On May 7, 2012, at 17:03 , Charlie Driggs  wrote:

> > The idea is to get the pores closed, burnish them, and then work in a very t
hin layer of wax if finally using waxed shellac, or apply your other chosen fini
sh over the burnished surface.  

What if all you have is dewaxed shellac?  Mine came from Tools for Working Wood,
 and that's all they were selling.  Anyone got a recommended source for waxed sh
ellac flakes?

[...]

> > I suggested to them that I might be able to put together a Galoot group buy 
to get them started, if they wish.  If you are interested, give me an email repl
y.  

I'm in, if this happens.  Regardless, thanks for doing the writeup and photos; t
his is really neat!

thanks,
Adam

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On Mon, May 7, 2012 at 5:03 PM, Charlie Driggs  wrote:

>  Below is a more elaborate variation on the report of results that I sent
> to Don after he had indicated he would be interested in seeing how the test
> went.
>

bravo.  Well done good sir.  Looking forward to hearing more.

Please put me down for 1 (maybe more when the pricing comes in).  Looks
like fun

Kirk in HMB, CA
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Some of you may remember me posting about a Chesapeake Chapter SAPFM
meeting a few weeks back, including some comments about the
Smithsonian's furniture and other old stuff preservationist and hobbiest
in furniture making Don Williams. Don had told us he had found someone
willing to make prototype corn straw burnishers for him, but he had not
yet been successful at convincing the supplier to make them for sale to
others. SO I went on the Internet to see what I could see, and found
some folks who make things that looked generally similar to what is
needed. They agreed to make up six prototypes with different cord
wrapping densities and three combinations of corn straw. Below is a more
elaborate variation on the report of results that I sent to Don after he
had indicated he would be interested in seeing how the test went.

This first photo (all are posted in GIC, in my "Hodgepodge" album, if
the links don't work for you) shows Don demonstrating how the tool is
used to burnish the surface. This is what Don has learned that craftsmen
did to a workpiece that was to receive a fine finish. Don started out to
find out exactly how those craftsmen quickly produced reversible,
durable and generally better finishes than what are common today without
very fine sandpapers and modern finish chemicals. It was a mystery until
a few people worked with him on careful translation of obscure centuries-
old European references, including Roubo. Don will cover this in more
detail (we were told) when his book comes out on Roubo's works this
Fall, published courtesy of Chris Schwarz and the Lost Art Press. [The
usual Porch yada yada applies here - I'm not getting anything out of
sales of that any more than you are. At least nobody has suggested it to
me yet ....]

http://galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&Itemid=2&pl-
ace=displayimage&album=87&pos=31

In the above photo, Don is using this version of a burnisher, made by
his broom-making acquaintance:

http://galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&Itemid=2&pl-
ace=displayimage&album=87&pos=32

The samples I commissioned are lined up in this photo .... http://galoo-
tcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&Itemid=2&place=displayi-
mage&album=87&pos=30

... and you can see the working ends a bit better in this shot:

http://galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&Itemid=2&pl-
ace=displayimage&album=87&pos=29

The results of 15 to 30 seconds of effort over a roughly 4 inch x 3 inch
area for each are shown here ....

http://galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&Itemid=2&pl-
ace=displayimage&album=87&pos=28

The idea is to get the pores closed, burnish them, and then work in a
very thin layer of wax if finally using waxed shellac, or apply your
other chosen finish over the burnished surface. Objective of this effort
is to produce a very flat, smooth finish with visual depth to it such as
once was done centuries ago to very fine furniture -- and do it quickly.
No weeks of work involved for a table surface - and Don demonstrated a
remarkably rapid method of applying a French Polish finish just to
firmly cement the point in our memory. No sandpaper involved in any of
this either, although Don did demonstrate a technique for burnishing in
wax to high gloss using very fine steel wool.

And how well did these straw burnishing tools hold up, you might wonder?
Well, take a look ... http://galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_cop-
perminevis&Itemid=2&place=displayimage&album=87&pos=27

Don was asked the same question, and he opined that they might last a
couple of generations based upon what he's seen with a fair amount of
use. He might be right, but I suspect only the heavy straw versions
could do that, and only if not constantly used. The light straw types
were breaking bits off here and there for me. The best of the bunch in
my opinion for use on the flat test surface was the third from left in
the side-by-side photos - dark red cord wrapping, no color to the
weaving in the handle. Took half the time and less physical force to get
a better result.

My suspicion is that the light straw and mixed straw versions might
actually find their place when burnishing molded or carved features,
which Don also mentioned in the SAPFM meeting could be done with these
tools. Haven't tried that yet, but I have six to play with.

Availability? Price? I'm working that out with the guys who made the
test bunch. Awaiting their response on pricing and production. Their
initial suggestion of price range with my supplier was well below $20
each, and they're exploring the lower end. Seemed pretty interested in
taking on a product like this too. I suggested to them that I might be
able to put together a Galoot group buy to get them started, if they
wish. If you are interested, give me an email reply. It took about a
week to have these made up and shipped, as it is a part-time business
for them. Don has also emailed me that he just received some comparable
samples from his supplier, and is looking forward to doing a supplier
comparison test, so maybe we'll have another report in the future.

Charlie Driggs

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Charlie=2C


Bravo to you for your research! This could become the Old Order
Neanderthal equivalent of a "killer app" !

If I may offer a perhaps less-than-fully-informed two cents worth:


Electrical/Electronic cable lacing tape might be the ideal material to
bind up a straw burnisher. Perhaps less than traditional=2C it is flat
woven [usually] nylon tape that is designed to avoid cutting into a hand-
laced cable.


Like this:
http://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=19M8529


Note this is the 0.36 mm thickness. Various thicknesses=2C widths=2C and
colors are available. It might be possible to tension this nylon such
that the bundle stays tight even when it dries out.

I had heard that early armorers polished their product with bundles of
rushes that contained silica. Perhaps various sources of broom corn will
have varying silica content.


John Ruth

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On May 7, 2012, at 8:37 PM, John Ruth wrote:

> Electrical/Electronic cable lacing tape might be the ideal material to
> bind up a straw burnisher. Perhaps less than traditional, it is flat
> woven [usually] nylon tape that is designed to avoid cutting into a
> hand-laced cable.

I used duct tape with good success. It was white so it looks a little
better than usual.

Ed Minch

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