Mini super stones

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Brian Marshall

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Slipped my mind... I took a class from you maybe 20 years back and you'd probably been engraving a decade or two before that class.

So yeah, you can't remember when, I sure don't remember when I made mine...


And since I haven't slipped in 35 years... well... :) ummmm that may be another memory thing?


Brian
 
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mitch

mitch

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SamW said:
My burnisher is like Mitch's but is more rounded on the end. Mitch, do you remember where you bought that?
Click to expand...

when i was first starting out, maybe 33-34 yrs ago might've gotten it from Rio? haven't seen a nice stubby stout one like it for sale in a long time...
 
M

mdengraver

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Mitch is that the long and short of it or are you just making a long burnisher short? Has anyone ever used a ceramic made burnisher for metal, and are they effective?
I also read and heard that many engravers use simple saliva, beeswax or transfer wax as a burnishing lubricant.
 
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mitch

mitch

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mdengraver said:
Mitch is that the long and short of it or are you just making a long burnisher short? simple saliva, ...as a burnishing lubricant.
Click to expand...

my burnisher is off the rack, unlike the vast majority of my tools, it has not been modified to my specs.

engraver's universal lube = spit. i routinely lick the burnisher as i work. sometimes even when i'm burnishing.
 
mitch

mitch

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Brian Marshall said:
So... the next logical question is gonna be - What're you eating before licking the burnisher? Cheeseburgers?

Gotta be sumthin' fried.

Enquiring minds...


Brian
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that reminds me of the guy who made the high end tchotchkes -name escapes me, a big fancy book of his work came out 13-14 yrs ago...- and only ate Cheerios for breakfast and pea soup for lunch, claiming it gave his spittle the exact consistency necessary for picking up tiny gold beads on a brush when doing granulation. what BS artist...
 
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Brian Marshall

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First off the guy with the Cheerios breakfast woulda been Daniel Brush.

Mine is normally hot 10 grain cereal or steel cut oats both topped with whatever fruit is in season - if anybody cares?

Maybe we oughta run a poll on engravers breakfasts & see what guys like Phil Coggan or gals like Jo eat for breakfast? It may be just the trick to take your work to the next level?


Secondly, you pays yer money and you takes yer chances on the burnisher... at $3.58 you probably have a choice of Pakistan, India or China as a source. If you lose, it was a cheap bet... (but check and see if "shipping" is $19.95 first)

While any of those sources certainly have the capability to make a proper burnisher - they are making them from a description that someone else has given them.

Not from the actual experience of using one...

My recommendation would be to roll yer own.


Thirdly, I am off to the veterinarian again this morning to play the game of "What's The Limit on Your Credit Card?"

And probably "How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?" (Why don't I just leave them all at the front desk?)


Slept on a backpackers air mattress last night on the kitchen floor - so as to keep the dog company in his misery - so I'm not in my usual "cheerful" form...


Brian
 
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mitch

mitch

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Brian Marshall said:
First off the guy with the Cheerios breakfast woulda been Daniel Brush.




Thirdly, I am off to the veterinarian again this morning to play the game of "What's The Limit on Your Credit Card?"

And probably "How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?" (Why don't I just leave them all at the front desk?)


Slept on a backpackers air mattress last night on the kitchen floor - so as to keep the dog company in his misery - so I'm not in my usual "cheerful" form...


Brian
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yes, Daniel Brush, that's it.

and i've spent a few nights curled up on the big dog bed in the kitchen next to a small dog. also have my share of massive vet bills. you're lucky to have each other.
 
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Kevin Scott

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Burnishers for scratches.JPG

I have never slipped, but read about it happening, so I keep these around just in case I ever do make a slip.

Actually, only pretty much only use to top two, and mostly the small one. The smallest one is nice, because you can see better where the action is taking place. In addition to engraving slips, I use them to repair scratches on watch cases.

Don't think I bought any of them. Came in large lots when buying out retiring etc watchmakers. Bought many truck loads of stuff.

The plastic tubing is used to protect the red handled one, since it is really nicely polished and in perfect condition.

Sometimes have used a burnisher without a mirror polish to rough up or even out the surface a bit before sanding etc. Not sure it is helpful going that route. I should experiment more with different techniques.

Does seem the softer the metal, less pressure. With watch cases burnishing then buffing in a way that generates heat is very helpful. Buff along - parallel to the scratch. Then burnish again, sand, and finish.

Really liked Dhall's instructions. Printed them out for me and a friend. Thanks for taking the time.
 
Sam

Sam

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burnisher.jpg

burnishers.jpg

My best burnishers are made from carbide graver blanks. Takes a lot of work to make them perfectly smooth but it's worth the effort as they rarely need polishing again.

The larger one in the bottom photo I made from drill rod. Works great but needs to be repolished on occasion.

I have some of the large commercially made burnishers but find them bulky and unnecessarily large for my work, and they're too big when using under the microscope when repairing a small area.
 
Dani Girl

Dani Girl

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Thank you Sam and Brian, that's very helpful. I had to clean up a big slip on a spyderco the other day, went half way accross the knife, had a big chip out on my graver. I used the tips in this thread and had much more success than I had in past, (but my burnisher is definatley cheap and way too soft.
 
mitch

mitch

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sam said:
My best burnishers are made from carbide graver blanks. Takes a lot of work to make them perfectly smooth but it's worth the effort as they rarely need polishing again.
Click to expand...

i've been meaning to make me one for about 20 years. any truth to the rumor that gold doesn't have a tendency to stick to carbide like it will to steel?
 
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