104 farmers' akd mechanics' journal. 



pass over a large surface at once, without losing its point of sup- 

 port 0(1 the work-bench, the workman, in taking hold of the bur- 

 nisher, must be careful to place it just underneath his little finger. 

 By this means, the work is done quicker, and the tool is more 

 solidly fixed in the hand. 



During the whole process, the tool must be continually moisten- 

 ed with black soap-suds. The water with which it is frequently 

 wetted, causes it to glide more easily over the work, prevents it 

 from heating, and facilitates its action. The black soap, containing 

 more alkali than the common soap, acts with greater strength in 

 cleansing otT any greasiness, which might still remain on the sur- 

 face ; it also more readily detaches the spots, which would spoil 

 the beauty of the burnishing. 



In consequence of the friction, the burnisher so6n loses its bite, 

 and slips over the surface of the article as if it were oily. In order 

 to restore its action, it must be rubbed from time to time, on the 

 leather. The leather is fixed on a piece of hard wood, with shal- 

 low furrows along it. There are generally two leathers — one made 

 of sole-leather, and the other of bulf-leather. The first is impreg- 

 nated with a little oil and crocus marlis, and is particularly used for 

 the blood-stone burnishers ; the other has a little putty of tin, scat- 

 tered in the furrows, and is intended exclusively for rubbing steel 

 burnishers, as they are not so hard as the blood-stones. 



Blood-stone being very hard, the workman uses it whenever he 

 can, in preference to the steel burnisher. It is therefore only in 

 small articles, and in difiicult places, that the steel burnishers are 

 used ; as they, by their variety of form, are adapted to all kind? of 

 work. But in general, the blood-stone greatly reduces the labor. 



When the articles, on account of their minuteness, or from any 

 other cause, cannot be conveniently held in the hand, they are 

 fixed in a convenient frame on the bench : but under all circum- 

 stances, the workman must be very careful to manage the burnish- 

 er, so as to leave untouched those parts of the work which are in- 

 tended to remain dull. When, in burnishing any article which is 

 plated or lined with silver, he perceives any place where the layer 

 of precious metal is removed, he restores it, by silvering these 

 places with a composition supplied by the silverer, which he ap- 

 plies with a brush, rubbing the part well, and wiping it afterwards 

 with an old linen cloth. 



The burnishing being finished, it only remains to remove the 

 soap-suds, which still adheres to the surface of the work : this is 

 effected by rubbing it with a piece of old linen cloth, which pre- 

 serves to it all its polish, and gives so great a lustre that the eye 

 can scarcely bear to look upon it. But, when the workman has a 

 great number of small pieces to finish, he prefers throwing them 

 into soap-suds, and drying them afterwards with saw-dust, which is 

 more exj)edifious. 



The burnishers of articles which are not silver, follow nearly 

 the same process as that above described. We shall briefly notice 

 the variations to be observed in each case. 



