Burnishing bows

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Does anyone else besides me like the look of bows after they are burnished? I love how it brings out the colors of the wood, Especially of the Osage orange and black locust. Also how smooth it makes it after sanding with fine grit. I just got done burnishing a snaky Osage a few minutes ago (first with lots or reflex and came in under weight , but still a decent shooter). It must be from the oils but it brings out a sort of iridescent look in these two woods. Besides making the wood smooth and shiny, does this do anything structurally to the bow that would make it weaker or stronger? 

[Joec123able]

It's supposed to press the fibers on the bak down and help prevent it from lifting any splinters

[Zion]

If i have any iffy bow i always burnish the back heavily for 4-5 days and it seems to work good.

[osage outlaw]

I have started burnishing all of my bows.  I agree it makes the wood look better.

[sleek]

I wonder if oils or fats were added to the back first, then burnished, if the effect would be greater. The tool would slide better across causing less wash boarding, the fifers could become more pliable, and you would be pressing the oils into the wood deeper than they would go otherwise, assuming of course, you use that type of finish. Next burnish job I do, I will do this.

[mikekeswick]

Burnishing does just about nothing other than make the wood look different.
Try it on some scrap - it doesn't 'hold' the wood fibers together at all in my experiments.

[Holten101]

Burnishing does just about nothing other than make the wood look different.
Try it on some scrap - it doesn't 'hold' the wood fibers together at all in my experiments.

Same experience here....it also does nothing for waterproofing.

BUT...I agree that it brings out the luster of most woods....especially yew:-)

Cheers

[Del the cat]

Burnishing does just about nothing other than make the wood look different.
Try it on some scrap - it doesn't 'hold' the wood fibers together at all in my experiments.

That's what I'd have thought.
We have all the talk about crushing fibres on the belly being bad, and so we suggest deliberately squashing' em flat on the back. Doesn't make sense to me. In fact try 'burnishing' a strip of paper, it will curl up rather than staying down!
Del

[Pappy]

I do some now and then,don't think it hurts and not sure it will help hold down a splinter or not ,but do disagree on the not help with waterproofing,it won't even hardly take stain after a good burnishing so I know it will help keep water out.
And it does look good to me. What kind of experiment did you do on scrap wood Mike that made you come to that conclusion ?
  Pappy

[Holten101]

I do some now and then,don't think it hurts and not sure it will help hold down a splinter or not ,but do disagree on the not help with waterproofing,it won't even hardly take stain after a good burnishing so I know it will help keep water out.
  Pappy

Sounds like I should experiment more;-). My (too hasty?;-) statement was based on a few yew bows I had burnished...they didnt react well to rain at all...even though it was only briefly.
The grain opened up fast which made em soak up moisture at a "none burnished" speed. It could be that burnishing slightly halted the process....but I wouldnt call it waterproofing or even noticeably moisture protection.

Maybe I need to re-learn burnishing;-)

Cheers

[Marc St Louis]

I tried burnishing bows many years ago and it worked well, no failures because of it that I could tell.  Then one day I decided to have a closer look at what burnishing actually did to the wood.  I started burnishing and stopped mid-way on the limb then I took out my magnifying glass and had a look.  What I saw made me stop burnishing and I have never done it again.  Where I had stopped with my burnishing tool was a tiny little splinter sticking up from the wood.  I thought to myself, this can't be good.

[crooketarrow]

   Years ago I use to barnish iffy bows. I like wax and use stain ,heat with a hair dryer and melted the wax. It go's deep into the pours then barnish, wax, barnish wax at the end. As far as I'm cocerded there is no better water proffing. Wax melts deep into the pours then barnishing it seals the pours shut. All other sealers just cover up the wood. Once I got building to where I did'nt need to barnish for fear of failure I stoped barnishing. Now I only wax personal bows.
   But DEL has a point.

   The IROQIOUS indains always barnished their bows. My friend CROOETARROW always barnished all of his. He said the IROQIOUS had done it like that as far back as the storys go. He told me the IROQIOUS had no referance to time like we do. So he said it could be 10,000 years. He did'nt know when or where it came from. Just something you did to your bow.
   Indains did'nt do anything that did'nt have a perpose. I'm sure they had found out inferior woods when barnished make a bow.
 

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Next bow I do I'm gonna have to try melting wax into it like that. Sounds like a great way to finish a bow for bowfishing.

[toomanyknots]

I wonder if oils or fats were added to the back first, then burnished, if the effect would be greater. The tool would slide better across causing less wash boarding, the fifers could become more pliable, and you would be pressing the oils into the wood deeper than they would go otherwise, assuming of course, you use that type of finish. Next burnish job I do, I will do this.

Maybe, I know I always get a tiny bit of sweat from my hand on the bow when burnishing. Although a fine wood powder might work too. When burnishing clay to a gloss, a little bit of powdered clay really brings out the shine. Don't know though. You could burnish, lightly wax, and then burnish. I have done it that way with good results.

[bow101]

I think following through with progressively finer sand paper till ya get around 320 grit or so, then coating the bow with oil and a final sanding before sealing has 'bout the same effect as burnishing.