Finish

George, what an instructive thread you started. Now you won't see darkening at the end of the tunnel.

Lessee George, to sum up you learned: Sycamore is really maple. Waterlox masquerades as a tung finish. Burnishing requires a veterinarian's prescription. Chestnuts marinated in mineral oil and grilled over an open beeswax fire are food safe for horses. Paraffin is mineral spirits on holiday in England. We don't know how many angels fall into pores trying to dance on the head of a pen finished with lacquer. And so much more.

Why don't you just bleach the sycamaple unless,.....please say this isn't true? Clorox is hiding out as an ebonizing finish. Or is it a merely a treatment? Arch

Fortiter,

No problem, Max. I didn't know either until I asked the same question and experimented with it in my woodworking (then woodturning later) many years ago.

Burnishing can be done simply by holding a handful of shavings up to the spinning piece (carefully, of course) until you notice a difference (it's slight) in the surface texture and/or shine. You can also burnish by holding some leather up to it or just whatever you can find that won't scratch it. The point is that you're slightly smashing and/or laying over the fibers of the wood in order to close up the spaces between them. It gives the appearance of more shine and an extremely small amount of protection to the wood because of those closed spaces between the fibers. You could say that it "seals" the wood a very very very tiny bit.

I call it a "surface treatment" instead of a finish because it only acts on the very outer surface of the item and because it can be done decoratively (using the smooth shaft of a bowl gouge to create subtle rings on the outside of pieces for example) as well.

It's good for many pieces and purposes but not if you're planning to put a finish that is to penetrate for any reason to the wood afterward.

- Andrew

No one seems to have mentioned the microcrystalline waxes - museum quality conservation waxes. The 2 that I use on sycamore(UK) are Renaissance and Arborwax as they don't darken the timber. They are a bit more expensive that other waxes but I find they are more durable.

Very helpful, Andrew. I guess I first envisioned using the smooth backside of a gouge or half-round skew, as opposed to shavings or leather. This certainly warrants some experimentation. Thanks.

Max

Max, Any hard smooth device can be used. The problem with the gouge or skew back side is that there are areas near beads, etc. that will be untouched. If you want to go that way, use your smallest diameter tool or a flat back tool. In the Marine Corps, we used a section of cleaning rod to burnish rifle stocks (Old Corps, before plastic stocks), then apply lindseed oil and rub for an hour. The back of a spoon also works well.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX ===================================

"Andrew notwithstanding, the treenmakers of old generally burnished a piece, knowing it would be used bare."

And where did I say that they didn't? I recommended to Max that ...

"It's good for many pieces and purposes but not if you're planning to put a finish that is to penetrate for any reason to the wood afterward"

Also, don't confuse a practice "of old" with a practice that was the best way to do it back then OR that is the best practice today. Just because it HAS been done before doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done again.

- Andrew

George, Wonderful ,how we are separated by a 'single' language. Judging by some of the suggestions around kerosene and BBQ remains our Canadian cousins will probably need to go to the same shop as you for some 'liquid paraffin'. It's the chemist you need George (pharmacy in translation). Mum (Mom) used to ladle it out when you were 'bunged up'(constipated in translation). It's therefore food safe! Cheers ken (in somerset UK)