During the process of making the burnishing tools for the woodturners gift
exchange, my wife asked me if I had kept at least one for myself. Of course, I
replied.   Well then, she says, let me see them.  OK!

So I go out and dig through my incredible mess of stuff and located 4 very nice
burnishers, all of which are staying with me, barring some sort of wonderful
trade. All 4 have carbide rounds which I got from another galoot, who now seems
to have disappeared from the list. (Where are you, Tony???) I have made and
given away more than a dozen of these tools already, including one which went to
Tony.

But I brought them in and showed her, and I guess this is the first time she has
seen them. She was suitably impressed.  All have exotic handles, all are
different. The biggest one has a carbide round that is 5/8” diameter, and it is
HEAVY!!! The next biggest has a 3/8” carbide round, and the other two have 1/4"
carbide rounds. The big one as a handle made from mesquite, and as I turned it I
discovered a small knot with grain radiating from it. It looks like a 10 legged
spider to me. See the pictures.

https://picasaweb.google.com/102358420595488787966/BurnishingTools?auth
user=0&feat=directlink">https://picasaweb.google.com/102358420595488787966/Burni
shingTools?authuser=0&feat=directlink

I don’t know if you guys are aware of it, but carbide rounds are incredibly
expensive. The pieces I received from Tony were scrap in his operation, and that
will never happen again due to a change in practice. So I have some very nice
burnishers which will last forever, and which are irreplaceable. I wish I could
say the same thing for myself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Still around Jim!  I'll have to look and see if I have any still laying around.
It's been a number of years since I sent the carbide out, and remember it going
all over, including the UK, Australia, Japan, etc.  Had so many requests that I
didn't pay attention to the few pieces I had left,

Mirror polished carbide is simply the best material for burnishing, but if not
polished it is pretty much the same as the commercial burnishers available from
most dealers.

Anthony M. Zaffuto
Metaltech, Inc.
(814) 375-9399


Sent from my iPad

> On Nov 22, 2014, at 4:03 PM, JAMES THOMPSON  wrote:
> 
> During the process of making the burnishing tools for the woodturners gift
exchange, my wife asked me if I had kept at least one for myself. Of course, I
replied.   Well then, she says, let me see them.  OK!
> 
> So I go out and dig through my incredible mess of stuff and located 4 very
nice burnishers, all of which are staying with me, barring some sort of
wonderful trade. All 4 have carbide rounds which I got from another galoot, who
now seems to have disappeared from the list. (Where are you, Tony???) I have
made and given away more than a dozen of these tools already, including one
which went to Tony.
> 
> But I brought them in and showed her, and I guess this is the first time she
has seen them. She was suitably impressed.  All have exotic handles, all are
different. The biggest one has a carbide round that is 5/8” diameter, and it is
HEAVY!!! The next biggest has a 3/8” carbide round, and the other two have 1/4"
carbide rounds. The big one as a handle made from mesquite, and as I turned it I
discovered a small knot with grain radiating from it. It looks like a 10 legged
spider to me. See the pictures.
> 
> https://picasaweb.google.com/102358420595488787966/BurnishingTools?au
thuser=0&feat=directlink">https://picasaweb.google.com/102358420595488787966/Bur
nishingTools?authuser=0&feat=directlink
> 
> I don’t know if you guys are aware of it, but carbide rounds are incredibly
expensive. The pieces I received from Tony were scrap in his operation, and that
will never happen again due to a change in practice. So I have some very nice
burnishers which will last forever, and which are irreplaceable. I wish I could
say the same thing for myself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> On Nov 22, 2014, at 14:02 , Tony Zaffuto  wrote:
> 
> Mirror polished carbide is simply the best material for burnishing, but if not
polished it is pretty much the same as the commercial burnishers available from
most dealers.

Yep, I sprang for a Blue Spruce 1/4" carbide burnisher a few years ago, and it's
excellent. Even the hard LV and Hock scraper blades don't scratch it.

Adam