 

> long after my great grandkids (God willing) are gone, and anyone  who 

> happens upon one of my carvings will be less concerned about the  surface 

> burnishing than they will be about the fact that the carving  survived 

> that long in the first place.

>

>

> So my suggestion is "go ahead and burnish". But use hardwood like  maple 

> to do this, instead of using a metal burnisher.

>

> Bill

> List Owner

>

> My books are for sale at: http://wwwoodcarver.com/Books/Books.html

> W.F. Judt,

> 46 Harvard Cres,

> Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,

> S7H3R1

> PH: 306-373-6649

> Email: bjudt at sasktel.net

> Website: http://www.wwwoodcarver.com