What burnisher should I get?

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Good choice, I've got the Clifton too and have used it for the last eight years. It's very nice!
 
8years!! Wow so well worth the money then at about £20.
I only ordered yesterday but I say by the window waiting for my new arrivals ha.
Can't wait to have a play with new toys I mean tools
TT
 
Made mine from a burnished 6mm HSS twist drill shank (the helical part of the drill inside the handle, would you believe? :wink: ). Not really sophisticated, and a bit on the shorty side, but it does work - I don't use scrapers that much...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5597.JPG
    IMG_5597.JPG
    125.1 KB
I've always found a philips head screw driver (round smooth shaft) is more than up to putting a burr on a scraper.

If the file has a nice smooth round shaft then it will work fine. Burnishers are about curling the edge of a steel that is quite a bit softer than they are. I think if you tried to use a square file you'd find the corners would put to much hook on the scraper and or they'd dig in and muck up the edge.
 
Hi all
A couple of thoughts/questions to throw in the mix.
I use my 3/4" gouge as a burnisher - works OK,
most commercial burnishers seem to be 1/4" (6mm).
Any thoughts on the optimal diameter if making a homemade one?
Also I always use a drop of oil when burnishing,
Am I helping or hindering the process?
Cheers John
 
Neither. This isn't rocket science. It's a bit of very hard steel rod deforming a softer steel. As I stated previously, my £2 engine valve works perfectly well and every bit as good as the very expensive burnishers. I can scrape Spruce with my scrapers. If you can scrape Spruce and produce actual shavings (however small) you are doing something right.
 
Don't get caught up in this "name" thing - (as others have said earlier in the thread) it's only HSS round bar and that's as cheap-as-chips - look on eBay if you don't have a bit kicking around. You can always turn a fancy handle for it :)
 
bugbear":jtc9e4ql said:
chipmunk":jtc9e4ql said:
Fully hardened round HSS toolbits 4" long are cheap enough...

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Cutting-Tools/High-Speed-Steel-Toolbits

HTH
Jon

They look to have quite good surface quality too - not too much final polishing required.

BugBear

Must look for the engravings on the shank, though. On my burnisher shown above I had to first get rid of those - drill press with the twisted side of the drill inside the chuck, plus a strip of fine sandpaper - before polishing. Went down to P1200 just to be sure, probably a bit of an exageration.
As for the diameter I guess that, drill shanks being usually not that long, 6mm is more than enough.
A little oil helps, yes.
 
Hi

Why not use silver steel rather than HSS - it's cheaper, comes in more suitable lengths, is easier to work and no problem to harden at home.

Regards Mick
 
Spindle":3m93emsm said:
Hi

Why not use silver steel rather than HSS - it's cheaper, comes in more suitable lengths, is easier to work and no problem to harden at home.

Regards Mick

Well, maybe because I happen to have lots of drill bits at home and not a single piece of silver steel... (hammer)
 
Spindle":7b7zqnl1 said:
Hi Roger

That HSS comes from Hong Kong - you need to watch customs duty.

................

Regards Mick
Check the law .......... commercial consignments ie goods you have purchased, of £15 or less are free from customs duty and import VAT. (H.M. Revenue & Customs) :)
 
There's more than one grade of HSS. Of the British Standard grades, for example, M2 is usually about 63 Rc hardness, M42 can reach 69 Rc. I've had cheap (imported) HSS toolbits that were little better than metallised putty.

For a good burnisher, it needs to be significantly harder than the scraper. In the bad old days when scrapers were made from softish saw steel or similar, a hard screwdriver shank or gouge back would do fine, but they'd probably not work so well on some of the modern 'hard' scrapers available. For those, something like silver steel hardened right out (as Mick suggested) or a piece of ground and polished round tungsten carbide might perform better.

Soft scraper - anything hardish. Hard scraper - harder burnisher.
 
Back
Top