Thanks Don,

Between us all, we seem to have made a worthwhile thread from all the references
flying about.  To add to it, for any other UK readers, I located a source of
sorghum fibre on Etsy, as suggested, coming from Norfolk, a seller by the name
of FrogleyFibre.  Out of stock of the pack size I want of course, but then, I
still have other things to do before this one.

I recalled the previous thread as soon as you spoke about the technique.
Making/buying one went on the list then, and now it’s bumped up a few dozen
notches.


Richard Wilson
yorkshireman Galoot in Northumbria



> On 3 Feb 2024, at 23:40, Don Schwartz  wrote:
> 
> You're very welcome Richard. You have been most generous of your time and
knowledge since I've been on the porch, so I'm happy to have been helpful.
> 
> I realize I've failed to acknowledge Don Williams' excellent video on Youtube
demonstrating use of the polissoir as a wax applicator and grain filling device.
That is yet another use for this traditional tool.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5al4CtLFebU
> 
> As well, polissoirs can be made expressly for polishing surfaces which are
shaped - for carving, moldings or turnings. I don't know how. Perhaps using
different material, or packing it less tightly?
> 
> There is a thread in the archive you may like to have a look at, though I had
difficulty searching for it:
> 
> https://swingleydev.com/ot/get/229710/thread/#229710
> 
> Some of us bought burnishers from thebroombrothers.com, but that site has been
vacated...
> 
> Unfortunately the photo links in Charlie Driggs' posting are no longer
working. And they don't seem to be in the groups.io photos either
> 
> This is the burnisher I used in my tests.
https://broomcompany.com/products/straw-burnisher
> It's a Canadian company.
> 
> fwiw
> Don
> 
> On 2024-02-03 1:38 a.m., yorkshireman@y... <mailto:yorkshireman@y...> wrote:
>> Don,   A big thank you for some intriguing factual research.  This is a
technique I have to try out.  My kind of finish.
>> 
>> My problem is the lack of sources for polissoirs hereabouts.  My reading
suggests that reed can be substituted for corn straw - I know where I can obtain
some of those.  Corn straw I assume to be American for maize, and there used to
be a field grown near here, but no longer.  If I see some I’ll need to talk to
the farmer about harvest time. I may be able to get some wheat straw.  Back in
my youth we would visit an uncle’s farm about harvest time so we could get in
the way of the work.  Good times.
>> 
>> Is the polissoir really as simple as photo’s make it appear though?   Take a
decent handful of straight stalks, and ‘simply’ bind them together?
>> 
>> 
>> Richard Wilson
>> yorkshireman Galoot in Northumbria
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On 3 Feb 2024, at 01:18, Don Schwartz mailto:dks@t...>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Time to finish off this test report. ;-)
>>> 
>>> Once the first coat had dried, I burnished the two sections of the test
piece (paper-burnished and polissoir-burnished) and found both sections to be
silky smooth. The section burnished with the polissoir retained its superior
sheen. I applied a 2nd coat of the T&T. Once dry, I burnished both sections with
brown paper. The result was as expected: more sheen to the section which had
been twice burnished with the polissoir (before & after the 1st coat of finish).
>>> 
>>> To my mind, either approach is worth the little effort required. Burnishing
with polissoir or brown paper bag  improved the surface quality of the padauk,
which had been sanded with 400x after raising grain. Both burnishers revealed
deficiencies in my surface prep, which had gone undetected before. It will
become a permanent addition to my finishing routines.
>>> 
>>> fwiw
>>> Don
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 2024-01-29 10:07 a.m., Don Schwartz via groups.io <http://groups.io/>
wrote:
>>>> I use shavings to burnish unfinished turned work while still on the lathe,
and it works well. Speed is a huge advantage there.
>>>> 
>>>> My testing to this point shows that burnishing with either brown paper bag
or polissoir enhances both the surface feel and appearance of the padauk. After
damping to raise grain, drying and then sanding to 400 grit and vigorously
brushing sanding dust from open grain, I burnished one section with polissor (no
wax) and one with brown paper. The polissoir produced more sheen than the brown
paper, possibly because it is easier to apply pressure with the polissoir, and
because the corn straw is harder than the paper, and so better able to compress
the tiny surface irregularities left after sanding. The hardness of the padauk
apparently prevents the polissoir from abrading any softer material at the
surface, which I wasn't hoping to achieve. The sample surfaces both appear to
have taken a first coat of T&T well. The wood looks bare, but with a lovely,
subtle sheen. I will burnish my samples again before applying a second coat of
the T&T.
>>>> 
>>>> fwiw
>>>> Don
>>>> 
>>>> On 2024-01-29 9:09 a.m., james rich wrote:
>>>>> Burnishing with your plane shavings after finish planing might work for
you . I learned the technique from the great Krenov (indirectly) from a class I
attended years ago . Simple , good exercise, and works great . Oh , almost
forgot , FREE !
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Sat, Jan 27, 2024 at 9:43 AM Frank Filippone mailto:bmwred735i@g...>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>     AFAIK, the technique of burnishing with a polissoirwas not one
>>>>>     used on Mid Century furniture.
>>>>> 
>>>>>     Having said that, I have done some work using the polissoir on
>>>>>     wood, and find that the effect ( early wood texturally sepaarted
>>>>>     from the late wood) is
>>>>>     more effective on soft wood species... cedar, pine or even oak
>>>>>     versus ebony or purpleheart. for example.  Padauk is a hard wood,
>>>>>     and I suspect the
>>>>>     results of burnishing it will be not enough to get a significant
>>>>>     textural finish difference.
>>>>> 
>>>>>     Now if all you want is a really SMOOTH finish, use more sandpaper
>>>>>     ( go to 320, wet the wood, start again at 220 and go to 600) or
>>>>>     plane it super well.
>>>>>     Try the burnishing using a stiff rag.  That should give that kind
>>>>>     of finish...
>>>>> 
>>>>>     BTW, Padauk is one of those woods that changes color when it
>>>>>     oxidizes.  If you sand it, it WILL change color.  On an old piece,
>>>>>     one that is oxidized
>>>>>     over time, you may make a LOT of work for yourself in needing to
>>>>>     re-sand the entire bookshelf.
>>>>> 
>>>>>     Frank Filippone
>>>>>     BMWRed735i@G... 
>>>>> 
>>>>>     On 1/25/2024 2:42 PM, Don Schwartz wrote:
>>>>>     >
>>>>>     > Has anyone used a polissoir ( corn-straw burnisher, Jeff) on a
>>>>>     Tried & True Original finish? I made a couple of wall-mount shelf
>>>>>     supports, to
>>>>>     > replace the ones UPS broke, so my daughter & GIT can finally
>>>>>     install a teak-look shelving system that belonged to my
>>>>>     recently-departed Aunt. It's
>>>>>     > not critical, but I'm wanting to emulate a mid-century
>>>>>     barely-finished look on padauk. I'm tempted to burnish before
>>>>>     applying the T&T as the grain's
>>>>>     > quite irregular, but I don't want to interfere with absorption.
>>>>>     All suggestions welcome.
>>>>>     >
>>>>>     > Don, in nearly-balmy Calgary
>>>>>     >
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> 
>>> "You only have to do a few things right in your life so long as you don’t do
too many things wrong." - Warren Buffet
>>> 
>>> “To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and
whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering
medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.” ―
Thomas Paine, The American Crisis
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
> 
> -- 
> "You only have to do a few things right in your life so long as you don’t do
too many things wrong." - Warren Buffet
> 
> 
> “To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and
whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering
medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.” ―
Thomas Paine, The American Crisis
> 



-- 
Yorkshireman Galoot
in the most northerly county, farther north even than Yorkshire
IT #300