A well-supplied shop needs a good burnisher. I decided to get the material from Hock Tools and make the handle myself, to get a great tool at a great price, along with the satisfaction of making it myself.
DIY and Save
In this video, I show how I used a piece of oak from the firewood rack to make a handle for the burnishing rod on the lathe. I used a short piece of copper pipe for the ferule which looks great while also supporting the handle against the intended side force that it will have to endure.
Originally, I made the burnisher so that I could put a burr on a card scraper. I ended up using it for woodturning as well to freshen the burr on woodturning scrapers. Using it this way makes the scrapers much more effective and saves time because I don’t have to go to the bench grinder so often.
Review
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Hock Tools and I can see why. A burnishing tool needs to be very hard and this one certainly is. Nothing I’ve used comes close to rolling the burr like this tool does. Yes, it’s a bit pricey for what is essentially a cylindrical rod of steel. But the difference in hardness is worth it. If you save money like I did by making your own handle, it turns out to be a good value. I would definitely recommend Hock Tools for anyone looking for a quality burnisher.
Check this tool out at the Hock Tools website for current pricing and availability.
You can also see how it works by viewing my project page for the DIY Card Scraper.