{"id":1843,"date":"2021-08-08T20:37:11","date_gmt":"2021-08-08T17:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodiswood.com\/?p=1843"},"modified":"2022-09-07T12:00:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T09:00:38","slug":"how-do-you-burnish-a-table-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodiswood.com\/how-do-you-burnish-a-table-top\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Burnish A Table Top"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you want to achieve a pristine finish of your table top, then burnishing is an art that you need to learn. Whether you are a novice in this area or a burnishing expert, you will realize that the burnishing options and emerging trends in burnishing are almost endless. With the innovation of different techniques and tools used for burnishing, there has always been a lot to learn in this field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are 7 steps to burnishing a tabletop; Sanding, Oiling, Rubbing the oil into the wood, wiping, giving it a couple of weeks to rest, sanding again, and finally cleaning. It is important to not rush this process, and use the right grit of sandpaper which should be between 400-600 grit. To protect and preserve the table top for a longer time, it is important to burnish all its’ 6 sides, as the wood will lose a lot of its aesthetic qualities if any of the sides are exposed to moisture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we will go over everything you need to know about burnishing, and take each step one at a time to give you a fully comprehensive guide on how to burnish a table top. We hope this article will help you avoid any beginner mistakes as well as give you some pro tips that will help you throughout the process. Without further ado, let’s get into the basics of burnishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Burnishing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Burnishing is the process of polishing wood or metal to achieve a smooth and glossy sheen. This is done by applying sufficient pressure or by rubbing the wood or metal with a suitable tool or materials. In this burnishing guide, we are going to focus on burnishing the tabletop and how to do so perfectly. Of course, there are so many experts out there with divergent views on how best to do it in the same way, when you visit different workshops, you see different results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article aims at bringing the best possible burnishing results of a table top, and we are going to address each step, and what you need for the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to know more about burnishing, then We have a massive article giving you a tutorial on Burnishing for your Wood Carvings<\/a>. Make sure that you have checked it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even before we delve much into it, there is an intense debate<\/a> on this topic by burnishing experts that rubbing shavings or sawdust on the tabletop or wood creates friction that works to open the pores on the wood. Such pores are then filled with the tiniest of the shavings making the surface look smooth. The point of contention here is the friction. Some believe that rubbing shavings against the wood removes the soft cell walls of the wood and compressed the hard cell walls. This is perhaps a scientific debate that we cannot address at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Step-By-Step Guide To Burnishing a Table Top<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Burnishing is an art and when you master the process, you become the master of the game. Therefore, the following are the steps that will help you achieve the best of your tabletop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step-1: Sanding<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the first and crucial step that works to remove the soft cell wall of the wood, dust, and to harden the surface. If you are using a powered sander such as the Random Orbit Sander<\/strong><\/a>, you will need 400 grit sandpaper. The disadvantage with this method is that it can leave some ridges and swirl marks at some points where there is an overlap of the strokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If sanding by hand, it is recommendable that you use a 600-grit sanding block. The importance of this process is to remove the imperfections and to make the surface ready for the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While at this step, you should ensure that your sanding is consistent for better results. Ensure that the surface and the edges are consistently done for uniform results. This step gives a tabletop a better feel and looks than it was before sanding. You should keep some sawdust to help you further when doing the final touches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step- 2: Oiling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before this, ensure that you have a good natural oil that will give strength to your wood. The one that will make it harder and water-resistant. One of our recommendations is to use Tung Oil by The Hope Company<\/a> This is where wet sanding also comes in. The last sandpaper that you used in step 1 with sawdust will be helpful in this step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now you can apply some oil consistently on the surface of the table, and where possible, you can also apply it on the underside. This will seal up the moisture all around the wood. After the application, leave it to soak for about 2 \u00bd hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step- 3: Rub the oil into the surface<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here, you can choose to use the last sandpaper with some dust, but also, 0000-grade steel wool would be a great option. Now rub the surface in a consistent manner including the edges. You may add some oils or paste wax on the sandpaper or steel wool to bring out the best satin finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step-4: Wipe the surface<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After rubbing the surface consistently as in step 4 to a satin finish, it\u2019s not time to wipe the excesses of wax, oils, and slurry on the surface. You can use a clean dry cloth or paper shop towels. Some experts also have pointed out their experiences using clean old jeans and it works the same way. It is also important to wipe everything clean while the oils or wax are still wet for better results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step-5: Allow it to cure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Allow the oils to cure for 2-3 weeks. That means you should keep it in a safe place where there is no exposure to water or even dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step-6: Gloss finishing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to achieve a glossy sheen or a gloss finish, you can apply more sanding on a cured surface self-lubricating 600 or 800-grit sandpaper. Do the sanding until you achieve the best results to minimize more rubbing. You can gradually increase the sandpaper grit as you make the surface look finer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point after further wet sanding<\/a>, Dip a damp rag into a rubbing compound of your choice. Now apply some pressure while rubbing in a consistent circle manner until when you think you have achieved the best for your tabletop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step-7: Cleaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Get a clean cloth damped with some mineral spirits and wipe the surface until you achieve a fine clean and reflective surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the video below, you will learn some of the basic skills that you need to understand the burnishing process as we have discussed above, and using the Organoil Hard Burnishing Oil:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/youtu.be\/Y4GBtv5Us2k<\/a>