Burnishing tool

[blacksmith_wills]

Hi Gents,

This one is actually for Sam Alfano.

I watched your Youtube video on hand engraved lettering.

I have read elsewhere and noted in the video that you were using one of your "rounded" scribes as a tool to burnish the letters onto the work before you start engraving.

How do you round those off? I have tried this a couple of times and I'm still getting some scratching. I think I need still more radius on the end of the tool.

What am I missing?

Thanks!

Matt

By the way, I loved the Crunchy Sam video! ha!

 

[rod]

Matt,

With your scriber sharpened in the usual scratchy point way, simply buff it with a fast revolving polishing wheel. Rotate the point as you do so, I think tripoli or white oxide abrasive will work. This will nicely and gradually round the point, and give it a mirror surface, test it from time to time. It would be good if the scriber has been sharpened to a gently rounding 'sword' point, then, with your point and the rounded sides now mirror finished, you may choose to work with the top most rounded point, or further down the sides a little for a better burnish.

Rod

 

[Sam]

Rod's method is better than mine. I sharpen to a needle point and then round off on ceramic and polish on diamond spray treated leather. It's time consuming and hit or miss. A buff makes better sense. I also make mine from carbide which holds its polish far better than a steel version. When you get it right it glides and makes a nice burnished line on the surface. If it scratches, then it's not rounded and polished enough.

 

[blacksmith_wills]

Thanks guys!

 

[GTJC460]

If you are able to remove the point from the scribe you can do the following.

Place the scribe point in a rotary tool like a foredom flex shaft. Then turn your hone on and apply throttle to the flex shaft. Grind at a "constant" angle to form a point using a diamond wheel. Then switch to ceramic. On the ceramic you want to lift your wrist upward gradually to round off the point.

It works pretty good and makes a uniformly shaped point as your tool is constantly rotating while being shaped.

I've got lots of excess carbide 1/8" broken cnc bits at the shop, so I'm always finding myself making small burnishers out of the spent tools to polish hard to reach areas on jewelry.

 

[monk]

have tried time and again to make a decent burnisher from dental drills. never been happy with the results. will have to give the buffer pad trick a try.